I've got a pretty similar setup to my girlfriend's, with both of us using XFX RX 9070XT GPUs and Corsair RM750x PSUs, but our CPUs are different (she has a 7800X3D and I have a 9800X3D), plus she's on Windows while I'm using Linux. The issue I'm facing is really loud coil whine from my PC, whereas her setup is silent. I even swapped her GPU and PSU into my system, but that didn't change the noise—it's still there.
The coil whine kicks in when I start a game and seems linked to the GPU load. When my GPU is only pulling around 150 Watts, the whine is quieter, but it gets way louder when there's more action in the game. I can even hear the pitch of the whine change based on camera movements in 3D games. Does anyone have ideas on what else might be causing this noise? It's driving me crazy!
5 Answers
If it’s any comfort, I had a 4090 that whined more when overclocked. Some folks say undervolting might help, but it’s not a guaranteed fix. If possible, try moving your PC further away to see if that helps with the noise.
From my experience, coil whine can be tied to how hard the GPU is working. I tried limiting my card's power draw, and it reduced the noise a bit, but not completely. It's super annoying, but it might just be something we have to deal with.
Have you checked your surge protector? I once had a similar noise issue, and it turned out to be a problem with the outlet on the surge protector it was plugged into.
I remember someone mentioning that reducing the number of CPU power connectors helped them. Maybe see if using a single 8-pin EPS cable instead of the extra power connector changes anything for you, like it did for an Asus TUF 5070 TI I read about.
It could be coming from the motherboard. Coil whine isn’t just a GPU or PSU thing; sometimes the components on the motherboard can create noise as well.
Can a motherboard make coil whine that loud? I've read that it's supposed to be pretty rare and not very noticeable.
That’s interesting! But I think the noise is definitely coming from inside the PC. Do you think the outlet can affect the GPU's whine?