Identify the issue by checking the coil sound and isolating the faulty part.
Identify the issue by checking the coil sound and isolating the faulty part.
There appears to be some coil whine in my system, mainly during graphically demanding tasks like gaming. It seems to occur only when playing and not when menus are paused. The sound seems to come from the power supply unit, but only under load. Should I consider replacing the PSU or the GPU? I plan to try undervolting the card first before making any changes, and I've also begun looking for other components.
You could perform a CPU performance test; if the noise persists, it’s likely not the graphics card.
It's challenging because of the tiny ITX size. I tested Cinebench and it ran smoothly—no screech. Particularly noticeable on the credits screen when exiting. I lowered the voltage to 1100, its safest setting before failure. It still works. This suggests the issue might be with the power supply or graphics card. I’ll likely replace the PSU and see if that resolves it.
Yes, the motherboard isn't the problem. I believe the PSU is the culprit since that's where the noise originates. It's worth noting that some say Corsair PSUs tend to have more coil whine than others—though I'm not sure if that's accurate. I've experienced similar issues, and it turned out both the PSU and GPU were contributing to the coil whine, not just one or the other. Another potential factor could be your home's power supply; I've noticed coil whine vanishes or becomes much quieter when testing in a different location.
It seems the speaker doubts the house is the issue, having used multiple PCs nearby without problems. They’re curious if a platinum unit would be quieter than a gold one.
I'm unsure how much efficiency would influence coil whine, but I believe it could have a slight impact since the power supply uses less energy. However, I don't think it would be a major factor. More important are the quality of the parts inside the PSU—higher-quality components often mean better efficiency, so this might matter. A good example to check is the topology; it should ideally be LLC resonant (see more details in the linked thread). Also, verify whether coil whine has been reported as a problem for the PSU you're considering.
My RM650x also lacks it, even though my PC does under stress—it’s not a power supply issue. I’ve noticed others mention Corsair PSUs making more noise, maybe because they’re widely used.