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Coil Whine - VTX 7970 B-Grade.. Do I return?

TaKeN

TaKeN

TaKeN

Soldato
Joined
18 Aug 2005
Posts
13,188
Location
Shropshire
Bought a 7970 VTX out of the B-Grade section for £240.

Just installed the card, as soon as the card is under load (In game) there sounds like 1000 crickets living inside my pc.

Do I return under DSR? :( Thanks
 
Run it overnight on Heaven to see if it helps. If not - and you're not happy with it - then yeah return it. It probably safe to say that's the reason the original owner returned it.

Can't help to try the above though.

If you sleep in the same room as your PC then I'd just send it back now if it's that bad. :(
 
Another option is to split the power draw on the gpu if you have separate pci-e cables.

1 cable for the 8 pin, and the other cable for the 6 pin, it worked for me on a 7970WF that had coil whine.

:)
 
tommybhoy said:
Another option is to split the power draw on the gpu if you have separate pci-e cables.

1 cable for the 8 pin, and the other cable for the 6 pin, it worked for me on a 7970WF that had coil whine.

:)
Click to expand...

That's a good idea tommy, never thought of that.
 
I already have it like that Tommybhoy, I have an OCZ 1250w with seperate cables.

I might just apply for a returns number and drive to the shop this weekend to drop it off and return it.
 
On my second Lightning, I could hear the phase capacitors to the point of worry (after putting on water blocks) but after a few decent sress tests, I can no longer hear it. I would say bash out some Heaven/3DMark11 for a couple of hours and see if that helps but push the GPU to the max.

Maybe my sound was different though but worth a shot.
 
TaKeN said:
I already have it like that Tommybhoy, I have an OCZ 1250w with seperate cables.

I might just apply for a returns number and drive to the shop this weekend to drop it off and return it.
Click to expand...

100% sure it's the graphics card.
I thought my GTX580 had coil whine. Turned out to be my OCZ ZX1000 screeching.
 
Bad luck TaKeN. I'd check the psu as rossi says (my spare psu gets whiny under moderate laod), but yeah if its the card and you find it intrusive then send it back. No point keeping it if it's going to bug you all the time.

edit: And im not just saying that because I was eyeing it up before :p
I can't stand noise either but for anyone who doesn't mind it, it's still a bit of a bargain I guess.
 
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Ok, just put my MSi 6950 back in and that doesn't produce the same noise (Under the same test situation)

So I'm guessing it's the 7970 at fault?
 
TaKeN said:
Ok, just put my MSi 6950 back in and that doesn't produce the same noise (Under the same test situation)

So I'm guessing it's the 7970 at fault?
Click to expand...

Which uses more power?

It probably is the 7970 causing it but a lot of the time it's the PSU and can easily be mistaken.
 
I too got a VTX 7970 in the B-Grade section...only coil whine I've heard is an extremely brief second or two as Heaven loads, everything else, nothing!
 
Lunawolfy said:
The OCZ ZX are dreadful PSUs.. I hate mine, whines non stop.

Only happened once I got SLI and broke a certain wattage barrier...
Click to expand...

They are actually brilliant PSUs, the coil whine is the only negative point to it. Tis an annoying issue i must admit.
 
The 6950 should be pulling a similar wattage to the 7970 surely?

The 7970 are a more power efficiant revision. So should be drawing less wattage clock for clock??
 
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