Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

PSUs: The source of DC power for all components in the PC & often a big noise source.

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markel00000f
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Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 2:35 pm

Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by markel00000f » Wed Dec 08, 2010 2:36 pm

Hey forum.
I am new to this forum, i registered since i couldnt manage to get the problem fixed by talking to the reseller or to swedish forums.

I have tried these different PSU:s:


Corsair TX 650w
XFX Pro Series 850w
Fractal Design Newton r2 1000w
Cougar CM 1000w


And i've got this horrible coil whine whenever i run a benchmarking program,
starting a game and comes to the menu screen, and also when the fps is high. I got the problem fixed by turning v-sync on, but since im using crossfire and since i've always played without v-sync (and wants to keep on doing it)
this is not an acceptable solution for me.


I have also tried to change keyboard, mice and also switched to a SSD hard drive instead of the old mechanic ones, and the problem is still there.

I have also switched graphic cards from:

GT 240
GTX 470
GTX 470 (another one)
6870
6870 BE

And the problem has been there with all these different graphics card.

I have also tried the computer at friends houses to see if the problem was in the connection into the computer, but no, sampe problem no matter where i run it from. I have also tried to run it outside the case and in a different case and the problem is still there. I have also changed the memory sticks.

The only thing i havent changed is the motherboard, but is it really that big of a chance that the motherboard is causing all this?

This is my rig for the moment:


i5 760
6870 BE
4GB ram (Corsair)
Cougar CM 1000w



If i ever find a solution to this problem i will personally give the guy who helps me fixes this a gift, the gift is my steam account with Black ops, MW2 and some other really cool games (which i dont like to play anymore).


Thanks for any answers that can help me and have a great day.

NeilBlanchard
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by NeilBlanchard » Thu Dec 09, 2010 5:03 am

Welcome to SPCR,

The motherboard could easily be causing it -- there are coils / chokes on the motherboard that can whine. Since you tried four different PSU's and many video cards, it would seem to indicate that they are not the cause.

markel00000f
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Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 2:35 pm

Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by markel00000f » Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:47 am

NeilBlanchard wrote:Welcome to SPCR,

The motherboard could easily be causing it -- there are coils / chokes on the motherboard that can whine. Since you tried four different PSU's and many video cards, it would seem to indicate that they are not the cause.

Im gonna pick up the new motherboard in 1 hour.
BUT, if that does not fix the issue, what then?

I have changed everything and its not caused by bad electrician since its the same everywhere i try it.

NeilBlanchard
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by NeilBlanchard » Fri Dec 10, 2010 12:03 pm

Are you using a battery backup / UPS unit? These sometimes produce a square wave instead of a smoother sine wave, out of their inverter; and this can cause a problem like you are getting.

Are you getting a different brand / model of motherboard, or just a different unit of the same one you have?

You have tried the system in other buildings, or just different circuits in one location?

ermi
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by ermi » Sat Dec 11, 2010 2:48 am

i5/i7 motherboards are well known for coil whine noise. Usually it helps if you disable C states in the BIOS.

wouterr5
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by wouterr5 » Sat Dec 11, 2010 11:35 am

You could try to determine if the whining is produced by the CPU/MB or GPU by testing these components separately. So, use Intel Burn Test to see if stressing your CPU makes an audible difference, then test with ATItool/Furmark if stressing your graphics card is making the noise. If you still don't hear whine, use both programs simultaneously :)

dkslim
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by dkslim » Mon Dec 13, 2010 1:17 am

Please help, I also need a PSU that has no coil whine when used on an i7 computer. I've tried so many brands (Antec, Seasonic, Corsair, Vantec, Zalman) and they all have the stupid coil whine noise. What's wrong with these power supply makers?

Yes I acknowledge that the noise might be caused by the motherboard, but I find that the level of the noise varies depending on the power supply. Since it's possible to have a power supply with much less coil whine than another, it should be possible to make a power supply that has no coil whine at all, right?

themaster1
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by themaster1 » Wed Dec 15, 2010 12:25 am

I suggest you consider buying (or at least try) a Zalman psu.I have this model No whine, i certify it.The fan inside was quiet at first then made some noise past the 4 months mark, i have replaced it eventually (had to cut the wires though), everything's back to normal.

Also, you might wanna have a look at this site for quiet psu's. The Nesteq ASM X-Zero for example seem to have good features for instance

frenchie
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by frenchie » Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:36 am

themaster1 wrote:I suggest you consider buying (or at least try) a Zalman psu.I have this model No whine, i certify it.
Unless you have the exact same setup, you cannot say that. It just doesn't make sense. And this is what SPCR has to say about this PSU :
"In the end, if the ZM600-HP is used in a system where the CPU fan, hard drives and/or graphics card are loud, then yes, you could call this PSU "ultra-quiet". If silence is your goal, there are several other PSUs even in this high power category that are better choices."
themaster1 wrote:Also, you might wanna have a look at this site for quiet psu's. The Nesteq ASM X-Zero for example seem to have good features for instance
200$ for a 700W PSU !! Are you kidding ? At least get one that was reviewed here, please !
You can get the SeaSonic X650 Gold (650W) for $95.99 and it's been tested and approved by SPCR :)
dkslim wrote:Yes I acknowledge that the noise might be caused by the motherboard, but I find that the level of the noise varies depending on the power supply.
You realise that unless you stress the PSU like SPCR does, everytime you "stress" the PSU, it means you are stressing the motherboard : if you stress the CPU, the motherboard gets stressed. If you stress the GPU, the motherboard gets stressed.
So it could easily be the cause of that whine !

@markel00000f : did the new motherboard fix the problem ?

tim851
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by tim851 » Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:14 am

No offense, but why would the case, hdd or input devices be the cause of coil whine?

The mainboard is the second most likely candidate, right after the PSU. Since mainboards are a b*tch to just swap, I'd try the GPU first though. But other than these three, it's very unlikely that anything else causes coil whine. The sources is mostly some sort of voltage regulation circuitry.

themaster1
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by themaster1 » Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:22 am

I don't know which part is more prone to whine but i know one thing: PSU do whine. I did a very simple test with my previous psu some time ago.
First i plugged the old psu and controlled its fan with a rheobus: What did i hear ? Some kind of strange hiss.I turned off the fan, still the hiss.
I plug the zalman: no hiss.I turned off the fan: even quieter
I did this test with no noise around to be certain.

frenchie
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Re: Coil whine issue - Not solved - tried 4 different PSU's

Post by frenchie » Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:48 am

I agree with you : in your setup, your PSU does not whine.
Sometime ago, I had a nexus PSU that had a terrible whine under certain circumstances. I moved it to my parent's computer and it has never had that problem since. I'm just saying that what makes the whine is a certain combination of components, not necessarily a component by itself.
And since the only thing the OP hasn't changed in his setup is the motherboard, there is a good chance it's the culprit...

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