PSU Coil Whine? On it's way out?

CinderzFTW · 24 Jul 2017 at 20:46

Hiya,

Over the past 6 months I have fully rebuilt my system and scavenged some older bits from my old rig.

Specs:

i5 6600k 4.6ghz
8gb ddr4 3000mhz (2 x 4GB)
gainward gtx1070 8gb
XFX Pro550w PSU

Old Rig:

AMD FX6350 4.2ghz
16GB DDR3 1600mhz (4 x 4gb)
R9 280 3GB
XFX Pro550w PSU

Lately when playing higher end games, primarily Dirt4 and PUBG my PSU is making quite a coil whine noise and it is becoming annoying.

Is my PSU starting to fail or is this normal?

Regards

Emphacy · 25 Jul 2017 at 09:10

Coil wine isn't an indicator for failure, just an indicator that it's under high load (or poorly designed).

Pocah · 25 Jul 2017 at 10:55

It's pretty normal. When AC current passes through a coil it tries to vibrate. It's up to the manufacturer to ensure that the vibrations are minimised so that you can't hear them, but the forces are still there. Over time the forces loosen silicon, copper, iron, and sometimes become audible. If a PSU starts to make noise it usually just means that is getting old, it doesn't mean it's about to fail. And..they do tend to whine when under load, because of course the amount of current running through them increases so the forces involved increase under load.

What case are you using?

Changing the case may make the matter worse because high frequencies are highly directional and bounce off surfaces like walls, desks and radiators. Changing the direction the PSU air intake/exhaust points will affect how you hear the noise. Often a solution can be as simple as a few sticky neoprene pads on the underside of your desk or placing the PC on a carpet tile. Sometimes it may be a good idea to change the case ( for example, if you have a carpet, then it's a good idea to put the PSU facing downwards in to the carpet, which will absorb the high pitched noise. ), but often it's just far easier to replace the PSU.

CinderzFTW · 25 Jul 2017 at 13:57

Case is the ENTHOO PRO M TEMPERED GLASS

System is on corner desk next to me. Was just worrying me a little.

Pocah · 25 Jul 2017 at 14:09

You may be able to sort it by standing it on a material such as a piece of carpet, mat or large mouse mat - to absorb the high frequency noise. But no, it's nothing to worry about.

CinderzFTW · 25 Jul 2017 at 14:10

Pocah said:
You may be able to sort it by standing it on a material such as a piece of carpet, mat or large mouse mat - to absorb the high frequency noise. But no, it's nothing to worry about.

Thank god for that. My PSU is a few years old. Thought I was in trouble!

EsaT · 25 Jul 2017 at 15:20

PSU alone isn't source of coil whine.
Graphics cards are other common culprits and most PC parts can have noises.

That new graphics card is actually less power consuming than old so definitely don't see PSU's load having increased unless you've overvolted that CPU.
But what might have changed is that new graphics card draws power just at right frequency causing interaction between it and PSU.
Or might be also combination of GPU's and some other components power draw.
Digital VRMs draw current in "gulps" instead of smoothly.
Did you try running CPU at stock?