Question about coil whine from PSU
Question about coil whine from PSU
Prior to my latest upgrade five months prior, I had this setup for almost six years or longer:
- ASUS TUF GAMING X570 PLUS
- 3800x
- GIGABYTE RTX 2070 Super White Gaming OC
- 64GB DDR4 2133mhz
- Noctua NH-U12S
- CORSAIR AX860
- Thermaltake Core V71
About five months back, the RTX began producing coil whine, yet I considered a partial replacement. The changes made were:
- 5800X3D
- GIGABYTE RTX 4070 Super Gaming OC
- Noctua NH-D15 CBlack
- CORSAIR RM1200x SHIFT
- Be Quiet! DARK BASE PRO 901 plus additional fans, using the same model from the pre-built units
Everything remained unchanged. I sold the previous components after noticing everything operated smoothly for several months (a big mistake?).
For the past five months, everything was perfect until two weeks ago the PSU started showing coil whine. The serial number begins with 231777, likely from early 2023? That might be useful.
Everything is well-sealed, even the special GPU cable had a click indicating it was securely fastened (no overheating or unpleasant odors during gameplay).
My experiences were:
- The noise fluctuates intermittently. The PSU can be silent for minutes or hours, even during short sessions, and remains quiet for hours afterward. Then after about five hours, it starts again.
- When I play games like MARVEL'S GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY or DOOM ETERNAL, the noise increases slightly. If I move the mouse in menus or during gameplay (with no enemies, using a wireless mouse), the noise becomes more noticeable.
- If I power off the PC completely (no hibernation or sleep), the PSU noise persists. Unplugging the cable stops it instantly. Testing other power sockets confirmed the same 220V supply. Using a socket tester also showed consistent 220V. Even after disconnecting all PC components from the PSU, the noise continued. I removed the PSU from its bracket and placed it outside—it still hummed when plugged in.
The noise ranges from very low to a sharp, ear-shattering pitch (especially sensitive for me). I’ve tried various PSUs from the same brand and model, but only one with 850W (to save cost) worked. I plugged it in without a tower or other cables, and after three hours it responded with "Hi, did you miss me?"
I returned the 850W unit to the store (having to lie, as otherwise they’d dismiss it as coil whine). Now I’m back with the 1200W model.
This persistent noise is driving me crazy. I’ve used a toilet paper tube to trace the source—extremely loud, like an adult middle finger—to the motherboard, GPU, etc. But only the PSU is affected.
Months ago, someone suggested this PSU or a Be Quiet! model, but I chose CORSAIR for its SHIFT utility (a real time-saver). Recently, the same person warned me against buying that PSU—probably the 1200W one, but if it happens with the 850W version, what am I doing?
This PSU is a top-tier model on the list.
You can check the videos here:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzHtFUxGKao
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUigGPBPb_Y
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKtWuEyB3ms
I'm considering an alternative setup. Can you try without a desk lamp, speakers connected to the PC or wall outlet, or any microphone? Nothing else plugged in under the desk except the PC and monitor. No AC power cords running next to the PC's wall cord or monitors either. This reminds me of a sound gremlin issue that's affecting an amplifier's power supply and ending up in the speakers. It's not harmful but it really bothers me. Having used two separate power supplies makes me think it might be outside interference. However, coil wine seems to be a common problem with GPUs and power supplies these days. The outcome is uncertain.
I turned off everything except the power supply unit, the monitor, the router, and the fixed phone. The noise remains.
The PSU was plugged into the farthest socket, with nothing on its right and an empty socket on its left. The monitor is to the left of that empty socket.