# Weird noise coming out of the motherboard : vrm coil whine?



## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

Hi,

I have this weird little noise coming out of my PC, it's not loud but sometimes annoying 

On the video the fans are off to hear it better : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62GCC0W9CV0

Before someone asks,it's not the AIO pump and it's on the top of the case so tubes orientation won't matter. (just kidding but since gamer nexus released this video, if you tell someone you are coughing a bit they will ask about your pump orientation haha)


It feels it's more audible when there are some loadings and it sounds like an HDD but.. i don't have any HDD in my rig, only 2 sata SSD and an M2, if open a bunch of google tabs for instance the noise is clear

 i've tried with another board (same one)  and it's the same, i can hear the wine for instance if I open a lot of chrome tabs, that's so weird.

Could it be ram related?

I tried to put back bios on default, didn't changed anything

So

I'm sure that it's not:

the gpu
the fans
the pump
bios settings
RGB off same thing

it can only be motherboard / ram or PSU but it's a seasonic prime platinum and the noise seems to come from the upper side of the card. 

it's not the fan or the gpu and it doesn't seem to come from the PSU?


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## Jetster (Dec 17, 2020)

If you use a hose and listen threw it you might be able to locate it easier


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## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

I tried but it's not easy honestly, it really seems to come from the upper side of the board, cpu area / ram. it's not the pump, i tried to unplug it for a few instant.

My bet is the vrm but is it normal? On two different boards, same issue? So i was wondering if another component can cause those vrm to whine ?


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## Ferrum Master (Dec 17, 2020)

Run Throttle Stop and disable speed step, thus running the CPU on max gear.

If it cures the whine, then it is the CPU VRM.


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## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

I've just disable speed step with throttle stop, didn't changed anything, i've disable it in bios as well, no changes.

Another video :









you can hear a constant whistle and the whine when I open tabs


I'd really want to understand this issue. When the case is closed i can't really hear it unless I pay extra attention but i want to be sure it's "safe" and it won't fail me somehow


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## snakegil (Dec 17, 2020)

It doesn't sound like coil whine to me, but scratch from a fan instead. I've heard such noise before, could be a cable close to a fan, or a sticker touching it. Check each fan and you'll find


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## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

all the fans were off when I recorded so it's definitely not a fan.

And it occurs at loads and opening tabs for instance so i'm sure it's something else than a fan issue but.. what?


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 17, 2020)

Asryan said:


> I tried but it's not easy honestly


Try a tube out of a paper towel roll, or, as it "Tis the Season" the tube from a roll of gift wrap. Use like a stethoscope. Then see if you can pinpoint the source. 

The problem with big cavernous, metal boxes is vibrations and noises tend to reverberate throughout the box, amplifying and making the source of the sound difficult, if not impossible to pinpoint.  You might need to pull everything out of the case, assemble the components on a big bread/cutting board or a large sheet of plain cardboard, then pinpoint the source.

What concerns me is you said you tried another motherboard and you got the same sound. While both boards are the same model, it seems to me, even if both suffered from the same problem, the sounds would sound slightly different. 

I would try a different power supply.


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## Deleted member 193596 (Dec 17, 2020)

disable C States in Bios.


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## Chaba422 (Dec 17, 2020)

i had same issue first time i build my pc 9700k,maximus xi hero, the problem was RGB Fans, i disconected them and coil whine from motherboard was gone, recently few months ago i was cleaning my pc from dust and decided to try plug in rgb fans again and issue wasnt coming back, i dont know how it fixed itself but it did, try unplugging case fans if u have any


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## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

I tried to unplug the rgb from headers it didn't changed anything


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## lexluthermiester (Dec 17, 2020)

@Asryan
Sounds like choke coil whine to me, just high pitched.
How annoying is it to you? Are you willing to use some super-glue or epoxy(super glue is easier to use) to seal the edges of the choke coils on the board? It's a simple fix and works well on motherboards, video cards and PSUs but it is permanent.


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## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

I had the same issue in three boards so i am not sure it's the motherboard though? 

For the fix to be honest i am not sure I'm confortable to do it


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## Deleted member 193596 (Dec 17, 2020)

Asryan said:


> I had the same issue in three boards so i am not sure it's the motherboard though?
> 
> For the fix to be honest i am not sure I'm confortable to do it


again.. 
disable your C States.


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## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

It's already done no changes


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## Deleted member 193596 (Dec 17, 2020)

Asryan said:


> It's already done no changes


well.. then RMA it.


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 17, 2020)

WarTherapy1195 said:


> well.. then RMA it.


Again - two different motherboards here.

I agree that superglue or epoxy often works on coils (and transformer plates) but that action is considered a modification and could void a warranty. I'm just saying... .

That said, IMO, epoxy works better. I note epoxy resins are typically what is used at the factory. But most epoxies require 24 hours of undisturbed curing time before using again. Superglue requires just seconds to dry and cures in minutes (but still takes up to 24 hours to reach maximum strength). But if superglue is to be used, I recommend the gel type as it is thicker and stays in place better until set.

Still, since we are talking the same noise and two different motherboards, I think it wiser to try to pinpoint the source of the noise first - by either running the system outside the case, or trying a different PSU, or both.


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## lexluthermiester (Dec 17, 2020)

WarTherapy1195 said:


> again..
> disable your C States.


That's not the issue, especially if different motherboards have been used.


Asryan said:


> I had the same issue in three boards so i am not sure it's the motherboard though?
> 
> For the fix to be honest i am not sure I'm confortable to do it


If this is the case it's more likely to be your video card or power supply having a coil whine issue. If you're not comfortable with applying a fix and the system is running stable, you may just have to chose to live with it unfortunately.


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## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

I'll try to swap the psu cable with the stock one maybe 

I suppose it's not harmful right just a bit annoying?


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 17, 2020)

Asryan said:


> I'll try to swap the psu cable with the stock one maybe


Cable? Please explain.

Coil/transformer whine is not harmful. And while, in some cases, may indicate device failure is looming overhead, it is very common for those devices to last for many years without any problems - other than being annoying.

Edit comment: fixed typo (left out word "whine").


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## lexluthermiester (Dec 17, 2020)

Asryan said:


> I'll try to swap the psu cable with the stock one maybe


Modular PSU then? The cables are very unlikely to be the problem. The problem is a component in the PSU or on the PCB of your video card called an choke inductor. They are generally surface mounted parts on video cards, but in PSUs they can be larger.



Asryan said:


> I suppose it's not harmful right just a bit annoying?


Exactly.


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## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

Isn't it weird that I have the same issue with this board and the one before? Might be the psu itself then it can't be the cpu or the ram..


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## lexluthermiester (Dec 17, 2020)

Asryan said:


> Isn't it weird that I have the same issue with this board and the one before? Might be the psu itself then it can't be the cpu or the ram..


True. CPU & RAM have nothing on them that would make a sound like the one you're hearing. Motherboards, video cards and PSUs do. Since this sound has persisted across multiple motherboards we can rule that part out as the culprit. This leaves GPU and PSU.

Have you tried a different video card or perhaps taken out the card and run the system from on-board GFX?

If so and the sound persists, then all that would be left is the PSU. If not, try removing your video card and see if the sound persists.


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## nalpagutt (Dec 17, 2020)

Have you ever experienced liquid contact? Could it sound electric?


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## Asryan (Dec 17, 2020)

I'll try to unplug pcie and run on IGPU to see. I'll be quite annoyed if it was my 3090. The noise is definitely not coming from the gpu though it seems to come from the cpu area



nalpagutt said:


> Have you ever experienced liquid contact? Could it sound electric?


No nothing liquid, all runs fine, the board is new. The noise is more present when loads or opening tabs when all tabs ate loaded the nousz stops except the constant whistle


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## Caring1 (Dec 18, 2020)

Asryan said:


> Isn't it weird that I have the same issue with this board and the one before? Might be the psu itself then it can't be the cpu or the ram..


Swap out the PSU as some models can induce coil whine in the Motherboards chokes.


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## Asryan (Dec 18, 2020)

I have zip ties all cables and all and the 24pin is quite short.. I'll try that maybe later I guess I'll live with it in the meantime 

Well i tried to run with integrated graphics, unplugued PCIE on the GPU, no changes

one thing I noticed, I don't know if that can help but the noise seems to starts with windows, during boot and in the bios, there is no noise, at least the constant whisle thingy which is also vry annoying


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## Jetster (Dec 18, 2020)

Its not a sign of imminent failure. You should be fine.


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## snakegil (Dec 18, 2020)

Once again, it sounds like a cable scratching on a fan, check your power supply with a light and try blowing inside it


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## Asryan (Dec 18, 2020)

It's not a fan, my PSU has a 0 fan mode and all fans were off when I recorded so i'm sure at 1000% it's not a fan


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## jaggerwild (Dec 18, 2020)

@OP,
 First you say you had 2 boards then three boards. AIO=you get what you payed for, if the unit fails the computer will simply shut off. You fooling with it is more likely to cause a failure, shut the side and enjoy it. I couldn't hear anything in your video's, I guess I got wine lolz...............


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## Asryan (Dec 18, 2020)

Three boards yes, but the fist one had other issues i didn't changed it for that but it was doing it too.

For the AIO i don't see how it's relevant, my aio is fine it's not the issue. 

I'm over sensitive to noise and yes i can hear it, the worst is the constant whistle on the board but I guess I can live with it and with a headset. I would just like to understand


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## Jetster (Dec 18, 2020)

I have hearing issues, coil whine is never a problem. Good thing because I bet it drives you nuts


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 18, 2020)

snakegil said:


> Once again, it sounds like a cable scratching on a fan


Ummm, no it doesn't. For (1) fan blades hitting a cable make a very distinctive low pitch (low audio frequency), rapid "ticking" sound, not a "whistle" sound as described by the OP.  (2) The noise from blades hitting a fan would be consistent. That is, it would not come and go when tabs in Chrome opened. And most significantly (3), OP said in his opening post, and in his first reply to you in post #7, that he disabled the fans before making the recording.


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## Asryan (Dec 18, 2020)

Seems it does it too when i move the mouse, tried to switch usb of it no changes.


Also,

When i'm in the bios there is no noise, only the sound of fans and pump but no whine or whistle, can this indicate something?


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## Bill_Bright (Dec 18, 2020)

Asryan said:


> When i'm in the bios there is no noise, only the sound of fans and pump but no whine or whistle, can this indicate something?


Probably not. It is important to note because entering the BIOS happens before the operating system is loaded, viewing the BIOS Setup Menu is probably the least demanding task we can ask of our computers. So if the whine is load related, this does not trigger it. 

That said, I supposed it could be related to a device whose driver gets loaded during a normal boot. IDK.


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## lexluthermiester (Dec 18, 2020)

Asryan said:


> When i'm in the bios there is no noise, only the sound of fans and pump but no whine or whistle, *can this indicate something*?


Yes, that something very odd is going on in your PC. However...


Jetster said:


> Its not a sign of imminent failure. You should be fine.


...going have to agree with this. Stability does not seem to be an issue so this is not the end of the world for you.

Although, a thought just occurred. This might be a "Spread Spectrum" related issue. Hop into your bios and see of you can find that setting and if it's enabled, disable it.


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## Asryan (Dec 18, 2020)

i've checked the spread spectrum yep and it is disabled, i tried on and off, no changes.. 

Yes all works fine but it's quite annoying but yeah i guess i'm quite focused on it.. when i'm on my pc i usually have my headset on, and if i watch a movie from the bed, i can't hear the noise so it's a "non" issue but im very psycho about noises


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## jaggerwild (Dec 18, 2020)

Check all molex plugs and re seat them, especially the 24 pin. If you see a slight gap between the plug n the socket it needs to be re seated. I mentioned yer AIO cause you said yer scared to leave it running or to that effect.


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## Asryan (Dec 18, 2020)

Already checked all is well seated yes 

I meant i don't want to run prime or any heavy bench without the pump running 

Here's the noise I'm talking about and this one is constant 






						Enregistrement audio 2020-12-18 23-25-51.wav
					






					drive.google.com
				




I've asked seasonic about it and they will send me cpu cables with condensators to reduce interference, maybe that will help


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## nalpagutt (Dec 22, 2020)

Asryan said:


> I'll try to unplug pcie and run on IGPU to see. I'll be quite annoyed if it was my 3090. The noise is definitely not coming from the gpu though it seems to come from the cpu area
> 
> 
> No nothing liquid, all runs fine, the board is new. The noise is more present when loads or opening tabs when all tabs ate loaded the nousz stops except the constant whistle



What is your computer case model? I had this model too. It was short-circuited because of the screw that escaped into it.









						Corsair Air 740 Computer Case - A Wide and Spacious - 2021 Review Game-Tech
					

The Corsair Air 740 has always been an outstanding computer case from the past to the present. Here is the Corsair Air 740 Review. The Corsair Air 740, with its design and specifications, is still available today.




					reviewgame-tech.com


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## Asryan (Dec 22, 2020)

Phanteks p600s


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## ohigs (Jan 4, 2021)

@Asryan did you ever solve your issue? I'm having a very similar one.


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## Asryan (Jan 4, 2021)

I've tried different psu and another board.. Still the same more or less.. Just weird.. What's your mb and cpu?


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## ohigs (Jan 4, 2021)

Asryan said:


> I've tried different psu and another board.. Still the same more or less.. Just weird.. What's your mb and cpu?


B450-I Strix and Ryzen 7 3700X, I've been looking all over for solutions and so far nothing has worked. Have you tried removing the IO shield and seeing if the noise persists?


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## nuggdoctor (Jan 4, 2021)

what mobo do you have? i know its new but sometimes they arent all made perfectly. it also is NOT your pump. if you had an air bubble due to orientation all you would get is a slight gurgle, similar to the sound of a fish tank pump.

this guy has the same problem you have with his b550-I strix board. its a bad fan on the vrm. 




__
		https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/kbw0r0


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 4, 2021)

Asryan said:


> I've tried different psu and another board..


If you tried different motherboards and different PSUs, I would suspect something else - like a fan motor or hard drive motor. Or perhaps a coil on an expansion card, e.g., a graphics card.


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## ohigs (Jan 5, 2021)

Fixed my issue by disabling Core Performance Boost in bios and setting a manual core voltage.


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 5, 2021)

That is very strange to have the same problem on two different boards. Did the whine appear when first installed and BIOS performance and voltage settings were still at their default settings?


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## NRANM (Jan 20, 2021)

ohigs said:


> Fixed my issue by disabling Core Performance Boost in bios and setting a manual core voltage.


What manual core voltage did you set?

I'm running a 3700X as well, and I believe I'm experiencing the same or similar issue. I basically also narrowed it down to the CPU since the issue existed with every other component swapped with a different one for testing purposes. The only common denominator in all tests was the CPU, so...


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## bierjay (Jan 20, 2021)

Kind of satisfying to have found this thread and know I'm not alone with this. I have the exact same problem. I can also eliminate everything but the CPU and motherboard as the source (i9-9900k on Strix Z390-F). The noises are clearly audible when the PC boots or when I fast forward videos in Firefox. The Intel XTU stresstest was the loudest one.
But the thing is that not only my PC makes such noises, but my work laptop does too (Macbook Pro). A good bit quieter, but it's still there. Guess than it's kinda normal?


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## Mussels (Jan 21, 2021)

bierjay said:


> Kind of satisfying to have found this thread and know I'm not alone with this. I have the exact same problem. I can also eliminate everything but the CPU and motherboard as the source (i9-9900k on Strix Z390-F). The noises are clearly audible when the PC boots or when I fast forward videos in Firefox. The Intel XTU stresstest was the loudest one.
> But the thing is that not only my PC makes such noises, but my work laptop does too (Macbook Pro). A good bit quieter, but it's still there. Guess than it's kinda normal?



its normal, and it's not. It's technically a fault, but most places wont accept returns unless its really bad.

Locating the noisy area and drowning it in hot glue can really help.

it's usually these buggers (or an enclosed variant of them)


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## lexluthermiester (Jan 21, 2021)

Mussels said:


> Locating the noisy area and drowning it in hot glue can really help.


SuperGlue works too. I use it a lot to silence noisy chokes. The open-air chokes don't usually make noise though. The vast majority of the time it's the enclosed chokes that make the buzzing noise.


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## Michael_O (Feb 11, 2021)

Just got a Z590 Asus Hero motherboard and experiencing the same annoying coil whine coming from VRM area. I had an Asrock Z490 before this which had slight whine when the NIC was under heavy load but nowhere near as bad as this board. I'm surprised really because Asus are usually top quality but this board is quite bad. Check out the attached mp3 of the sound it makes. Not sure what to do now :-(


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## Mussels (Feb 11, 2021)

Michael_O said:


> Just got a Z590 Asus Hero motherboard and experiencing the same annoying coil whine coming from VRM area. I had an Asrock Z490 before this which had slight whine when the NIC was under heavy load but nowhere near as bad as this board. I'm surprised really because Asus are usually top quality but this board is quite bad. Check out the attached mp3 of the sound it makes. Not sure what to do now :-(



You can:
1. live with it
2. try and mod the board physically (hot glue!)
3. try and work around it with BIOS settings (disabling C-states can help sometimes, at a cost of idle power efficiency)
4. RMA it


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## zfi (Apr 28, 2021)

I managed to fix my coil whine just by setting some BIOS settings! 

C-states and some other settings needed disabling, and now the noise is gone for good.

I wrote a quick guide on it here: https://randompctips.blogspot.com/2021/04/how-to-get-rid-of-coil-whine-by.html
Hope it helps someone.


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