Issues with the motherboard can impact system performance.
Issues with the motherboard can impact system performance.
Hello everyone, I've been experiencing this annoying sound coming from my psu. It's very faint but really hurts my hearing. It's gotten to the point where i had to see a docter cuz one of my eardrums got retracted. During my testing i've swapped parts to try and figure out where the sound is coming from. I've triend several motherboard's, psu's, gpu's and cpu's. The sound comes from the psu but swapping the motherboard was the only part that impacted the sound. When i used a b450 tomahawk from msi the sound was less audible but whether i was wearing headphones or not i would feel pain and pressure on the ear closer to the pc. Thinking it would go away after a while i endured it but after a couple of weeks it hurted so much that i had to see a doctor. I stopped using my pc for a bit and the sympthomes went away after a couple of weeks. Later i tried a b450 gaming x. This motherboard caused more of a sound that was akin to coil whine. It was'nt as unpleasent as the b450 tomahawk but after a while of using it the ear closer to the pc started ringing like tinnitus. (note it's not from volume level's the pain occurs even when the pc is just on without doing anything or wearing headphones) The annoying sound seemed to only occur while my pc was idle or when i was doing low intensity tasks like browsing. I'm getting to the point where I just wanna sell my pc and maybe swap to a gaming laptop. But there is no guarentee that won't cause the same problem. That's why I want to ask if you guys might know a good motherboard or something else that could maybe fix the situation? I think the load on the VRM's might have something to do with it.
The connection to the wall outlet isn't altered each time the PSU is replaced. Coil whine tends to increase with higher power usage, making it unusual to notice issues during low-draw periods like idle or light loads, even though they occur at lower power levels.
The cord remained unchanged. I believe the issue relates to the noise produced when power reaches the motherboard. Manufacturers likely aim for sounds outside the 20kHz range so they're inaudible. However, as power demand rises, the VRM's noise becomes more noticeable. The problem arises when you can hear it even when idle—similar to how you might detect dog whistles or alarms outside buildings. Prolonged exposure is harmful. My old Hasselblad system works fine; it's louder but fades into the background like an analog clock.
I attempted to reposition the PC so it was in front of me instead of next to me. It can be bothersome when you only hear something from one side, which might irritate your ear. Even after moving it as far away as possible, the issue persists.
If you're highly sensitive to noise, you might need a stronger fix. This could involve relocating the tower to another room or closet and using longer cables connected back to your desk. An idea that comes to mind is constructing an enclosure with sound-absorbing foam to block or redirect the sound. The most drastic option would be a complete overhaul using parts from various manufacturers to test effectiveness, or trying a laptop as an alternative. It seems you're in a unique situation where finding a solution is challenging.
You're on the right track. I experimented with a few recommendations, but they didn't resolve the issue. I'm considering moving my PC to another space or continuing to test various components. I shared my experience in this subreddit to gather ideas about motherboards. I plan to research power delivery systems and evaluate different VRM configurations to find the best fit. If you have any advice, I'd really appreciate it. I should have phrased my question more clearly earlier.
It seems you're considering alternative solutions. You mentioned trying different parts or using a laptop, but moving the PC isn't feasible.