High frequency noise from Athlon 64 motherboards :(

[Tamas]

Hello

I've a problem with my Asus K8N motherboard. As I developed my system it become quiet but new problems appeared.

Now I have only 3 low speed fans (under 1000RPM), and I hear a high frequency noise (chirp) from my motherboard. It can be heard only when the 2800+ processor working on high frequency 1800MHz, and becomes inaudible when Cool&Quiet reduces the frequency to 800MHz.

It's really disturbing as sometimes this chirp sound come forward. (for example when I'm scrolling on a webpage)

I asked some Athlon 64 users about this sound, and it's not an Asus problem, everybody who had a really quiet computer complaint about this sound. (MSI,Epox,DFI,Chaintech etc.) Only Gigabyte users not heard this sound.


What cause this?

I've tried to touch the coils, but the sound charactehristics has not changed.
Capacitors? I thought capacitors don't make noise.

So I'm waiting for advices, experiences how to make or change to a really quiet motherboard. Thanks.

[Splinter]

My K8V SE Dlx does this too, and Ive yet to find a way to stop it.

It happens at almost any frequency/voltage, depending on USB usage or heavy 2D image activity.

I'm put some dampening foam on the coils which seemed to help a little, but it's still easily audible

[ilh]

I have never heard such sounds with my DFI. It spent the first month of its life outside a case not far from my ears, so if it was making this sound, I expect I would have heard it. I certainly don't hear a peep out of the motherboard now that is is in my case under my desk.

[Edward Ng]

Hello

I've a problem with my Asus K8N motherboard. As I developed my system it become quiet but new problems appeared.

Now I have only 3 low speed fans (under 1000RPM), and I hear a high frequency noise (chirp) from my motherboard. It can be heard only when the 2800+ processor working on high frequency 1800MHz, and becomes inaudible when Cool&Quiet reduces the frequency to 800MHz.

It's really disturbing as sometimes this chirp sound come forward. (for example when I'm scrolling on a webpage)

I asked some Athlon 64 users about this sound, and it's not an Asus problem, everybody who had a really quiet computer complaint about this sound. (MSI,Epox,DFI,Chaintech etc.) Only Gigabyte users not heard this sound.


What cause this?

I've tried to touch the coils, but the sound charactehristics has not changed.
Capacitors? I thought capacitors don't make noise.

So I'm waiting for advices, experiences how to make or change to a really quiet motherboard. Thanks.

Personally, I've only experienced this issue on my DFI LANParty UT nF3 250Gb when overclocked; at stock speed or underclocked, there was little or no coil whine, particularly underclocked. Even overclocked, it is quite rare, and I find it happening primarily during Prime95 testing and PCMark benching, neither of which I do routinely. Also, this behavior was consistent on all three DFI LANParty UT nF3 boards I've personally dealt with.

-Ed

[Tamas]

Useful answers, maybe I try coil dampening.

But I also get a DFI motherboard if it's really quiet and free from this chirp/high frequency noise problem.

Still waiting for experiences & really quiet motherboards.

[Badger]

Not much help, but my Albatron KX18dPro for my Barton 2400+ mobile also does that high pitched sound, it did it with my 2500+ too.

It's probably not limited to just A64's, coil dampening would probably remedy it.

[cjpark]

I've got a soltek qbic 3401 and I get some coil noise sometimes as well, I just haven't managed to figure out exactly where it is coming from to do something about it.

[Edward Ng]

Useful answers, maybe I try coil dampening.

But I also get a DFI motherboard if it's really quiet and free from this chirp/high frequency noise problem.

Still waiting for experiences & really quiet motherboards.

Your cheapest and best bet for now is to experiment with undervolting/underclocking if your current board allows it, and seeing if it works out.

As I said, the DFI still makes noise under certain conditions. For all I know, your usage pattern is more susceptible to coil whine issues.

-Ed

[Tamas]

Useful answers, maybe I try coil dampening.

But I also get a DFI motherboard if it's really quiet and free from this chirp/high frequency noise problem.

Still waiting for experiences & really quiet motherboards.

Your cheapest and best bet for now is to experiment with undervolting/underclocking if your current board allows it, and seeing if it works out.

As I said, the DFI still makes noise under certain conditions. For all I know, your usage pattern is more susceptible to coil whine issues.

-Ed

Interesting.
I have an Athlon 64 2800+ (oldest C0 stepping) & Asus K8N motherboard.
I've tried to change the core voltage (with Rightmark CPU clock) as you said and here is the results:

1800 MHz core voltage: 1,5V 100% coil whine.
1800 MHz core voltage: 1,4V 40% coil whine.
1800 MHz core voltage: 1,3V 10% coil whine.
800 MHz core voltage: 1,3V 5% coil whine.

Undervolting really helps to reduce coil whining.

But I still have some questions:
-Should I change to a newer CG stepping processor from C0?
-Exactly what is the core voltage of the CG stepping? (C&Q also)
-Does it tolerates undervolting and stay stable even in 2GHz?
-If I undervolt my CPU to 1,3V in the BIOS, the Cool&Quiet feature would work?

[Edward Ng]

Useful answers, maybe I try coil dampening.

But I also get a DFI motherboard if it's really quiet and free from this chirp/high frequency noise problem.

Still waiting for experiences & really quiet motherboards.

Your cheapest and best bet for now is to experiment with undervolting/underclocking if your current board allows it, and seeing if it works out.

As I said, the DFI still makes noise under certain conditions. For all I know, your usage pattern is more susceptible to coil whine issues.

-Ed

Interesting.
I have an Athlon 64 2800+ (oldest C0 stepping) & Asus K8N motherboard.
I've tried to change the core voltage (with Rightmark CPU clock) as you said and here is the results:

1800 MHz core voltage: 1,5V 100% coil whine.
1800 MHz core voltage: 1,4V 40% coil whine.
1800 MHz core voltage: 1,3V 10% coil whine.
800 MHz core voltage: 1,3V 5% coil whine.

Undervolting really helps to reduce coil whining.

But I still have some questions:
-Should I change to a newer CG stepping processor from C0?
-Exactly what is the core voltage of the CG stepping? (C&Q also)
-Does it tolerates undervolting and stay stable even in 2GHz?
-If I undervolt my CPU to 1,3V in the BIOS, the Cool&Quiet feature would work?

I suppose I should've shared this information earlier; I wasn't 100% sure that it would work for other people/mainboards, but I guess it does.

I use a NewCastle, DH7-CG, and it does stock speed, 2GHz, just fine at only 1.225V and even overclocks to 2.2GHz while still undervolted to 1.35V. I do not know what your experiences are with your chip; also keep in mind that results can vary drastically, even for the same stepping. The stock voltage is 1.50. If you want to get a better idea, please see this thread.

-Ed

[Quim]

back when I had CRT Screen I had the same problem, then I switched to TFT and the sound went away with it, so either it was the CRT screen or might be VGA (analog) connection. Try to listen to your screen might come from there sometimes this kind of sound confuses you of the source.

[ntavlas]

The buzzing is almost always produced by the various coils found in one;s computer or other appliances. All the power adapters (mobile phone, router, scanner, shaving machine etc) I have produce some chirp if I stick my ear to them, so does my motherboard, but thankfully none of them is audible except maybe the ups.

Noise depends on coil design and load, but sealing can also help, like in the chokes of quality motherboards.