Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question

GPU Coil Whine

Tags:
  • EVGA
  • Power Supplies
  • GTX 980
  • Graphics Cards
  • Coil Whine
  • System
  • GTX 660
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
Share
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 7:57:50 AM

Hey guys,

I've been building my new system over the last few days. Everything is new, except the case, DVD player, SSDs, and fan controller + some fans.

My new specs are:

Asus Maximus VII Hero
i7-4790K
EVGA GTX980 Superclocked
2x8GB TridentX 2400 CL10
Corsair AX860i
CM Hyper 212 Evo (while I wait for an H220-X)
Samsung 840 Evo 250GB SSD
Kingston V300 120GB SSD
Toshiba 2TB HDD
The case is a HAF X.

Nothing is overclocked except that I enabled the RAM's XMP profile.

Here's the problem: Coil whine. I first noticed it when running WinSAT, my 980 squeeled like a pig. It happens whenever the GPU is stressed, especially above 60-80 fps, which sucks since I just got a 144Hz monitor. I bought the 980 specifically to go above 60 fps.
'So', I hear you say, 'Deal with it or RMA it.' I was about to, but when I tested the 980 in my old system it was whisper quiet. I also put my old, quiet GTX660 in my new system and lo and behold, it started to whine. It looks like the GPU itself isn't defective or anything.

It's definitely coming from the GPU, not from the PSU. I tried changing the PCIe cables, no dice.

I'm getting really annoyed by this, I spent all my savings on this system only to have it give me headaches.
If anyone can help me get rid of the coil whine I'll be eternally grateful.

More about : gpu coil whine

a b ) Power supply
a c 94 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 8:41:10 AM

since both card made whine in the system i would give a look at the motherboard she could be the one to rma and if you have another gpu slot on her try the card in it to see if you still have coil whine .
m
0
l
a c 118 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 8:45:50 AM

What is your old system casing? Sounds like a space issue.
m
0
l
Related resources
Can't find your answer ? Ask !
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 8:51:25 AM

I put the 980 in the bottom slot, same story. It still whines.

I'm reusing the case, I had my old system in the same HAF X.
m
0
l
a c 118 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 8:51:59 AM

scout_03 said:
since both card made whine in the system i would give a look at the motherboard she could be the one to rma and if you have another gpu slot on her try the card in it to see if you still have coil whine .


But the real question is my friend how can motherboard make the card squeal?
m
0
l
a c 118 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 8:53:41 AM

Vexillarius said:
I put the 980 in the bottom slot, same story. It still whines.

I'm reusing the case, I had my old system in the same HAF X.


What was the old motherboard? Can you check whether or not new mobo and old mobo has the same dimensions?
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 8:55:16 AM

They don't have the same dimensions, I used to have a GA-990FXA-UD7, which is E-ATX I believe. It was a horrible board.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 94 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 9:01:30 AM

what happens if you disable the winsat .
m
0
l
October 4, 2014 9:10:45 AM

VRM coil whine is what you speak of? If so it is a issue with that MB that i found posted in other forums.
m
0
l
October 4, 2014 9:16:46 AM

Try this, turn vsync off and tell us if there is a noticeable difference in the the whine. It should if it is the card, be a significant noticeable difference. If it isnt then it is something else. Seems like since you already tested the card on another PC and it was fine then it is the VRM no?
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 89 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 9:21:34 AM

goku1234567890 said:
scout_03 said:
since both card made whine in the system i would give a look at the motherboard she could be the one to rma and if you have another gpu slot on her try the card in it to see if you still have coil whine .


But the real question is my friend how can motherboard make the card squeal?

yeah that is the funny thing with coil whine. It seems that not only the card but also mobo and psu can have an effect whether you get coil whine or not. In this case it seems the OP has gotten really unlucky with the mix of components he has.


To OP
could you test the old psu with the new system?
m
0
l
October 4, 2014 9:26:27 AM

easy way to tell if it is a VRM on your MOBO or you GPU, is simply overclock your card. The whine should be different or go away altogether. Good luck

EDIT: specifically overvolt a bit. Not pass safe levels! Youll notice it if it changes
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 10:09:51 AM

I tried adding 12mV and 25mV, no difference. Does that mean it's the mobo?

VSync is already off, I almost never have it on.

EDIT: The noise seems to come from the graphics card though, if it's the mobo shouldn't the noise originate from the actual VRM?
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 94 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 10:14:31 AM

if you try those card in another system and there is no coil whine i would realy suspect a motherboard issue .
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 10:23:20 AM

Damnit.

I changed systems because my previous motherboard was a pile of shit. Now this mobo, an Asus ROG mobo, is defective too?

I really can't wait for a RMA, I need my computer. If I'm going through with this I'll be buying a new mobo while I RMA the current one. Asus doesn't do that program where they send you a replacement right away in Europe I think.
Not to mention that RMA'd products only get a 3 month warranty instead of the normal 3 year one...
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 94 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 10:39:48 AM

this card if you stop the winsat on her does the gpu still whine usualy asus have good motherboard also unplug the sdd that is not use as os drive to see if you have any change .
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 11:07:29 AM

It whines in games (Rome 2 Total War) and Heaven Benchmark too.

I tried my old PSU, no difference. Unplugged all drives except the primary, no difference.

For the heck of it I removed the GPU completely and ran on the iGPU. The whine was gone, so it definitely originates from the GPU.

If anyone can confirm that this is a motherboard issue, please do.
m
0
l
October 4, 2014 11:08:36 AM

All VRM whine is from is a certain frequency caused by a certain amount of voltage, but could signal a imminent failure or power issue, in any component that has voltage regulator modules. Winsat could cause voltage issues so be sure to check out what scout recommended. Other things are auto voltage regulators built in BIOS and third party software not really suitable and set to high demand gaming rigs. This is a new build so i doubt you have tinkered with this much at all.

This is a great explanation by Phaedrus2129 over at overclocknet

So your GPU has annoying coil whine, eh? Won't shut up? You've tried RMAing the card, or putting lacquer on the coils (or your GPU uses non-toroidal inductors that that doesn't work on), and nothing works? Here's a potential solution.

Overclock your card.

Overvolt it.

Do something that will change the amount of power the card draws.

Or replace your power supply with one of a different model.

The inductors in a graphics card are for the most part used in its VRM, or voltage regulation module. VRMs are a type of DC-DC switch-mode power supply, usually a synchronous multi-phase buck regulator. This means that it uses a bunch of "phases" in parallel, each consisting of a pair of transistors, an inductor, and a capacitor, to change the +12V input from your PSU to 1.xxV for your GPU to use.

In order to supply a different voltage or different current the transistors switch on and off at different frequencies. If the GPU demands more current, then that will cause a voltage drop across the inductor, which makes the transistors switch faster to keep the voltage where it needs to be. And the reverse. All this happens in microseconds.

An inductor stores electricity in a magnetic field. This magnetic field pushes and pulls on the ferrite core used in some inductors. When the voltage across the inductor changes, the magnetic field changes, and the inductor moves slightly. When the voltage changes very, very quickly (as is the case when switching transistors are changing its voltage thousands of times a second) the inductor vibrates. And that vibration, if it is between 20Hz and 20,000Hz, is audible to the human ear. Hence whine.

The frequency at which the switching transistors operates varies, but it's generally between 10,000Hz and 100,000Hz. If your GPU is whining, the transistors are switching at between 10,000 and 20,000Hz, or a primary harmonic of those frequencies. So if you want to stop the whining, you need to make the transistors operate at a different frequency.

So you change the amount of power drawn. Overclock and overvolt your GPU and the transistors will need to switch faster to provide power to the GPU, and if you're luck you'll bump them from 17,000Hz to 24,000Hz. Underclocking may work as well. And suddenly your GPU will whine no more.

You could also use a different PSU that outputs a slightly higher or lower voltage on the +12V rail, which will also change the frequency the transistors need to work at.



It won't work for everyone, and may not work all the time either. But it may help reduce the whine or the amount of time you hear it. It worked with my new HD6950. At stock, it's a real whiner. Unlocked, overclocked, overvolted, power cap raised... not a peep
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 11:22:45 AM

Right, but I tried a different PSU, I tried overclocking, hell I tried a different card that was dead silent in my old system! My current card, the 980, was dead silent in my old system too.

I'll try playing around with the BIOS a bit.

EDIT: I read somewhere that disabling EIST may help. Tried it, no difference.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 89 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 11:39:55 AM

well it is starting to sound like your new mobo doesn't like the card :/ 
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 11:43:22 AM

It doesn't seem to like any card.

I also flashed the BIOS to the latest version, no difference.
m
0
l
October 4, 2014 12:08:12 PM

Any chance all your current components will work with your old MB? If so hook up everything to it and see if the whine occurs again. Then you can for sure pinpoint it down to your MB and get that baby fixed up. Or if the whine is reproduced, it is one of your components causing issues and the troubleshooting continues.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 12:25:34 PM

My old mobo and CPU died during disassembly unfortunately. It was a half-prebuilt system (I was ill when I bought it so it seemed like a good idea at the time) but it looks like they glued or cemented the cooler to the CPU or something. It wouldn't get loose, I got frustrated, put some back into it and promptly ripped the CPU out of the socket, still attached to the cooler:

Even with a chisel and hammer I can't get the CPU loose from the cooler, it's crazy.

Anyway,
I'm contacting the shop where I bought most of the new component including the motherboard. Hopefully they can help me along. I'm in the Netherlands so most RMAs go through the shop.
I've expained the situation and my personal conclusion that the motherboard is, realistically, the only component left that could be the culprit. Hopefully I can either get help to solve the problem myself or get an accelerated replacement.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 78 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 12:34:17 PM

Try changing the following.

Power cord

Different power outlet

Different surge protector /4/6/8-way adaptor

Different PSU.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 78 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 12:35:19 PM

Also I have heard people running their cards flat out for a few hours to fix coil whine. Let it loop Unigine or similar GPU stress benchmark for a few hours.
m
0
l
October 4, 2014 12:53:58 PM

ya man whine is one those weird things, probably less then subpar quality control is the cuplrit more then anything when it comes to new parts. After a few burn ins anyway. Not a bad thing it probably saves us 50 bucks a pop on the better cards or more but a real pain nonetheless. You can run two exact same builds down to the type of screws to mount the MB and one will whine like a screeching banshee and the other purr like a kitten. And it may never ever bother performance or break, but not worth the risk imo if you cant troubleshoot fix it. RMA and be done with it if nothing you can do at home helps make it go away.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 12:57:49 PM

I tried a different PSU, with a different cable, in a different socket. It didn't change anything.

I had it do Unigine Heaven for a few hours, it didn't help. I didn't think it would, since the whine isn't confined to one card, but happens to whichever card I plug in (so far anyway).
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 78 U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 2:23:15 PM

could be mobo then? are you sure the whine is coming from the cards?
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 4, 2014 2:30:20 PM

Yes. It's a very penetrant whine, so it's hard to tell. I'm pretty sure though, because it disappears if I remove the card and run on the iGPU, but not in any other case.
Using the other PSU from quite far outside of the case also doesn't seem to move the source of the whine.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 94 U Graphics card
October 5, 2014 11:10:51 AM

on the gpu what is the max boost clock you have when it whine .
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 5, 2014 11:16:17 AM

I haven't OC'd the GPU (except for trying overvolting a little, but I reverted that) so the max boost is 1342MHz. It actually runs at 1379MHz according to GPU-Z.
I just tried underclocking it so it actually runs at 1342MHz, it still whines.

Again though, it also happens with my old GTX660. Both cards were whisper quiet in my old system.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 94 U Graphics card
October 5, 2014 12:13:32 PM

your psu have 4 pci-e power output did you try all of them to see if whine still on even with the old card and if it is i would suspect a motherboard issue .
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 5, 2014 12:26:37 PM

I tried that, see my opening post. It didn't help.

I've already contacted the shop, I expect an answer tomorrow. There seems to be a fair consensus here that the motherboard is most likely the culprit.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 94 U Graphics card
October 5, 2014 12:30:32 PM

we wait for the shop answer hope they solve it fast .
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 5, 2014 12:43:05 PM

Yep. It still counts as DOA with this shop, so it shouldn't take long.

Anyway, thanks for all the help to all you guys! I really appreciate it. I'll update as things progress.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 6, 2014 3:23:05 AM

Update:

Just got word from the shop. A little coil whine is not considered a defect, a lot of coil whine is. Regardless, they told me to send it back anyway if I consider the coil whine to be too much (I do obviously), and because this shop is apparently awesome they'll send me back a brand new identical mobo as soon as this one arrives at the shop. I'll only be without a mobo for 4 days max: one day to send the mobo to them, 2-3 days for them to get an identical mobo from their supplier and send it to me.

It still has to happen of course, but if it actually does happen the way they say it's going to happen I'd be extremely happy. How's this for customer service!
m
0
l
a c 118 U Graphics card
October 6, 2014 5:31:35 AM

Well this is customer service. For my graphic card i sent it for RMA it was showing white lines and was causing artifacts. I specifically told them that i wanted a replacement card and what they did was took the card for a month and sent me back the same one repaired. Now that is crappy customer service.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 94 U Graphics card
October 6, 2014 6:12:18 PM

keep that shop for the service it is a + value for costumer satisfaction .
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 8, 2014 2:58:22 AM

Update:

The shop received and tested the mobo and they agree that it's defective. They happened to have this mobo in stock, so they've sent me a new one pretty much right away. It'll be here tomorrow!
m
0
l
October 8, 2014 10:19:20 AM

awesome! Glad to hear it was indeed the mobo. VRM right?
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 94 U Graphics card
October 8, 2014 12:37:51 PM

with this great kind of service promote this shop to your friend and tell them you made it .
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 9, 2014 8:47:37 AM

*sigh..*

I just installed the 'new' mobo (it came in the old box and was dirty as hell) and fired up Heaven benchmark. It whines. Same as before. I'm so sick of this.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a c 78 U Graphics card
October 9, 2014 9:28:56 AM

Doesnt sound like a new one!
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 9, 2014 9:35:13 AM

Nope. I sent the shop an angry email and told them to get their shit together. The board looked like someone emptied a bucket of mud over it. I'm seriously pissed off right now. They can have the mobo back, just give me a damn refund.

The board doesn't seem to be the exact same mobo I RMA'd by the way, the serial number (on the sticker) is different and I know I made some marks in a couple of screwholes which are nowhere to be seen on this board.

Here's the plan: I'm going to buy an el cheapo mobo from a different store. Then I'm going to install it and see if it still whines. If it does I'm going to implode. Not sure yet what I'll do if it doesn't whine.
m
0
l
a c 118 U Graphics card
October 9, 2014 10:24:13 AM

Then maybe it is the combination of hardware that is causing this.
m
0
l
October 9, 2014 10:27:30 AM

Well that is odd. Try taking a long tube, like say a paper towel tube and putting it over or as close to the VRM's of your MB as possible. Dont shock yourself as this test must be done while running The sound should get louder. If not try the same test with you PSU, GPU and fans. that can help pinpoint the exact location a bit better since the shop i guess didnt do/use diagnostics equipment.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 9, 2014 10:39:36 AM

The web is crawling with people using a Maximus VII Hero with an i7-4790K and it seems to work fine for them. Changing PSU or GPU doesn't help, so the mobo and CPU would be the only significant combination left I think.

Anyway, I ordered two mobo's from a different shop, another VII Hero and an ASRock MSI Z97 PC Mate. My wallet is completely empty now. I'll try a VII Hero that's actually new, if there's still whine I'll try the ASRock. That should tell me something, and I can return the mobo or mobo's after testing for a small fee. I just hope one of them works. I'll find out tomorrow.

As far as I can tell the whine originates from the GPU, I just tried the cardboard tube thing.
It seems to be a little bit better with the not-so-new mobo, it happens somewhat less in games (but not benchmarks). I tried the old card again, it also whines with this mobo.

EDIT: Also, Windows has decided that the activation limit has been reached so it won't activate with the new mobo. I have the retail version exactly because of mobo failures for god's sake. I'll call Microsoft's support line once I have a mobo that plays nice.
m
0
l
October 9, 2014 11:51:23 AM

I have had the same issue with microsoft, but upgrading hard drives. Call em up and they will be cool with it. But for the sake of testing builds, use ubuntu to test next time so it is not a hassle. its free and will still be good for stability testing. Wonder why this card whines on just this particular mobo but not your other one. Sounds possibly like a bios setting?? You got yourself a pickle for sure. I will keep track of this thread for future reference as im really curious what the solution will be. I use sabertooth 990FX with zero issues btw if you want to give them a shoot. Rev 2, but also used the original with no issues as well. think it is called Z79 or something for intel
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 9, 2014 12:09:42 PM

Yeah I'll give them a call once I get a working mobo. I can do it right now but then I'd have to do it again when the next mobo arrives. I have no experience whatsoever with Linux/Ubuntu and even unactivated Windows will allow me to check for coil whine so I'll just stick with Windows for now. I'll keep it in mind for future builds though.

I tried messing with the BIOS settings but I couldn't find anything that helped. I thought it might be a BIOS problem with the GTX 900-series, but then it wouldn't make sense that my GTX 660 whines with this mobo too.

I've looked at the Sabertooths, they don't really fit my theme. If I can't get a VII Hero working correctly I'll definitely consider the Sabertooths though, theme or not, I just want a working system that doesn't give me headaches.
m
0
l
a b ) Power supply
a b U Graphics card
October 10, 2014 11:19:19 AM

Update:

The third VII Hero also made the GPU whine. Damnit.

I then tried the MSI Z97 PC Mate, but when I press the power button it switches on for a second, then it clicks off. It turns on again a few seconds later, with the same results. I replug the 24-pin and it works fine, once. I turn it off and try to turn it on again and it starts cycling again. I tried different cables, same result. Here's the interesting/enraging part: it works fine with my old PSU... I honest to god don't know what's going on anymore. I'm completely stumped, the PSU didn't make a difference with the VII Hero's.

EDIT: The PC Mate works sometimes. If I leave it for a while it'll turn on even without replugging cables. When I restart it starts cycling again. /EDIT

I'm officially beaten. I'm completely exhausted and I don't know what to do anymore. I'm on my mom's laptop right now. Tomorrow I'm going to a local computer shop and I'm going to pay them to diagnose and/or fix the problem. I can't fix this.
m
0
l
      • 1 / 2
      • 2
      • Newest
!