My GTX 1080 Ti produces a noticeable hum or buzz when I play games. My system has a 550W power supply and a Ryzen 5 5600. I used OCCT to confirm that the sound is coming from the GPU. The first 3D Adaptive test also crashed or stopped after about three seconds, although it ran normally when I tried it again later. What could be causing the noise, and is it something I should worry about?
3 Answers
It could also be a noisy or aging fan bearing, but a high-pitched electrical buzz is much more likely to be coil whine. Listen closely to whether the sound changes with GPU load or frame rate. If the fan itself is rattling or grinding, that points more toward a fan problem.
That sounds like coil whine, especially since it happens under GPU load and resembles the examples you found. It’s caused by electrical components vibrating and is generally harmless. It may be louder when the frame rate is uncapped, so limiting FPS can help. Undervolting or changing the GPU’s clock can also reduce it, though results vary.
Search for a recording of GPU coil whine and compare the sound. If yours matches, it’s considered normal behavior rather than a sign that the card is being damaged. The brief OCCT test failure may be unrelated, but if crashes happen repeatedly, check temperatures, power connections, drivers, and overall system stability.
It does sound like the coil-whine examples I found. The test worked normally afterward, so I’ll keep an eye on whether the crashes happen again.
If it isn’t harmful, I’m not too concerned. I’ll try limiting the frame rate if it gets annoying.