PSU noise in a new build

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Hi,

I hope this is the correct forum subsection to post this. I got a PSU which makes a noise, and I'm puzzled as to why it should.

I've got a asus sabertooth p67, intel 2500k, thermaltake frio, 8gb corsair, and gigabyte 560Ti all in a silverstone FT02B. My psu is a be quiet! dark power pro 650w, which has won awards for efficiency.

Before I housed my system in the FT02 case, I tested my system extensively with prime95, and 3dmark; the psu made no unusual noise. After housing my system in the FT02, when loading relatively less hardwear taxing games as world of warcraft, the PSU starts to emit a pitched whine (does not sound like the fan, but im not 100% sure).

Id be grateful for some help and advice.

Is 650w enough for my system?
Why has my psu started to whine after being housed in the FT02, or could that just be coincidental?

Thanks in advance.
 
Maybe it's vibration. Disconnect the PSU from the case and see if the noise continues. PSU coil whine can also be vibration of components as they interact at certain frequencies.
 
It's not whine caused by the cpu/bios settings is it?

My new msi m/b emits a whine everynow and again and some other users experienced similar noises. I think it's a power save option relating to the cpu C1E support setting in bios.

My new corsair psu also makes a noise like a capacitor discharging whistling type noise unless i unplug it from mains once i shutdown. Again others report similar things.
 
I moved the psu out, and started up my system and loaded a game. It still whines (making a clear ticking/buzzing noise). I stopped the psu fan for a moment, and the buzzing/ticking whine continued, so it's not the fan or something the fan is touching.

I'll have a look at the power save option.
 
Heh this is so weird. On loading Crysis Warhead, my psu is making different noises as per the kind of fighting on the screen! It's singing a bloody song. For Crysis it makes a real high pitched whine, for World of Warcraft, it's a deeper ticking sound.
 
So it sounds like you've got coil whine. Strange that it wasn't there prebuild though. You should be able to RMA for this as the fix for it will invalidate warranties.
 
So it sounds like you've got coil whine. Strange that it wasn't there prebuild though. You should be able to RMA for this as the fix for it will invalidate warranties.

Yeah I think ur right. The PSU is over a year old and has been 100% fine. Only in the last few days (since putting it into my FT02B) did it start to sing. Luckily the warranty is 3 years, 1 with the reseller and 2 with be quiet!, so im organizing an RMA.
 
Maybe the physical act of moving the PSU from one enclosure to the next has shifted a component and allowed it to start singing to you.

Make sure it's the PSU though before you return as it'll cost you money to send back. Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly where a noise comes from. It could be a capacitor on the mainboard or one on the graphics card. Use a toilet roll inner to listen to pinpoint the sound.
 
I went through 3 PSU's before getting a silent one. Whine is so annoying after forking out £1K+ for a system :¬)
 
Maybe the physical act of moving the PSU from one enclosure to the next has shifted a component and allowed it to start singing to you.

Make sure it's the PSU though before you return as it'll cost you money to send back. Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly where a noise comes from. It could be a capacitor on the mainboard or one on the graphics card. Use a toilet roll inner to listen to pinpoint the sound.

Yeah that's a good point. An issue is that my old case had noisey fans, with the psu mounted in the roof, with a solid cover. The fans could well have drowned out the psu's coil whine; the FT02 has the psu in a much more exposed position. Therefore I'm can't be 100% sure that moving my psu caused it to start to sing.

On listening to the psu closely, it's 100% making a noise, which I can predictably vary by even mousing over menus in Crysis.
 
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