Brand New Coil Whine on 2+ Year Old GPU

[HAL_RBLX]

Recently, as of 11/6 my computer started up with a brand-new whine/hissing/static noise from the Graphics card. There has been no recent changes of software handling GPU or the settings of the clocks on it. There has also been no increase in usage or stress of games or graphic changes. 

 

Normally, there is a hardware/software change when it comes to coil whine or it being a brand new card. The point I am trying to reach is that if this is truly coil-whine since it has started for seemingly no apparent reason and has no solutions regardless of lowering the clock speed or power targets. The GPU is underclocked from stock to 1560mhz, lower voltage targets, -10% power limit on MSI Afterburner, and stock memory speed. Is there anything I can do to help my cause as changing the speeds even lower has no effect on the noise?

 

The GPU is a XFX RX 590 8gb Fatboy paired with a 2600X Ryzen on Windows 11 with a 750W EVGA GOLD PSU. The card usually never increases over 60 Celsius. I do have a Mp4 Audio clip on streamable of what I hear, which does not do it justice since I am able to hear the whine through a headset playing music. https://streamable.com/m9o3ye The static noise at the end is not a audio artifact, that is how the noise is.

 

*edit*: I see a post regarding a user with a 480 that OC'd their CPU which caused it, I haven't edited CPU clock speeds and inspecting the capacitors showed them still tightly secured.

[Emanbaird]

I know that certain components on GPU's are sealed with Epoxy/Wax and over time this can degrade or just dry up maybe?

You can't change the resonant frequencies without altering the electrical properties of the coil. So technically all they can do is muffle the sound. With heat and the age of the card it could just be that some of this muffling material has been damaged.

Personally unless you can see arcs, or if the noise gets really loud I wouldn't worry about it.

[HAL_RBLX]

1 minute ago, Emanbaird said:

I know that certain components on GPU's are sealed with Epoxy/Wax and over time this can degrade or just dry up maybe?

You can't change the resonant frequencies without altering the electrical properties of the coil. So technically all they can do is muffle the sound. With heat and the age of the card it could just be that some of this muffling material has been damaged.

Personally unless you can see arcs, or if the noise gets really loud I wouldn't worry about it.

Hopefully this is the case, I have yet to see arcs but the noise is louder than the fans at around 90% max. I am just concerned that the frequencies do not decrease with the power draw/limits set. I'd think that less electricity going through would prompt it to naturally be quieter even with a degraded muffling material. I know XFX has a robust RMA policy and a history of it with whine issues even after two years, I just am uncertain if that'd be a solution since new cards can have the same whine and the fact the card is on the older side generation wise, and stock issues I have yet to see the model in stock. 

Any other ideas on what could be done? Its to the point to not even wanting to use the PC due to the severity of it.

[Emanbaird]

Just now, HAL_RBLX said:

Hopefully this is the case, I have yet to see arcs but the noise is louder than the fans at around 90% max. I am just concerned that the frequencies do not decrease with the power draw/limits set. I'd think that less electricity going through would prompt it to naturally be quieter even with a degraded muffling material. I know XFX has a robust RMA policy and a history of it with whine issues even after two years, I just am uncertain if that'd be a solution since new cards can have the same whine and the fact the card is on the older side generation wise, and stock issues I have yet to see the model in stock. 

Any other ideas on what could be done? Its to the point to not even wanting to use the PC due to the severity of it.

The noise is related to resonance so actually pumping the power/clock rate might get rid of the coil whine(or at least make it less noticeable).

 Personally if it is really bad I'd actually recommend looking into a case with some sound deadening, because the only other option would be to isolate the component causing the issue and replacing it (or replacing the entire GPU) neither of which are super feasible right now.

[HAL_RBLX]

56 minutes ago, Emanbaird said:

The noise is related to resonance so actually pumping the power/clock rate might get rid of the coil whine(or at least make it less noticeable).

 Personally if it is really bad I'd actually recommend looking into a case with some sound deadening, because the only other option would be to isolate the component causing the issue and replacing it (or replacing the entire GPU) neither of which are super feasible right now.

Makes sense, Ill try the clock rate and see if it will help any. My case is relatively good with dampening all other sound minus this issue since I went with a Be Quiet! Pro 900 when building. Worst case I have a friend with a GTX 1080Ti laying around could go with that for a bit.

 

*edit* upping power/clock has made it worse for now somehow?

[CommanderAlex]

4 minutes ago, HAL_RBLX said:

*edit* upping power/clock has made it worse for now somehow?

That's to be expected since the core clock frequency increased most likely increased the power and rate of pulsation of the coil. 

[Emanbaird]

23 minutes ago, HAL_RBLX said:

Makes sense, Ill try the clock rate and see if it will help any. My case is relatively good with dampening all other sound minus this issue since I went with a Be Quiet! Pro 900 when building. Worst case I have a friend with a GTX 1080Ti laying around could go with that for a bit.

 

*edit* upping power/clock has made it worse for now somehow?

Yeah I'm lucky, I only have whine between 20-40% load, as soon as I get to 50+ the whine goes away.