What Is Coil Whine, and How to Fix It for Good

Key Points

• Coil whine is a common issue in high-performance GPUs and is caused by the flow of electricity through inductors, resulting in audible vibrations.
• Coil whine can be described as a high-pitched whine, hum, hiss, or buzz, and can be mistaken for a failing fan or muffled by the computer’s case.
• To pinpoint the component causing coil whine, you can listen closely to the running computer, unplug case fans, and temporarily disconnect the GPU.
• Methods to fix coil whine include wearing headphones, getting a better case with sound-dampening materials, undervolting the GPU, lowering game settings, moving the computer to a different location, removing electrical noise with a power conditioner, or replacing the noisy component with a different brand or model.

Coil whine is one of the most annoying things about modern GPUs. If this is your first time hearing the noise, then you may even be a little concerned about the condition of your computer. Fortunately, coil whine is normal and happens in a wide range of electrical components. However, it most commonly occurs in graphics cards, also known as a GPU.

It is important to first understand that coil whine is not always audible. Sometimes you can hear it, especially in high-end GPUs, but other times it may be at an inaudible frequency. The downside is that the noise can be very annoying and difficult to pinpoint. However, with the information below, you can identify the problematic component and take steps to silence it for good.

What Causes Coil Whine

You may be surprised to learn that electricity can cause noise. Of course, electricity cannot make noise, but it can cause reactions in electrical components that result in audible sounds. A common example is a lightbulb buzzing, which is the flow of electricity causing materials inside to rattle around, producing an audible sound.

This isn’t a new phenomenon, but the growing number of complaints about coil whine can be attributed to many factors. These include ventilated cases that do not keep the noise in and components that use more electricity. Today’s GPUs are notoriously power-hungry, and the extra electricity flowing through them increases the chances of coil whine.

The most common culprit of coil whine is an inductor. They are located on several different boards in your computer, but the ones on GPUs tend to be the loudest. An inductor allows power to flow through it while preventing the electricity from changing directions. The power that flows through causes a small amount of vibration that is not visible to the naked eye. This typically occurs when the GPU is running workloads at high frame rates.

The exact amount of vibration varies based on how much power is flowing. However, the type of coil also dictates the noise produced since some are louder than others. The reality is that all coils cause vibration, but it is usually so minor it cannot be heard by the human ear. It is also important to note that even if you can hear the noise, the vibration of the coil is unlikely to cause damage to your graphics card or impact functionality.

What Does Coil Whine Sound Like

The exact sound of coil whine is tricky to describe with words. Some people call it a simple whine, while others call it a hum, hiss, or buzz. The most common description is that the noise is very high-pitched — to the point that it is annoying and can cause headaches. Other factors can also affect the sound of the component.

For instance, you could easily mistake coil whine for a failing fan. Not to mention, a computer’s case can actually muffle the noise, so it doesn’t always sound like a whine. This is why it is critical to properly pinpoint exactly where the noise comes from to rule out any other faulty components. Check out the video below for an example of coil whine on a GPU.

How to Pinpoint Whining Component

There are a couple of options to pinpoint a whining component, but you must be extra careful working inside a running computer. First, take off the computer’s side cover panel. You can turn off the computer first or leave it on if you are comfortable. With the computer opened up and powered on, take note of the fan locations and be sure not to get too close.

Additionally, you should avoid touching components, as some are very hot. Get as close as possible to listen to where the noise is coming from. Start by running a game or other task that usually causes the whining. Next, check the case fans to ensure they are not the culprit.

If you aren’t certain, briefly unplug each fan to see if the whining stops. Your GPU is the most likely cause of the coil whine, so that is a good place to inspect next. If your CPU supports graphic processing, try disconnecting the GPU temporarily to see if the noise stops. Finally, look at the motherboard because some components on it may cause coil whine.

Steps to Fix Coil Whine For Good

Now that you’ve hopefully found the offending component, you can begin to work on silencing it. The options below vary from quick remedies that simply mask the problem to more advanced fixes. These steps assume that the problem lies in your GPU, but some can also apply to other components like power supplies or motherboards.

Wear Headphones

The fastest and easiest solution to deal with coil whine is simply putting on headphones. This will not fix the problem, but at least you won’t hear it while playing a game. Get a good pair of headphones, preferably ones with noise-canceling capabilities. Alternatively, you could turn up the volume on your speakers as long as the whine isn’t too loud.

Get a Better Case

Another option is to purchase a new case that is sealed better. Modern computer cases are thinner than ever and feature a lot of ventilation. These vents are critical to airflow, which keeps components running efficiently. The problem is that every extra hole in the case also allows sound to escape into the room.

The best option is to use a vintage-style heavy-duty PC case. The thickness will dampen more of the whine, and the cases typically have fewer holes. You can also find cases with sound-dampening materials that will reduce escaping noise. If you aren’t ready to upgrade cases, you can also purchase sound-dampening pads to insert into your existing case.

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12/03/2023 01:11 pm GMT

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12/03/2023 01:10 pm GMT

Turn Down Your Power

Devices and components using a lot of power are prone to coil whine. Therefore limiting the amount of current flowing through the circuit will also reduce the whining noise. A straightforward way to do this is by undervolting a GPU. This does exactly what it sounds like — lowering the amount of power going into your computer’s graphics card.

Surprisingly, it is easier than you may think. It only requires minor software changes that are completely reversible. The easiest way to undervolt a GPU is with a control software like MSI Afterburner. With it, you can dictate the amount of power the GPU can use. The downside is that your graphics card will not be able to reach its full potential.

Limiting voltage does negatively impact the graphics power, but it likely won’t be enough to make a major difference. Doing so also allows you to dial in the exact amount of power that quiets the whining without limiting power too much. Additionally, you only have to set the voltage once, and it will end the whining in all games and applications. Check out the video below for a step-by-step tutorial on lowering your GPU’s voltage.

Lower Game Settings

If you don’t want to limit your GPU’s power all the time, then another option is to lower a game’s graphics settings. Unfortunately, you will have to do this on each game that you experience whining with, but it is super easy. All you have to do is go into the game’s settings menu and lower the performance until the noise stops. A few other settings you can change include capping the frames per second to the refresh rate of your monitor, enabling V-sync, and reducing overclocking.

The reason this works is that your GPU is designed to use more power only when the workload increases. Meaning the GPU only uses a small amount when you are doing daily activities like web browsing. That is why the whining gets louder when you start playing a game. By lowering the game’s settings, you are reducing the load on the GPU, so less power has to flow through it.

Move Your Computer

This is another obvious solution, but moving your computer is a quick and easy remedy for dealing with coil whine. If your computer is on top of a desk, try moving it underneath so the sound isn’t as close. Plus, a sturdier surface may dampen some of the vibrations. Also, consider other possibilities, like placing it behind other furniture that will help muffle the whine. Just make sure that the desktop has plenty of room for airflow.

Remove Electrical Noise

Because the flow of electricity causes coil whine, the power going into an inductor can actually have a greater impact than the inductor itself. More specifically, the electrical path may be subject to interference that is causing the inductor to be louder than it should be. The interference is called electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI).

The bigger problem is that all sorts of devices create these frequencies, including other components inside your computer. Fortunately, there are many ways to fix this problem, such as replacing the power supply in the hope that it is causing the disturbance. However, a better option is to use a power conditioner, which looks similar to a surge protector but removes any EMI/RFI noise.

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12/03/2023 01:11 pm GMT

Replace the Noisy Component

Finally, you can try swapping the offending component with a new one. This may not be an easy option, even if you have a new GPU, as many retailers have instituted no return policies on GPUs or limited them to a short window. Fortunately, most will let you swap it out for the same product without much hassle. Not to mention, you can always contact the manufacturer and file a warranty claim.

Unfortunately, that may not solve your problem since coil whine often isn’t caused by a defect. What will likely happen is that the replacement graphics card will make the exact same noise because it uses the same inductors. Therefore, your best bet is to go with a completely different GPU if possible.

One option is to choose a different brand, so if you originally had a whining EVGA card, then you might want to try an equivalent MSI version. Alternatively, you could switch to an entirely different model, like upgrading from an NVIDIA RTX 3060 to an NVIDIA RTX 4080. Finally, if all else fails, you may want to look at other components, such as the power supply, that may be contributing to the coil whine.

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12/03/2023 07:16 pm GMT

Wrapping Up

As you’ve seen, coil whine is very common in high-performance GPUs, and it can be really annoying. While the noise doesn’t mean your device is dying, it should be addressed. Even though you can always buy another PC or a GPU, throwing out a large investment probably isn’t the best idea. However, it may be your only option if all the methods above fail.

Summary Table

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