Are you supposed to hear your graphics card? and i don't mean the fan.

[PhxkinMassacre]

so i recently put together this monster desktop that i am typing from right now but have a question about my graphics card. since im new to computer builds i don't exactly know if this is supposed to happen.

i have a evga gtx 570 and its really quiet but then when i start play games i start to hear the card. kinda like a buzz coming from the card. its not the fan because i experimented with the rpms to hear what it sounded like and during games i left the evga monitor program up and watched the fans stay at the same rpm as they were before i started playing (the fan works and speeds when needed, just the card didn't get hot enough during my little test for it to spool up)

so is this normal? i just found it odd. if not, its still within the 30 day return policy for my local micro center so if i need to swap it, it isn't a problem. any incite to this oddity is welcome

 

[cbag]

I swear back in the day I had a Radeon 9200SE (I think tha'ts what it was) and I could hear it when I played a game. It wasn't the fan it was like a buzzing or electrical sound.

 

[nukemaster]

It is a called coil buzz(and the pitch will change with different loadings or even frame rate for some users). It is normal for the most part.

Sometimes if you swap the card you get one that does not buzz in a range of your hearing(they most likely all do it, it is just a matter of if you can hear it or not), others you get the same thing or worse.

It is fully your call what you wish to do(swap or keep). It should have no negative impact on performance or even lifespan of the card.

This same issue can effect other components such as motherboards and even power supplies(not just a computer power supply either).

 

[PhxkinMassacre]

yeah thats whats happening to me! i don't know if i should be concerned or not... the card is working great and plays games on highest graphics and everything its just the buzzing makes me feel un-easy haha i don't know if i should make the hike back up to micro center for an exchange or not.

 

[PhxkinMassacre]

It is a called coil buzz(and the pitch will change with different loadings or even frame rate for some users). It is normal for the most part.

Sometimes if you swap the card you get one that does not buzz in a range of your hearing(they most likely all do it, it is just a matter of if you can hear it or not), others you get the same thing or worse.

It is fully your call what you wish to do(swap or keep). It should have no negative impact on performance or even lifespan of the card.

This same issue can effect other components such as motherboards and even power supplies(not just a computer power supply either).

ahhh. ok. and now that i think of it, it might even be the power supply because i notice on my battery backup thing that i have my whole rig hooked up to that the power usage doubles when games start so if its nothing to worry about then im fine with it. just double checking because im new to this hi spec computer building scene and didn't think it was normal. thanks guys

 

[nukemaster]

The new ATI 79XX cards seem to be very bad for it as well.

My 8800GTX and X1900XT both did this.

I also had some boards(K8V SE,X58A UD5) do this as well.

My monitors power supply does this as well, but it is very quiet.

As long as you have a good computer power supply, you should be fine.

 

[PhxkinMassacre]

yeah im using a corsair hx750 which from what i heard is really good and this build is less than 3 weeks old so yeah... i guess im good then

 

[Tavo_Nova]

there are 2 tips you can do to avoid hearing it

1-get a really awesome speaker lots of it like those home theater ones, play at maximum volume and rock your own home.

2-get a really good head phone max volume everything until your ears can't take it anymore.

but over all that kind of problem is normal, it won't affect you in any bad way just that the noise, lol maybe your born with great hearing lol

 

[nukemaster]

yeah im using a corsair hx750 which from what i heard is really good and this build is less than 3 weeks old so yeah... i guess im good then

The HX 750 is great.

So your call, most stores as well as companies will replace a card over it(hot or miss how the replacement will be). To be honest, the way I did not hear cards was to use it in my Antec Sonata(Or fractal Define R2) case . Closed cases with less vents or noise dampening tend to dampen this sound.

I am all for the loud speaker solution too just don't make your self deaf

 

[PhxkinMassacre]

Best answer selected by PhxkinMassacre.