Buzz caused by GPU?

Guitarman0 · 25 Feb 2011 at 00:19

I have a 5850 and when I play some GPU intensive games (e.g. Mafia II) I get a buzzing noise through my speakers. Also, when not in games and moving the mouse for example I can hear a little almost whine come through my speakers but it only happens when something is going on on the screen (e.g. moving mouse, playing a video). The strange thing is, this problem doesn't happen when I use audio through the front audio panel.

I am using a Xfi XtremeGamer sound card which is as far away from my GPU on my mobo as possible and I am 100% the sound is coming from my speakers and not the GPU. It is also definitely not the GPU fan as my 5850 is under water

. I have also tried with different speakers but had the same problem. Any ideas?

If it makes any difference I am running dual displays - 1 Displayport and 1 VGA via the first DVI socket on the card.

EDIT: I also get the problem with onboard audio.

PhoenixSP · 25 Feb 2011 at 11:05

possibly emi , are you sure its not the capacitors on the gpu ?

Emphacy · 25 Feb 2011 at 11:13

EMI shouldn't affect anything, assuming it's all grounded properly, the whole case is essentialy a ground itself.

However, as said it could be the capacitors charging/discharing etc... My GPU makes a fast paced 'clicking sound' almost when under high load.
It may be your PCI Latency Timer. BIOS check what your PCI Latency timer is set to, if it's too low then the audio isn't in time with the graphics and can cause several problems.

If you can, up the latency timer and see if that fixes it, other than that, i've never heard of such a problem before.

Auraomega · 25 Feb 2011 at 11:38

I get this issue and it's a lot more common than you'd think. A great way of testing is to fire up a really old game on minimum settings and VSync disabled; if your card is processing faster (faster FPS) the caps charge and discharge significantly faster and you'll hear a squeal. If you don't get an obvious change then your graphics card isn't to blame.

Guitarman0 · 25 Feb 2011 at 11:49

O.k. I have tried setting the latency timer manually but that has not fixed it

Also I tried firing up Half Life 2 and I still get the same buzz.

Any ideas of anything else I can try?

What I find really strange is I get the problem through the rear output of the sound card but not through the front panel audio (which is connected to the xfi card).

Purgatory · 25 Feb 2011 at 15:49

Have you tried enabling or disabling "spread spectrum" options in the BIOS ? If they are currently enabled, disable them and vice versa and give it a test see if it helps.

Guitarman0 · 26 Feb 2011 at 00:01

Purgatory said:
Have you tried enabling or disabling "spread spectrum" options in the BIOS ? If they are currently enabled, disable them and vice versa and give it a test see if it helps.

I tried that and it didn't work

. What I have found now though is on opening the case the buzzing that I hear through the speakers when the GPU is under load is ALSO coming from the graphics card. If it was coming from just the card I wouldn't be so bothered but the buzzing seems to come through the speakers too. Any ideas? Is this normal?

PhoenixSP · 26 Feb 2011 at 00:15

could it be possible that something is discharging into the case and so thats why front panel isnt affected ?

Guitarman0 · 26 Feb 2011 at 00:40

I am uploading a video of the problem. Might repost this in the graphics card section as it is more a problem with my GPU I think.

Guitarman0 · 26 Feb 2011 at 01:13

O.k. here is the video. Make sure you change it to 720p or you will not hear the buzz.

PhoenixSP · 26 Feb 2011 at 10:55

i would personally say capacitors as its the exact same sound as my old 4890 used to make , is it possible its the capacitors on the soundcard ? how old is it ?

koooowweeee · 26 Feb 2011 at 11:14

have you got a ocz psu?

Guitarman0 · 26 Feb 2011 at 12:02

PhoenixSP said:
i would personally say capacitors as its the exact same sound as my old 4890 used to make , is it possible its the capacitors on the soundcard ? how old is it ?

No, the noise is definitly coming from the GPU. The GPU is a replacement GPU for my other one that broke. The only problem with returning would be I wouldn't be able to get another reference design 5850 so I would like to consider that a very last option.

koooowweeee said:
have you got a ocz psu?

Yes. OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W.

koooowweeee · 26 Feb 2011 at 12:50

How did i know that it was a Ocz psu ha ha ha rma time. Ive had the same problem with one. Move the mouse wheel up and down and listen to the noise.
Ill send you my paypal addy in trust lol

Guitarman0 · 26 Feb 2011 at 12:56

koooowweeee said:
How did i know that it was a Ocz psu ha ha ha rma time. Ive had the same problem with one. Move the mouse wheel up and down and listen to the noise.
Ill send you my paypal addy in trust lol

Are you sure it is the PSU? It seemed to be fine with my last 5850 though? Did changing your PSU fix the problem?

Cheers
Ben

koooowweeee · 26 Feb 2011 at 13:21

Its a known problem. Go on the Ocz forum. It happened to me on a old psu. Its got to be that how else would i no what psu you had. What you describe is the same as nine was

been trying to find the treads about it but it was about 3 year ago when it happened to me.

im sure its that anyway. you could try another psu to rule it out.

Guitarman0 · 26 Feb 2011 at 14:26

koooowweeee said:
Its a known problem. Go on the Ocz forum. It happened to me on a old psu. Its got to be that how else would i no what psu you had. What you describe is the same as nine was

been trying to find the treads about it but it was about 3 year ago when it happened to me.

im sure its that anyway. you could try another psu to rule it out.

I don't have another PSU to try but I have taken the PSU out of the case and have noticed that it buzzes as well as the GPU when under load. It doesn't buzz as loud, but definitely buzzes. I have opened an RMA request. Do you think they will mind that two of the cables are missing the braid that comes on them?

Cheers
Ben

koooowweeee · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:01

Guitarman0 said:
I don't have another PSU to try but I have taken the PSU out of the case and have noticed that it buzzes as well as the GPU when under load. It doesn't buzz as loud, but definitely buzzes. I have opened an RMA request. Do you think they will mind that two of the cables are missing the braid that comes on them?

Cheers
Ben

they might have a moan.

just dont tell them and send it. ive sent 6 psu's back to them now. and not 1 had a receipt lol. i buy them second hand and if the develop a fault i just send them in and they normally send me a better one lol

Guitarman0 · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:12

koooowweeee said:
they might have a moan.

just dont tell them and send it. ive sent 6 psu's back to them now. and not 1 had a receipt lol. i buy them second hand and if the develop a fault i just send them in and they normally send me a better one lol

When you had this problem, did changing the PSU fix it? I have just been reading around and a lot of people say that it didn't fix it. Also the problem has only really developed once I changed my GPU.

koooowweeee · 26 Feb 2011 at 15:39

If its the same as my problem then yes it fixed it. You will either have to try another card or psu. Do any of your mates not have a psu or a card.