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4080 & 4090 Coil Whine Thread

Where were you buying your cards that let you return them for coil whine? The retailer I bought from would want to test it, I just know they'll say it's ok and decline a return, so I can't be bothered to go through all the hassle. I should have bought from the biggest retailer in the planet who have a no questions asked returns policy!

I recently bought a 4090 Suprim X, it has the serial number in the same place as yours (so new batch) and I've got a coil whine.

I think it's luck of the draw, and also dependant on load. If someone's gaming at over 200fps they're gonna hear it far more than someone playing a game at 60fps.

One thing I noticed that's far more annoying than coil whine is a resonance/vibration from the shroud at certain rpm. I've noticed a fair few videos appearing on youtube. Here's a video demonstrating the noise.

I've found it goes when pushing the shroud. It also seems to go back a few generations with the suprim X, there were videos of the 30 series suprims suffering with the same issue.


All my retailers agreed the coil whine was poor. Apart from OCUK which I just sent the pny back as "unwanted".

In the UK retailers can't legally deny you refunds for opening the box, no matter what their terms say. You have the right to "define the nature and characteristics of the device" or words to that affect. As long as its like new (you haven't damaged it in any way) you can return within 14 days for any reason. There's the odd exception like opened software etc.
 
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@Hostile_18

Do you know when MSI started producing the stock of the new Suprim X better batch?

Someone on ebay selling an MSI Suprim X 4090 stated it is new and was purchased form MSI Store on January 30, 2023.

Does that sound new enough to be the better batch where maybe coil whine was fixed?

Though LMatt you state you think yours is one of the newer batch of MSI Suprim X cards and it has too much or very bad coil whine?
Mine is one of the newer batch and it has whine, but my 7900 XTX also has some whine just not quite as much. I've just accepted that coil whine will be on every card so it is what it is.

It's at its worst in Timespy stress test, games are not as bad depends on how high the FPS are as to how loud the whine is. You can take steps to reduce it by reducing voltage/power limit, capping FPS, etc.
 
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Mine is one of the newer batch and it has whine, but my 7900 XTX also has some whine just not quite as much. I've just accepted that coil whine will be on every card so it is what it is.

It's at its worst in Timespy stress test, games are not as bad depends on how high the FPS are as to how loud the whine is. You can take steps to reduce it by reducing voltage/power limit, capping FPS, etc.

Have you tried the 90 on RDR2? I don't know why but that game in particular makes it sound like there are bees in my case. And the picture pitch varies as I look up at the sky and then back down at the grass.

CP with RT no whine.
Other games at high FPS no whine. I'm wondering if it's a combination of GPU, utilisation and FPS. The reason I question that is because playing Warcraft the GPU is only being used 40% but the frames are at 175 and there is no noise.
 
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Have you tried the 90 on RDR2? I don't know why but that game in particular makes it sound like there are bees in my case. And the picture varies as I look up at the sky and then back down at the grass.

CP with RT no whine.
Other games at high FPS no whine. I'm wondering if it's a combination of GPU, utilisation and FPS. The reason I question that is because playing Warcraft the GPU is only being used 40% but the frames are at 175 and there is no noise.
I did but can't recall what the whine was like. I normally have headphones on whenever I play a game that isn't Football Manager so I don't usually hear the whine anyway, but I'll try with headphones off next time and let you know.
 
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All my retailers agreed the coil whine was poor. Apart from OCUK which I just sent the pny back as "unwanted".

In the UK retailers can't legally deny you refunds for opening the box, no matter what their terms say. You have the right to "define the nature and characteristics of the device" or words to that affect. As long as it’s like new (you haven't damaged it in any way) you can return within 14 days for any reason. There's the odd exception like opened software etc.

Thanks for the reply.

I purchased it from ocuk’s direct competitor. I have called them today and they’ve agreed to an RMA under the 14 days as unwanted.

Have you any experience with them?

Packaging is mint, accessories weren’t open and still have anti-static bag.

Only thing is I removed all the stickers from the graphics card.

But they should still have to accept it back? I’m curious what they then do with the stock.

I’ve read a few horror stories of them rejecting returns. A common theme seems to be them stating there’s damage on parts that weren’t there when the item was sent
 
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I don't think I got one from there but it doesn't sound like you should have a problem. I had one I took stickers off. One I put back on and the rest I left on.

I don't think you'll have a problem, as long as its how you found it (no scratches etc).
 
Thanks for the reply.

I purchased it from ocuk’s direct competitor. I have called them today and they’ve agreed to an RMA under the 14 days as unwanted.

Have you any experience with them?

Packaging is mint, accessories weren’t open and still have anti-static bag.

Only thing is I removed all the stickers from the graphics card.

But they should still have to accept it back? I’m curious what they then do with the stock.

I’ve read a few horror stories of them rejecting returns. A common theme seems to be them stating there’s damage on parts that weren’t there when the item was sent
Not sure which store, but if it's the one I referred to before then watch out for BS of:
  • <via phone> "we have started the RMA process" (they didn't, not fully, I got given an RMA number, but the process needed "activating" online which I had to manually do - only found this out myself a few days later, fortunately the RMA number had been generated within the required timeframe)
  • "you need to return to Y address" <address not correct - always check online, fortunately detected by the courier companies I looked at>
  • "I've arranged a courier for you" <50% true, they took payment, but again it needed me to jump through hoops online to complete this stage and arrange a collection. They didn't relay that to me. Luckily the return can take up to 30 days after notifying intent to RMA>
<RMA received confirmation via email saying refund will auto happen in 7 days>
<2 weeks later, still no refund or update>
  • "I can't access the RMA on this computer. You need X person" <X always unavailable>
  • "X will call you back" ,X never does, more than 1 occasion no promised calls received>
  • "we'll only give you part refund as store credit"
  • <refuse to accept state choosing statutory option to return >
  • "ok we'll give you money but you need to send us your bank details for a transfer" <rubbish - their own T&Cs state refunds have to go to original payment card, as I think do regs>
  • "actually we won't refund you because <TLDR we can't be arsed>"
  • <after more than 28 days from requesting RMA and getting RMA number, and after 14 days of receipt of the item by the seller and still no refund > "sry the RMA is closed on the system, I can't help you." Yup someone at their end deemed fit to log the RMA as completed. :mad:

Thank God for credit card protections.

Any calls with them request an email confirmation of salient details, and save, back-up and photograph the RMA received item automated-email. It made reclaiming from the credit card company a slam dunk.

Photo everything as you pack it up. The card into the packaging, packaging into the card box, card box into the shipping box with its padding etc. Photo it as it gets handed to the courier. Be able to prove the condition it left you in.

Use their courier then it's harder to deflect any transit damage on to you and get their confirmation shipping is insured (they did via phone, and I promptly responded with email confirmation).

Btw their courier worked out cheaper, and they confirmed to me via phone that it was insured (£10) than anything I could arrange return shipping with DPD/Royal Mail (£50-90) for £1.2k value.
 
Mine is one of the newer batch and it has whine, but my 7900 XTX also has some whine just not quite as much. I've just accepted that coil whine will be on every card so it is what it is.

It's at its worst in Timespy stress test, games are not as bad depends on how high the FPS are as to how loud the whine is. You can take steps to reduce it by reducing voltage/power limit, capping FPS, etc.
Coil whine is on every card, but it is the degree. And no it is not acceptable if it can be drowned out by game sound only. It has to be so faint and hush that it only sounds like a slight/modest change of pitch in dead air or kind of like a slight ear ring depending on which way you have your ears turned in a sound dampened case.

Every 4090 I have tried has had a grinding/bees nest like whine even if it is somewhat tame outside the case when sitting a few feet form it and drowned out by game sound, but can still be easily audible in quiet areas of the game. That is not at all acceptable just because it is not a literal screaming chainsaw/bees nest as bad loud. Its still there and too much noise of it.

I had a very faint and hush whine on my Gigabyte Gaming OC 3090 Ti and I found that perfectly acceptable as even with side panel off, you could easily here it, but it was relatively faint. Every 4090 has loud whine with side panel off and somewhat close to it when card is under load. That is not at all acceptable. The manufacturers should be embarrassed and ashamed that they cannot do any better and we should send cards back to the stores until they can get the whine down to 3090 Ti Gigabyte and eVGA levels which have similar power draw as 4090s. I am sick of putting up with it.
 
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4080 FE I have has pretty poor coil whine, anyone had the same? Anyone had luck opening an RMA for an FE coil whine?

I'm within 14 days.
 
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Just tried a new batch MSI Suprim X 4090 as it has seriual number sticker on far left.

Same old chainsaw/buzz whine and worse than Gigabyte Gaming OC and even PNY. Though not as awful and screaming as the horror stories of haring it in the other room. But very sharp annoying buzzing/chainsaw/bees nest sound.

And supposedly the newer revision is much better, but still unacceptable unless you get a unicorn which are so rare.

I can only imagine how much worse the older revision must have been. At least modestly worse for average sample and a bad one holly crap bad.

I need to find a Unicorn PNY, or Giga Gaming OC or Aorus Master. I am sure that is best chance of a little to no whine card. I imagine given the reports a unicorn Gigabyte or maybe even PNY as well will be so much more plentiful than a unicorn MSI Suprim X even the newer batch. Just have to find one as the 5 or so I tired of PNY and Giga too much whine/buzz though still at least a little better than the somewhat improved MSI and Asus revisions.
 
What's fan noise like on the Gaming OC? I've heard it's not the quietest
I'm tempted by that card but not sure I want to swap coil whine for fan noise.

As good as the Suprim X on quiet mode plus I changed the curve. It's not a trade-off at all. It's simply better than any other 4090 I've tried
 
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My Gigabyte gaming has quiet enough coilwhine that I cannot hear it unless I open my case and put my ear to the card (as it should be).
Glad my search is over.

Yeah I wish the Gaming OCs I had were like that. My 3090 Ti Gaming OC was. All 4090s I can hear whine even without putting ear right by the case. Modestly less than MSI and Asus, but still too much.

Which games and resolution do you play. And are your case fans quiet and is the room quiet and is there lots of noise outside your house.

I have no noise outside my house usually and it is pretty quiet in my room. I play Red Dead Redemption 2 all settings maxed out except MSAA and Anisotropic filtering and 4K resolution. The Gaming OCs I have tried in that game sound like a more fiant chainsaw/bees nest. Though sound can drown it out, still not acceptable at all given my Gaming OC 3090 Ti had such fiant whine you could only really hear it with ear next to the case or it open.
 
Does it have coil whine/buzzing??

Fans on Gaming OC are fine themselves, but the default fan BIOS sucks. So set them manually in MSI Afterburner and fan is quiet on Gaming OC.

No otherwise I wouldn't have kept it. The buzz on the Suprim's I tried was audible from another room.


My case fans (140mm) run at 650rpm. RDR2 is the game I test the whining on as it was always the worst and cannot hear it on this new card.
Play at 3440x1440 usually upscaled to 5120*2160 depending on game.
I don't have any noise outside either.
 
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Wait so your current Suprim X has no whine/buzz at all even in intense AAA games and card under 350 to 450 watt load at 4K? Is it the newer batch with the SN on the left side?

I don't have a suprim, I gave up with them. I am talking about my Gigabyte Gaming card.

The SuprimX didn't buzz on intense games like cyberpunk at all, it was only RDR2 for some reason.
 
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No otherwise I wouldn't have kept it. The buzz on the Suprim's I tried was audible from another room.


My case fans (140mm) run at 650rpm. RDR2 is the game I test the whining on as it was always the worst and cannot hear it on this new card.
Play at 3440x1440 usually upscaled to 5120*2160 depending on game.
I don't have any noise outside either.

That's why mate, playing with dlss at 1440p upscaling to 4k is significantly less workload on the GPU. Pretty much all my 4090 cards were silent with any kind of dlss on :)
 
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