This noise could indicate overheating or a failing cooling system.
This noise could indicate overheating or a failing cooling system.
Hello. I purchased a 3060 Ti used from eBay and it functioned properly for several weeks. Recently, I've observed a "whine" coming from my GPU (believe it). For instance, when launching a game and opening tabs, the audio is quiet except for fan noise, but once I close the tabs, the whining becomes noticeable (see attached video). I'm wondering if others have experienced the same problem and know how to resolve it. Specifically, I own a Zotac Twin Edge Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with 8GB of GPU memory. IMG_0867.mov
It's referred to as coilwhine, which is quite common in GPUs. This happens when current flows through the coils, creating vibrations that produce the noise. It's harmless and won't shorten the device's life; it's merely an annoyance.
There’s no solution to eliminate coilwhine. You can try reducing your FPS, which should help minimize the noise. If you’re seeing high FPS on a 60Hz monitor, lowering it to match the refresh rate might reduce the issue. However, there’s nothing that permanently fixes coilwhine. I once needed to return a RTX 2080 Super because of its loud whine, and I got a quieter card afterward.
It's not a big deal and coilwhine on GPUs is pretty typical. There are more GPUs with this issue than without it. My RTX 4080 and my 980 Ti both had some, and the louder the game running, the more noticeable it was. Also, the more demanding the workload, the stronger the whine tends to be.
Coil whine is typical, but my model also experiences it. It's time to try headphones.