Coil whine issues, any advice?

[Itose]

So I recently purchased a Fractal R4 case and Gigabyte 780ti Windforce, upon installing my components into the new case and putting the card in I heard coil whine on high FPS or high stress situations in game, which I didn't have previously with my 680 reference.

Anyway, I RMA'd the 780ti figuring that was the issue, but after reinstalling my 680 it is still present, the sound seemingly coming from my GPU still. Now, if my 680 had made this sound within my duration of owning it I would know, this is the first time. If I remove my 680/780 and run on-board graphics the sound is still present, albeit much quieter. The PSU has a constant low coil whine no matter the task but when gaming the sound is clearly coming from the GPU.

I don't understand whats altered to cause this issue, but I assume it's the PSU? its a Corsair TX 850w, my 780ti was due to be picked up tomorrow for an RMA, but I'm not sure it's worth it considering surely it cannot be the problem if my 680 is also whining now?


TL;DR
-moved components into new case
-replaced reference 680 with new windforce 780ti
-encountered coil whine coming from GPU so organised a return for 780ti
-took 780ti out, put old 680 back in, now I suddenly have whine on that card also when I didn't prior

I can test both cards in a friends system come monday, but obv the issue with that is I'll have to cancel the RMA.

 

[shankly1985]

I heard the PSU is the main reason a GPU gets coil whine not sure how true this is.

 

[jh30uk]

Sounds like PSU.

I do not rate Corsair PSU's and you can see Gibbo said a few weeks ago they had issues with a lot of them and they are pushing Superflower more now.

Not sure what OEM makes that model (Seasonic possibly) as not really into them to need to know.

 

[Itose]

I heard the PSU is the main reason a GPU gets coil whine not sure how true this is.

Sounds like PSU.

I do not rate Corsair PSU's and you can see Gibbo said a few weeks ago they had issues with a lot of them and they are pushing Superflower more now.

Not sure what OEM makes that model (Seasonic possibly) as not really into them to need to know.

The card is past DSR (it's a week, right?) so the return is an RMA which if it is the PSU obv will just get turned around and I'll end up with postage cost...I think I may cancel the pick up and try it in a friends system come Monday as if it turns out it is the cards I can just reactivate the RMA then.

I'm just completely stumped as to how my PSU and 680 worked silently for over a year until I plugged this 780ti in.

 

[jh30uk]

No its 14 days here.

You need to borrow a PSU or get PSU as far outside of case and try isolate the sound to tell for sure.

 

[Itose]

No its 14 days here.

You need to borrow a PSU or get PSU as far outside of case and try isolate the sound to tell for sure.

Here as in OCUK or the UK in general? I purchased from an alternate retailer, unfortunately.

The PSU has coil whine constantly but very slight, wouldn't notice it before now. The noticeable coil whine comes out of the GPU, both the 780ti which is new and my old 680 which was silent prior to now.

*Edit* Yeah, 14 days is only OCUK not other retailers...so at this point I doubt it matters if I return it tomorrow or Tuesday, might aswell try it in a friends system.

 

[tommybhoy]

Use two pci-e cables-only using one power connector from each cable, it may split the power draw from the psu.

 

[shankly1985]

Sounds like PSU.

I do not rate Corsair PSU's and you can see Gibbo said a few weeks ago they had issues with a lot of them and they are pushing Superflower more now.

Not sure what OEM makes that model (Seasonic possibly) as not really into them to need to know.

Used Corsair for years and had no issue at all. But have now switched to a Superflower 1000w 80+ plat and loving it. But I still rate Corsair PSU very highly my last one was HX850w

 

[Itose]

Use two pci-e cables-only using one power connector from each cable, it may split the power draw from the psu.

Tried, didn't make a diff...also tried the adaptors that came with the card on diff connectors on my PSU to no avail

Used Corsair for years and had no issue at all. But have now switched to a Superflower 1000w 80+ plat and loving it. But I still rate Corsair PSU very highly my last one was HX850w

This PSU is from my first build, had it maybe since 2009ish without issue.

 

[Bart_Hunt]

I had corsair 600w gaming edition, was loud like a jet engine.
Switched to evga psu's and will never go back.

 

[jh30uk]

For Gibbo to say what he did must be a high return rate here.

Again I would not touch them for a PSU.

Either way you need to try another PSU or what I said above and I was talking about 14 days here at OCUK not the UK DSA (big medallion on main page hard to miss) but you have since came back and said you bought it elsewhere so its 7days for DSA.

 

[Itose]

For Gibbo to say what he did must be a high return rate here.

Again I would not touch them for a PSU.

Either way you need to try another PSU or what I said above and I was talking about 14 days here at OCUK not the UK DSA (big medallion on main page hard to miss) but you have since came back and said you bought it elsewhere so its 7days for DSA.

Right, I will put the RMA on hold for now and try it on another PSU asap, it does seem the issue may be my PSU, considering now my 680 which was 100% fine now also has the issue.

Thanks for the help !

 

[Wizzfizz]

I had coil whine on my MSI Gaming R9 290x using a Corsair RM750 PSU. I bought a Superflower Platinum 1000w thinking that it could be solved by changing the PSU out, but it was still the same. I then bought two 780tis, again they had coil whine.

 

[Five.Stars]

Every, and I do mean EVERY gpu will suffer from coil whine to a certain degree in situations where the frames per second reach several hundred or even several thousand fps. Which is why you should limit the fps if you are not intending to run with vsync.

 

[wunkley]

I had coil whine on my MSI Gaming R9 290x using a Corsair RM750 PSU. I bought a Superflower Platinum 1000w thinking that it could be solved by changing the PSU out, but it was still the same. I then bought two 780tis, again they had coil whine.

Kind of similar experience. I had an xfx 750 that silently powered 2x 670s in SLI.

I upgraded to 2x 780Tis knowing I'd be pushing the PSU, and had terrible coil whine and an odd 'buzzing' noise which was even worse. I could have sworn it was the Ti's making the noise, but to really test I bought a Superflower 1000w platinum. Totally fixed it and my system now rocks, in blissful whine/ buzz free silence.

So for me was deffo a PSU issue, but there doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rules on it. Some GPU-PSU combos just don't don't get on it seems.

 

[Lex1970]

I don't think Coil whine is that unusual in certain situations, as mentioned if you get very high frame rates you will experience this. I only get coil whine (which I assume is from the GPU) when I'm on the Minecraft Homescreen but then this is running at 2000 frames a second, so not surprising really. I also have the Corsair PSU with a GTX780 so couldn't say for definite that's it's coming from the Graphics card.
Sometimes if playing CPU intensive games such as Rust, then my HDD which is a Caviar Black can be quite noisy but they are renowned for that so it doesn't concern me.

 

[DarkHorizon472]

Just replaced my MSI 6950 for an MSI 280x and get coil whine now in games like BF4.

On tests like 3DMark it gets quite loud and noticeable at 600 FPS or there abouts. less noise at the normal BF4 60-120FS. If I limit my FPS very low it goes away. My 6950 didn't have this problem.

Is this considered normal or does it need replacing ?

 

[mmj_uk]

Is the new case a lot quieter than the previous one? it might just be that you just never noticed the noise in your previous case but now that you have built a system aimed at silence you're a lot more sensitive to it?

 

[Wizzfizz]

There is no way that coil whine should be acceptable and nor should it be by the end user, especially on the more high end GPUS at £500-£600 a pop. these things are premium products.

I've just had the same two 780tis turn up that I sent back on Monday because of excessive coil whine, to say that i'm not impressed is an understatement! So now I'm going to have to return them again (at my own expense), again not happy about that.

 

[Itose]

Every, and I do mean EVERY gpu will suffer from coil whine to a certain degree in situations where the frames per second reach several hundred or even several thousand fps. Which is why you should limit the fps if you are not intending to run with vsync.

In Napoleon: Total War, which is one of my main games, it whines with v-sync on, same with Red Orchestra 2. The 680 does now also. It seems to be 1) high FPS on loading screens or in old games with high FPS or 2) games that demand a bit more.

Is the new case a lot louder than the previous one? it might just be that you just never noticed the noise in your previous case but now that you have built a system aimed at silence you're a lot more sensitive to it?

I had an Antec 902, one of the earlier revisions...it wasn't as sound proof but it was no way near loud. The loudest point of my system prior was my Corsair H60, I've always been a stickler for noise.

There is no way that coil whine should be acceptable and nor should it be by the end user, especially on the more high end GPUS at £500-£600 a pop. these things are premium products.

I've just had the same two 780tis turn up that I sent back on Monday because of excessive coil whine, to say that i'm not impressed is an understatement! So now I'm going to have to return them again (at my own expense), again not happy about that.

Yeah, if I test it on a friends system and the issue remains it will be in a truck going back. I'm not one to be messed around when it comes to purchases, but, due to the fact my 680 has now started whining I'll give them the benefit of the doubt until I test both cards this weekend on another PSU.