Scrolling in IE pages - GPU making noise?

[doakwolf]

Hi all,

I wondered if the Tom's community could please kindly assist with a small matter

Something inside my computer tower makes noise when I scroll up and down within an Internet Explorer window. I haven't been able to replicate the noise using other applications such as Firefox (browsing the same URL as IE) or MS Word etc. That said, sometimes I think I hear it in small burts when using other apps. Hard to know. It's quite a faint noise.

I think it's the GPU (where the sound is coming from) which is why I posted this in the ATI forum. It makes the noise whether or not the monitor is switched on or off. I would describe the noise as 'tinny' - though, I've never been good at describing things, I'm sorry!

Something I just noticed - if I scroll all the way to the end of the page, the noise stops (even if I keep rolling the scroll wheel).

Any ideas? I've installed the latest drivers from ATI.

I'm not too concerned but just stumped as to what's causing this symptom!!! It seems to come and go but it apparent more often than not. It happens whether I use the scroll wheel on the mouse, scroll wheel on keyboard or just scroll by dragging the scroll bar manually.

I don't have ANY speakers in this system. Not on-board, not external.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated

Doak.

My system (if it helps):

CM Storm Sniper
OCZ GameXStream 850w
Asus P6T Deluxe
Intel i7 920
HIS 4890 Turbo
2x WD Caviar Blacks
LiteOn DVD
Corsair XMS3 RAM 6Gb
Logitech G9x Mouse
Logitech Elite KB

 

[oli]

I have the exact problem with a xfx 4870hd 1gb. A small 'squeak' when I scroll up and down internet pages getting louder if its a white page.

I'm now using Windows 7 beta. The card didnt do it when using Vista x64.

Any ideas?

 

[cajackson]

I have observed this off and on for a long time. Having just installed Windows 7, I am now hearing it again in IE. HOWEVER, the same exact webpages when scrolling in Chrome do not have that symptom. I have looked for solutions many times and never found anyone with a clue. My solution for now... don't use IE, which is a shame because IE8 on Windows7 is pretty good.

 

[cajackson]

Guess what... appears to be some quirk of smooth scrolling turned on in IE. It uses the DirectX capability of the graphics card engaging and then disengaging the hardware momentarily making the chirp noise. Visually I have not noticed a difference with Smooth Scrolling OFF (Internet Options, Advanced, Browsing, Uncheck Smooth Scrolling). Incidentally, my configuration is completely different from doakwolf above:

Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
6.1.7600 Build 7600
Gigabyte P35-DS3P
System Type X86-based PC
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU
E6750 @ 2.66GHz, 2667 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Award Software International, Inc. F12B, 9/18/2008
SMBIOS Version 2.4
ATI Radeon 4800 Series
All stock, no overclocking

 

[Rustyy117]

You guys talking about this noise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4d23F2jehQ ?

 

[gerardb]

my gtx 260 does some noise too when im at the menu screen (super duper high FPS)
maybe its the voltage regulator / capacitors on the card making sound. i read something like that, its "normal" i mean, it's still working so yeah,...
RMA maybe?

 

[Rustyy117]

its common, its called coil whine. it can happen on your motherboard, powersupply and graphics cards. I'm trying to RMA my Coolermaster Powersupply as it whines really loud in any sort of 3D application (When my graphics card goes into 3D mode and needs more power)
But coolermaster haven't got back to me and its been a week since I sent them an E-mail.

 

[edooze]

I appreciate this thread is old, however I have been searching for days for the answer to this problem with my Radeon 6950/ASRock Z68 Extreme4 build, and the smooth scrolling was it.

So, for anyone else having this problem who may have found this thread via google or whatever, consider this a +1 for the problem being IEs smooth scrolling.

From a thread on coil whine on Anandtech "Coil whine is caused by a part (or parts) physically vibrating." - This was not the problem I was having.

Thanks be to Tom's community!