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** GALAX BLACK EDITION 970 EX OC!! **

We test on open benches so are more likely to hear it on an RMA card than customer. ;)

If it's whining and we can hear it to a point where it is clearly noticable and it is doing it in normal usage, game benchmark, 2D benchmarks and video editing we will simply swap it out, if it's barely audible and we're struggling to hear or none exist we will contact customer for info on their rig setup.

That's really good to hear, makes for less of a headache like I was trying to explain :)

Edit.. You was stating that the customer can hear above case fans, not yourselves, as you test open benched.
 
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That's really good to hear, makes for less of a headache like I was trying to explain. Although, you did mention above that you use an enclosed case :)

As an example to explain to customer.

Trust me we get some customers RMA for coil whine because when they run a benchmark and put their head next to the card they can hear it cool whine.

When it's in your case can you hear it? No!

It's not a fault!

We also get the issue where customer has 750W un branded PSU and complains off coil whine, we test it on a Superflower 1000W Platinum and no whine or so minimal only audible with your head next to card.


We try to educate customers best we can, but if a card can be heard whining as per my post above we will swap it.
 
I agree, benchmarks shouldn't be used to determine coil whine by the customer, it has to be what the cards where designed for, to game. I've got 4 games that I play and so far my card screams at me through my case, this with using ta Superflower 1000w Plat, still early days yet so it might pass hopefully.
 
That's really good to hear, makes for less of a headache like I was trying to explain :)

Edit.. You was stating that the customer can hear above case fans, not yourselves, as you test open benched.

We know what to listen for and know if it would be audible above a case fan, by simply if you can hear it above the cards fans at say 30-50% fan speed! essentially a gentle quiet woosh from the fans.

So in our testing we are more likely to hear it than customer, what vastly reduces it for us is use of quality PSU.

A tip: power your card using separate rails.
 
I agree, benchmarks shouldn't be used to determine coil whine by the customer, it has to be what the cards where designed for, to game. I've got 4 games that I play and so far my card screams at me through my case, this with using ta Superflower 1000w Plat, still early days yet so it might pass hopefully.

If it's screaming, we'd accept that as faulty as to hear it through a case when gaming on a decent PSU is bad. If it fails to calm down, send it back. :)
 
http://www.ukgamingcomputers.co.uk/capacitor-squeal-coil-whine-explained-a-63.html

quite an old piece but the principles are much the same


They more often than not work in tandem with capacitors and this is where the terms “capacitor squeal” and “coil whine” tend to get crossed over.

Simply put, the coils vibrate when current passes through them – it’s these minute vibrations that cause the whine. When a different amount of current passes through them they are vibrate at different speeds thus volume and pitch of this noise changes. Ever noticed that hum from a power substation station? It’s the same phenomenon. Every electronic device will suffer from coil whine to varying degrees and it is not an indication that the device is faulty, if anything; it’s an audible way of saying “I’m working”.
 
Coil whine can greatly be reduced by applying hot glue to the coils, you can't do this to a power station :p. I really don't buy that last part of that quote either.
 
Yeah I heard that they've done that, good on them! If only others would follow suit, it'd put an end to the headache! :)
 
At the risk of in any way awakening the whine beast, all the EXOC users I've seen here (must be getting up to a dozen cards) have reported no coil whine, with the exception of MasterOC.

So it's obviously possible, but they don't seem as prone to it as other models.
 
Personally I don't agree with the idea, but only because it reminds me of the old Compaq machines where they glued in components to stop them falling out in transit :p
 
i was going to be ordering tomorrow as well, but now i have second thoughts :(

but just to clear this up one and for all, well for me anyway... :)

Corsair Builder Series CX 600W V2 '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply is what i own...

and as you seem to be saying mine as in my psu is not a great one, it could cause problems and if it does cause whine, it's not the cards fault but my psu?

Decent Gold and above PSU's with single rail designs help limit coil whine etc etc

so mine being bronze isn't good enough might now be the problem or not, and if the card i was thinking of buying tomorrow is noises, i can't rma it as it maybe my psu that's the fault :( and not the card, as i haven't read anywhere about it needed gold or above?

disappointed tbh so why say something here thats not wrote of the OC main site, sounds a bit misleading tbh
 
lol you'll be ok, Gibbo was talking about actual-low-quality PSU. unknown brands and low quality brands.

OCUK has come along way since then, but Gibbo might remember Q-Tec :p
 
i was going to be ordering tomorrow as well, but now i have second thoughts :(

but just to clear this up one and for all, well for me anyway... :)

Corsair Builder Series CX 600W V2 '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply is what i own...

and as you seem to be saying mine as in my psu is not a great one, it could cause problems and if it does cause whine, it's not the cards fault but my psu?

Decent Gold and above PSU's with single rail designs help limit coil whine etc etc

so mine being bronze isn't good enough might now be the problem or not, and if the card i was thinking of buying tomorrow is noises, i can't rma it as it maybe my psu that's the fault :( and not the card, as i haven't read anywhere about it needed gold or above?

disappointed tbh so why say something here thats not wrote of the OC main site, sounds a bit misleading tbh


Your PSU is fine, yes it's not a high-end like an Antec or Superflower Platinum but it's far better than un branded junkunit but at the same time it will be fine.
 
So going by the conditions of RMA I've applied now for the third time...

When you return your card, can you put FAO Gibbo on a bit of paper in the box so I can test it and listen to it please. I'm yet to actually experience cool whine on a 970 that is loud, I heard it extremely faintly on my gigabyte 980 G1 but only when I push the core to 1630MHz. So I'm curious to have a listen. :)
 
Any feed back on these? I want to try another 970 or else a 980 but there's no way I want that erratic buzz/ticking when playing world of war craft for days and days :(
 
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