The sound in my head is unusual.
The sound in my head is unusual.
I’m experiencing a faint ringing in my computer that I think might be coil whine. It shows up on all recordings and keeps bothering me, even though it’s not very loud. I don’t have tinnitus, but there’s a distinct tone around 4kHz and 8kHz. When I leave a recording or take a screenshot of the equalizer settings, I notice this same consistent sound. It seems to change depending on the situation—less noticeable in BIOS, quieter during heavy tasks like gaming, and louder when the system is idle for long periods. My machine has been running for about a year now and always had this issue. Right now I’m seeing it more clearly: Intel i7 Noctua NH-U9S MSI Pro Z690-A with Intel Arc B580, Seasonic Focus GX 1000. I’ve tried many fixes—powercycling, BIOS updates, changing power settings, using a different outlet, updating drivers, even replacing parts—but it’s becoming costly. Is this really a problem with my Seasonic? It’s still under warranty. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Seasonic noise 2.wav
Probably coil while I listen closely. The sound is clear in the recording. It's tough to pinpoint exactly which part is causing the noise—either the graphics card or the power supply unit. You might try removing the graphics card and running a stress test to see if the issue persists. If you don’t hear any sound when taking out the card, it’s likely the PSU is the culprit. It's also possible the noise comes from a fan instead of the coil whine, though that seems unlikely due to the pitch. You can easily check by briefly stopping each fan with your hand when you hear the whine. To stop a fan, apply pressure to the center hub, not the blades, and don’t damage it even if you only do it once. You could also disable the fans using software, but that would be time-consuming.
It seems like the issue might be with the motherboard or a fan. Try listening through the case to pinpoint where the noise originates. Remove the GPU and boot only with the integrated graphics card if available. If the sound persists, check other fans one by one. Use tools that let you adjust fan speeds individually and lower them gradually while listening near the case to identify the source. If neither the GPU nor individual fans help, the problem likely lies with the power supply unit or motherboard. However, careful listening might reveal which component is causing the noise.
Open the case carefully. Gently press each fan individually until the noise ceases. If it stops, the faulty fan is the culprit. If it continues, you may be dealing with coil whine from one or more parts. Replacing the power supply unit might help in some cases. In other situations, swapping out the GPU or motherboard could be necessary. Without addressing these components, pinpointing the source of the noise becomes difficult. If integrated graphics were used, removing the GPU and restarting the system might reveal the issue. But with an F-series CPU, you’re at a disadvantage. Still, it’s possible to tackle this problem—just ensure you won’t lose your display in the process.
I rely on an outdated GT210 Nvidia card for troubleshooting. The drivers don’t install automatically because it’s very old, so I end up with basic Windows drivers and a video output. I also have an old AGP ATI graphics card and a PCI Matrox graphics card for older systems.