Noticeable coil whine goes away when games are minimized?

[zvmanning]

Yeah i spend a lot of money on this dekstop and it irritates me. It's my first build with the Sapphire Radeon HD 7970. I would think hey since a lot of people have it, it's probably ok. Not the case with me, the coil whine stops when i minimize games so it seems like a bigger problem. I have been thinking about RMA and even switching for the gtx680. Or a new 7970 all together. Any thoughts? I have a video clearly letting you hear the sound difference when games are up and minimized. The link is hurr


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOFmgZ3EsAQ was taken with my iPhone so forgive the weird angle, listen to that though i think it's pretty obvious. Friends telling me they can't hear it yet they are not in the room and not sitting next to it





Build: NZXT Phantom case, CORSAIR builder series 600w 80 plus PSU, ASRock Z77E-ITX LGA 1155 Intel Z77, 2400 i5 processor, x G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB, andddd yeah


It's been up and running for weeks now. Took awhile to figure out how to get this beast working. I'm just wondering if coil whine should be happening like this in a 1700$ build. I took the 1000$ off the site and improved the specs because i didn't like the ones they gave. Help =( i researched the coil whine as best i could but nothing specific to whats happening is out there. If this is normal and is not damaging to the hardware than i don't care honestly but if ends up breaking when the return date is not valid i would be very upset......

 

[duxducis]

and that sound coming from GPU? Only time i herd something like that it was inside defective PSU
Doesn't seem like fan hitting something, but you can test by stopping fan while its noisy (can also go AMD control panel set fans to 100% and listen as well)

 

[zvmanning]

It has to be the GPU the sound comes from that area idk how to tell if its the PSU but when i put my ear to the PSU nothing. No games running everything is silent. Any ideas?

 

[Maxx_Power]

Yeah i spend a lot of money on this dekstop and it irritates me. It's my first build with the Sapphire Radeon HD 7970. I would think hey since a lot of people have it, it's probably ok. Not the case with me, the coil whine stops when i minimize games so it seems like a bigger problem. I have been thinking about RMA and even switching for the gtx680. Or a new 7970 all together. Any thoughts? I have a video clearly letting you hear the sound difference when games are up and minimized. The link is hurr


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOFmgZ3EsAQ was taken with my iPhone so forgive the weird angle, listen to that though i think it's pretty obvious. Friends telling me they can't hear it yet they are not in the room and not sitting next to it





Build: NZXT Phantom case, CORSAIR builder series 600w 80 plus PSU, ASRock Z77E-ITX LGA 1155 Intel Z77, 2400 i5 processor, x G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB, andddd yeah


It's been up and running for weeks now. Took awhile to figure out how to get this beast working. I'm just wondering if coil whine should be happening like this in a 1700$ build. I took the 1000$ off the site and improved the specs because i didn't like the ones they gave. Help =( i researched the coil whine as best i could but nothing specific to whats happening is out there. If this is normal and is not damaging to the hardware than i don't care honestly but if ends up breaking when the return date is not valid i would be very upset......

Seems like these coils that are whining in your "Case" are hitting the resonating frequency when the load is high (AC ripple increases across the coils at higher loads). If it is really annoying to you, then you have no choice but to get rid of the card via return, RMA, or whatever. Some times a certain combo of GPU, Board and PSU creates coil whine that is otherwise not there. If you are certain the coil that is buzzing is on the GPU, then best to swap that GPU. Coil whine is very annoying (to me).

The inductors used on modern GPUs are closed ones, and it is not even easy to add a bit of hot glue, or epoxy to quiet them down by adding mass, so forget about modding it to get rid of the whine.

 

[nukemaster]

Some users add 2200uF caps to smooth out the voltage ripple(switching power supplies switch very fast) and reduce this noise. Never tried it my self, but some power supply makers are doing it as well on the PCI-E cable.

 

[unksol]

Coil whine is related to the current through the coil. Its totally normal for it to only happen under load and could be the gpu, PSU etc. use a paper towel tube to your ear for "directional"hearing to confirm. You couldAlso play with the fan speed/overclock/voltage.

As for it being a valid reason for RMA... Idk what they will do. Its entirely possible dampening material is missing from the coil for some reason, and is a high end card/quick fix. Guess it depends on how much it bugs you and what they say.

FYI sapphire says to return to the seller for warranty but that's not how it works. You need to email RMA@athlonmicro.com and they send you an RMA form. You can put coil whine and see if they approve it.

www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/company/?cid=2&psn=000302&lid=1

I can't comment on their service yet as my 6950 toxic just arrived at their office and that incident involved a cat, a side fan and a cup of tea, so I expect to be charges if its repairable anyway

 

[zvmanning]

Honestly the coil whine is whatever if it doesn't mean my card is dying or will die than I'm fine with it. It can be annoying sometimes but headphones an tv can block it out. I have a new issue now however, while I was searching for the noise my monitor which worked flawlessly before this event, is now saying no VGA no signal. I have no idea how to fix that it's hooked up properly and I keep shutting the computer down. The noise comes from the non dvi hookup side. But the monitor is my issue now haha. I appreciate all the help =]


(I really wish i did not have to call AMD...... this is bullshit the card stopped recognizing the monitor and i know its the GPU because i am using the monitor with my laptop as we speak. Newegg won't take this card back because i don't have 100% retail packaging still, what a joke.)

 

[zvmanning]

Seems like these coils that are whining in your "Case" are hitting the resonating frequency when the load is high (AC ripple increases across the coils at higher loads). If it is really annoying to you, then you have no choice but to get rid of the card via return, RMA, or whatever. Some times a certain combo of GPU, Board and PSU creates coil whine that is otherwise not there. If you are certain the coil that is buzzing is on the GPU, then best to swap that GPU. Coil whine is very annoying (to me).

The inductors used on modern GPUs are closed ones, and it is not even easy to add a bit of hot glue, or epoxy to quiet them down by adding mass, so forget about modding it to get rid of the whine.

was wondering if the 600w and my mini mobo were the cause when you said that but the noise was def coming from the GPU. So combination is possible. I picked the mobo for it's reviews and figured the high price meant it was good. I knew what to look for though but for the most part it was the random i know this will work and seems good at the time buy. Would the fact that my mobo is mini do anything? Do i need more power? They said the 7970 consumes most like 400w? processor nother 95. fans

 

[Maxx_Power]

was wondering if the 600w and my mini mobo were the cause when you said that but the noise was def coming from the GPU. So combination is possible. I picked the mobo for it's reviews and figured the high price meant it was good. I knew what to look for though but for the most part it was the random i know this will work and seems good at the time buy. Would the fact that my mobo is mini do anything? Do i need more power? They said the 7970 consumes most like 400w? processor nother 95. fans

You don't have to worry about coil whine if it is absolutely sure that the noise is generated at the GPU. Since no modern GPUs (at this price level) still uses electrolytic capacitors and those can apparently whine when they start to die and dry up (capacitor whine).

The mobo being mini is not a factor. The size does not determine the quality, and the price only correlates with average quality. 600 watts is also enough for power. AMD officially recommends a 500W power supply. The 7970 can't consume up to 400Watts, it has PCI-E supplied 75 watts max, 150 watts supplied by 8 pin connector max and 75 watts supplied by the 6 pin max, so maximal is 300 watts, although the PowerTune is set lower than this, so your power usage shouldn't get close to 300 watts.

But if you are not comfortable with the noise, you shouldn't have to settle. I had electronics that emitted high pitched noises before, and it was very annoying that I couldn't tolerate it for long periods of time. I'm sure there are some ill-effects psychologically...

You should try swapping the GPU with another, like a friends and see if the problem goes away to fully isolate the GPU, so you know what part to exchange.

 

[Maxx_Power]

Honestly the coil whine is whatever if it doesn't mean my card is dying or will die than I'm fine with it. It can be annoying sometimes but headphones an tv can block it out. I have a new issue now however, while I was searching for the noise my monitor which worked flawlessly before this event, is now saying no VGA no signal. I have no idea how to fix that it's hooked up properly and I keep shutting the computer down. The noise comes from the non dvi hookup side. But the monitor is my issue now haha. I appreciate all the help =]


(I really wish i did not have to call AMD...... this is bullshit the card stopped recognizing the monitor and i know its the GPU because i am using the monitor with my laptop as we speak. Newegg won't take this card back because i don't have 100% retail packaging still, what a joke.)

Check your input select on the monitor, go through its buttons to find one that toggles the input source, or you may have to use the LCD OSD menus.

"the noise comes from the non dvi hookup side", are you currently using DVI cable to connect the GPU and Monitor ?

 

[zvmanning]

Check your input select on the monitor, go through its buttons to find one that toggles the input source, or you may have to use the LCD OSD menus.

"the noise comes from the non dvi hookup side", are you currently using DVI cable to connect the GPU and Monitor ?

Yes the dvi cable connects to monitor and GPU but i sent the GPU in for replacement. I figured since it didnt get recognized by the GPU it was a big problem. My mobo however will not recognize it either which makes me wonder. However this monitor has no damage and has been used for like 3 weeks max atleast

also i did try the output like you said but none worked when i had the gpu, now the mobo wont but i know the mobo works

 

[zvmanning]

You don't have to worry about coil whine if it is absolutely sure that the noise is generated at the GPU. Since no modern GPUs (at this price level) still uses electrolytic capacitors and those can apparently whine when they start to die and dry up (capacitor whine).

The mobo being mini is not a factor. The size does not determine the quality, and the price only correlates with average quality. 600 watts is also enough for power. AMD officially recommends a 500W power supply. The 7970 can't consume up to 400Watts, it has PCI-E supplied 75 watts max, 150 watts supplied by 8 pin connector max and 75 watts supplied by the 6 pin max, so maximal is 300 watts, although the PowerTune is set lower than this, so your power usage shouldn't get close to 300 watts.

But if you are not comfortable with the noise, you shouldn't have to settle. I had electronics that emitted high pitched noises before, and it was very annoying that I couldn't tolerate it for long periods of time. I'm sure there are some ill-effects psychologically...

You should try swapping the GPU with another, like a friends and see if the problem goes away to fully isolate the GPU, so you know what part to exchange.

hehe that's a great answer! I was freaking if it wasnt enough or was too little. Overpowering or not powering enough

 

[Maxx_Power]

Yes the dvi cable connects to monitor and GPU but i sent the GPU in for replacement. I figured since it didnt get recognized by the GPU it was a big problem. My mobo however will not recognize it either which makes me wonder. However this monitor has no damage and has been used for like 3 weeks max atleast

also i did try the output like you said but none worked when i had the gpu, now the mobo wont but i know the mobo works

Since it was working before you started tinkering, check the 2 power cables that goes to the back of the GPU card are firmly inserted.

Also if the above didn't work to power up the monitor, try taking the discrete GPU out, and plugging the monitor cable into the back of the computer on the motherboard video out to use the onboard to see if that one works. This helps you to eliminate the possibility that the GPU is faulty.

 

[zvmanning]

Since it was working before you started tinkering, check the 2 power cables that goes to the back of the GPU card are firmly inserted.

Also if the above didn't work to power up the monitor, try taking the discrete GPU out, and plugging the monitor cable into the back of the computer on the motherboard video out to use the onboard to see if that one works. This helps you to eliminate the possibility that the GPU is faulty.

I stared at these DVI cables for like 30mins i just can't find anything wrong. The GPU is currently being shipped for RMA so it's not in atm just the mobo. I tried plugging it into the DVI port on the mobo but no luck. Thing i used the cable to connect the monitor the other day and it worked completely no problems i was using the monitor. Just yesterday i did the same and it worked until the log in screen then it gave me the no signal again so i don't know what to think. (plugged into my laptop)

 

[Maxx_Power]

I stared at these DVI cables for like 30mins i just can't find anything wrong. The GPU is currently being shipped for RMA so it's not in atm just the mobo. I tried plugging it into the DVI port on the mobo but no luck. Thing i used the cable to connect the monitor the other day and it worked completely no problems i was using the monitor. Just yesterday i did the same and it worked until the log in screen then it gave me the no signal again so i don't know what to think.

Okay, most motherboards will auto change to onboard graphics if the discrete is not present unless you set it to be fixed in BIOS. Just in case this is true, get your motherboard manual (physical or internet by model number on the manufacturer's website), and see where the CMOS reset jumper/switch is. Follow the directions in the manual to reset CMOS (usually jumper/switch it for a few seconds, then put it back the way it was), and see if you get display from the onboard.

 

[zvmanning]

Best answer selected by zvmanning.

 

[zvmanning]

Okay, most motherboards will auto change to onboard graphics if the discrete is not present unless you set it to be fixed in BIOS. Just in case this is true, get your motherboard manual (physical or internet by model number on the manufacturer's website), and see where the CMOS reset jumper/switch is. Follow the directions in the manual to reset CMOS (usually jumper/switch it for a few seconds, then put it back the way it was), and see if you get display from the onboard.

So it worked and i thank you very much. However the screen gave me a warning saying The catalyst control center is not supported by the driver version of your enabled grahics adapter. Pllease update your AMD graphics driver or enable your AMD adapter using the displays monitor. I'm pretty sure tha'ts because im using the Intel graphics right? I know i had the current drivers for the GPU when it was in lol..

 

[Maxx_Power]

So it worked and i thank you very much. However the screen gave me a warning saying The catalyst control center is not supported by the driver version of your enabled grahics adapter. Pllease update your AMD graphics driver or enable your AMD adapter using the displays monitor. I'm pretty sure tha'ts because im using the Intel graphics right? I know i had the current drivers for the GPU when it was in lol..

Yep, that's it. If you want AMD drivers to stop complaining, you can safely uninstall all of AMD graphics drivers for now, until you get the GPU back.

Cheers.