Possible Coil Whine?? – Sound Issues in PC Audio: Whine, Hiss or Interference
Possible Coil Whine?? – Sound Issues in PC Audio: Whine, Hiss or Interference
I've shared this on Reddit's TechSupport forum, though I thought it might fit better here. I'm sorry for the overly wordy writing. My current audio configuration includes: a PC (Voicemeeter) → Aorus X570 Elite (built-in chip, rear line out) → 3.5mm-to-RCA → Yamaha R-N602 → bookshelf speakers or headphones — also an MSI RTX 2070Super. Now, it's becoming harder to ignore the sound when using speakers, but when connecting headphones, I hear a faint buzzing. What I’ve observed is that whenever something changes on the screen—like scrolling, moving the cursor, hovering over links—I hear a buzzing noise layered on top of the original whine. This extra noise appears only during screen activity. It makes me suspect a connection between the PC and the receiver.
I've heard that motherboard sound chips can be affected by video card interference. Since this seems more pronounced when graphics are active, it makes sense in this context. On the Yamaha receiver’s rear, there are RCA inputs. I’ve connected a turntable to the PHONO, and my PC’s 3.5mm-to-RCA plugged into Line 1. The sound is audible even with the turntable, suggesting multiple RCA connections might be involved. Other outputs remain unaffected.
I’m wondering what I can do. I suspect the issue might be happening before the audio leaves the PC, especially since I’m using an external receiver. This problem could potentially affect other DACs and amplifiers too. How can I prevent it?
EDIT IN RESPONSE TO A COMMENT: I’ve looked a bit further and found a term called 'coil whine'—it refers to interference from electronic parts, especially between the GPU and motherboard. Most sources say this is the main source of annoyance, as it can be heard through the PC case. I don’t notice it much due to background noise. It seems like this coil whine might be 'leaking' into the audio signal.
People also mentioned that coil whine becomes more noticeable at higher frame rates. I tested this by lowering the refresh rate to 60Hz and noticed the buzz changed—still present, but its frequency shifted. When I reduced it back to 165Hz, the discrete sounds merged into a single tone, possibly due to increased frequency.
I tried using a USB PnP sound device as a potential fix, since moving the output away from noisy components helped. The whine was still audible when connecting the RCA to the USB port and Line 1 of the receiver. I tested both front and rear USB ports, but the issue persisted across them.
I’m considering options like a new low-cost USB sound card or ferrite cable clips. I have an XLR mic interface, but I rarely use it for recording—so I haven’t heard any whine there. I might try a basic desktop USB DAC instead, just to be safe, or see if some ferrite clips could help.
I’m not sure about the quality of that USB sound card, so maybe a more affordable one would work better.
I switched to audio as my primary tech focus and faced this challenge over the years. I dealt with coil whine on the single-ended side of a complex setup. My setup included a DAC/amp feeding an RCA splitter, letting me choose between several single-ended amplifiers. Despite my efforts, nothing resolved the issue. I tried an IFI silencer to eliminate USB noise, but it likely pointed to a ground loop issue—probably through the USB port. Then I moved to a full galvanic approach using a Pi2AES, which allowed audio connection via Wi-Fi without physical cables. This worked, though the setup felt awkward. Meanwhile, my PSU failed during use, so I upgraded to a premium model from the forum’s PSU list—a Corsair. After replacing it with custom cables, the coil whine disappeared temporarily. I also ordered RCA ground loop isolators, but discovered the real culprit was an RCA switch feeding back through the system. The only time the whine vanished was when using an XLR connection, which is balanced (four conductors). Removing that switch eliminated the noise. It seems a faulty ground—possibly even reaching into my DAC/amp—was the root cause. I suspect interference could originate from outside the PC, especially if a switch or amplifier fed back through the DAC/amp. What I learned is that higher-end PSUs handle interference better, but the problem likely stems from an external ground. The fact that noise could loop back via the switch or any amp is puzzling. I’d recommend using a ground loop isolator first, then consider a more advanced PSU or alternative amplification method.