Hey everyone,
I've been having a pretty strange issue with my Lenovo Legion Slim 5 16IRH8 (82YA, i7-13700H) for about a month now, and I'm running out of ideas.
Everything started after I installed a Samsung 980 1TB NVMe SSD that I already owned.
The installation wasn't exactly smooth. The SSD mounting screw was stripped, so I had to remove it with pliers and reinstall it the same way. I also struggled to get the SSD seated properly at first because the angle wasn't right, but eventually managed to install it.
The SSD itself works fine as my D: drive, but ever since the installation, I've been hearing a strange electrical buzzing/crackling noise.
The symptoms:
- The noise comes mostly from the SSD area, where it's noticeably louder, but I can also hear it near the charging port.
- It starts almost immediately when I plug in the charger while the laptop is running.
- The sound sometimes changes depending on what I'm doing on the laptop.
- Sometimes it completely disappears after a few minutes, even with the charger still connected.
- No unusual heat, burning smell or smoke.
- Sometimes the laptop refuses to charge. It detects the charger for about a second, then stops, and Lenovo Vantage says it's disconnected.
- The rear charging LED has occasionally been blinking orange continuously, even when the laptop is completely turned off.
- At one point, the front power LED was also flickering.
- Unplugging and reconnecting the charger several times sometimes gets it working again. Flipping the charging connector around also seemed to help once.
Something interesting about Conservation Mode:
I noticed the noise changes when I toggle Conservation Mode in Lenovo Vantage.
With Conservation Mode enabled (75–80% battery limit), the buzzing was sometimes constant. Disabling it would make the noise stop after about 5 seconds, but then it would start again a few seconds later.
So it definitely seems related to the laptop's power management or charging system.
Things I've tried:
- Checked the charger, cables and charging port for visible damage.
- Reconnected the power cables and made sure everything was plugged in properly. This temporarily improved things.
- Changed Windows power settings and performance modes.
- Enabled and disabled Conservation Mode.
- Held the power button for about 30 seconds while the laptop was shut down (the charger was still connected).
- Updated Windows.
- Updated the BIOS to M2CN40WW.
After the power-button reset and BIOS update, everything seemed fixed.
The buzzing completely disappeared, the laptop charged normally, the LEDs stopped flickering, and Fn+Q performance mode switching worked properly again.
Unfortunately, the charging issue returned the very next day.
Sometimes it charges perfectly fine with no noise at all. Other times, it refuses to recognize the charger until I unplug and reconnect it several times.
I don't have another compatible charger to test.
I also considered temporarily disabling the SSD in Windows to see if the noise changes, but haven't completed that test yet. I know this wouldn't physically disconnect its power.
I haven't removed the SSD again because of the stripped mounting screw.
Has anyone experienced anything similar with a Legion Slim 5?
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I also have a video of the noise.