How to quickly & easily fix coil-whine(coil choke noise)

[Mussels]

Just dont put superglue on TOP of them like you would thermal paste, especially for anything that has thermal pads on top of them

 

[lightning70]

There are also non invasive methods to eliminate/reduce coil whine. Undervolting & FPS cap:

You can also try first to figure out if the coil whine comes from the GPU or the power supply, f.e. with Furmark for a GPU stress test & Prime95 for a CPU stress test.



That's what worked on older cards with open coils. The newer cards have all coils hidden under caps. But on a PSU you still can do it that way.

This solution doesn't work for everyone, I think the clear solution is in the above post.

 

[Mussels]

This solution doesn't work for everyone, I think the clear solution is in the above post.

It certainly helps, it's part of the overall solution.
Something in my system whines when i run everything balls to the wall flatout voltages, even after changing every piece of hardware - something always has it.

In the future, next GPU Teardown i'll be adding glue to the coils on my 3090 since i believe they've been getting worse over time - with any undervolt it's not there, and with any FPS cap it's not there but certain games load screens that run up to a billion FPS can make almost anything whine

 

[lightning70]

It certainly helps, it's part of the overall solution.
Something in my system whines when i run everything balls to the wall flatout voltages, even after changing every piece of hardware - something always has it.

In the future, next GPU Teardown i'll be adding glue to the coils on my 3090 since i believe they've been getting worse over time - with any undervolt it's not there, and with any FPS cap it's not there but certain games load screens that run up to a billion FPS can make almost anything whine

I have a 3080 and the coils cry even at 120 fps but the card is under warranty but they don't replace the whining because they don't see a problem.

 

[Mussels]

I have a 3080 and the coils cry even at 120 fps but the card is under warranty but they don't replace the whining because they don't see a problem.

my gigabyte 3080 had insane whine, this 3090 made my corsair PSU whine so i went fractal - which was whine free, but now some sneaks in on very specific situations only
(basically, a 5800x3D + a 3090 can reach some stupid high FPS at things like skyrims load screens where FPS caps slow load times...)

 

[lexluthermiester]

Just dont put superglue on TOP of them like you would thermal paste, especially for anything that has thermal pads on top of them

Unless it's a top-open choke(they have made them in the past) and you're sealing the top. Making sure to let it cure before applying thermal pads/paste.

 

[Lagoochu360]

Hello, I stumbled across your post while searching for ways to address coil whine on GPUs. My Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 6800 XT has some pretty nasty coil whine when I play anything at 120fps. It sounded kinda like this it was very annoying

I decided to try your super glue method, but the gorilla glue I had on hand was pretty thick so I didn't think it would work as well. I used a different bottle called RapidFuse Ultra Clear All-Purpose Adhesive. Its not supposed to go bad unless you put more than 100C on it compared to the gorilla glue specs.

I was feeling kinda lazy and stupid so instead of taking apart of the entire cooler...I just nozzled some adhesive in there and used a long toothpick to work the glue into the chokes. The adhesive instructions say the excess can be wiped off with paper towels before it could dry , it was pretty easy to clean the messy bits, although some chokes do look at bit sloppy , thankfully the cooler hides the mess...

After a few hours of letting of it set...the coil whine was still there but a bit less noisy. However after almost a day of letting it cure, WOW! The noise is virtually gone! Before I could have heard the coil whine from across the room, now I have to put my ear right next to my GPU just to barely hear it.

So for this model of GPU, the operation was a success. I recommend others to try if you have noticeable coil whine issues.

 

[lightning70]

Hello, I stumbled across your post while searching for ways to address coil whine on GPUs. My Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 6800 XT has some pretty nasty coil whine when I play anything at 120fps. It sounded kinda like this it was very annoying

I decided to try your super glue method, but the gorilla glue I had on hand was pretty thick so I didn't think it would work as well. I used a different bottle called RapidFuse Ultra Clear All-Purpose Adhesive. Its not supposed to go bad unless you put more than 100C on it compared to the gorilla glue specs.

I was feeling kinda lazy and stupid so instead of taking apart of the entire cooler...I just nozzled some adhesive in there and used a long toothpick to work the glue into the chokes. The adhesive instructions say the excess can be wiped off with paper towels before it could dry , it was pretty easy to clean the messy bits, although some chokes do look at bit sloppy , thankfully the cooler hides the mess...

After a few hours of letting of it set...the coil whine was still there but a bit less noisy. However after almost a day of letting it cure, WOW! The noise is virtually gone! Before I could have heard the coil whine from across the room, now I have to put my ear right next to my GPU just to barely hear it.

So for this model of GPU, the operation was a success. I recommend others to try if you have noticeable coil whine issues.

Where exactly do we need to apply this adhesive? i'm ignorant about this. One of my cards has this problem.
Any chance to show it on PCB? happens in the photo.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Hello, I stumbled across your post while searching for ways to address coil whine on GPUs. My Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 6800 XT has some pretty nasty coil whine when I play anything at 120fps. It sounded kinda like this it was very annoying

I decided to try your super glue method, but the gorilla glue I had on hand was pretty thick so I didn't think it would work as well. I used a different bottle called RapidFuse Ultra Clear All-Purpose Adhesive. Its not supposed to go bad unless you put more than 100C on it compared to the gorilla glue specs.

I was feeling kinda lazy and stupid so instead of taking apart of the entire cooler...I just nozzled some adhesive in there and used a long toothpick to work the glue into the chokes. The adhesive instructions say the excess can be wiped off with paper towels before it could dry , it was pretty easy to clean the messy bits, although some chokes do look at bit sloppy , thankfully the cooler hides the mess...

After a few hours of letting of it set...the coil whine was still there but a bit less noisy. However after almost a day of letting it cure, WOW! The noise is virtually gone! Before I could have heard the coil whine from across the room, now I have to put my ear right next to my GPU just to barely hear it.

So for this model of GPU, the operation was a success. I recommend others to try if you have noticeable coil whine issues.

You're welcome. Glad it worked for you in that situation! This does highlight how the wicking action of the glue can work wonders.

BTW, Welcome to TPU!

Where exactly do we need to apply this adhesive? i'm ignorant about this. One of my cards has this problem.
Any chance to show it on PCB? happens in the photo.

In the first post of the thread, I took a photo showing where to apply the glue. You spread it around the edges of the choke-coil with enough to wick into the space between the choke and the PCB. Make sure you use the liquid super glue type. Gel type super glue wil not work as well(if at all).

 

[Lagoochu360]

Where exactly do we need to apply this adhesive? i'm ignorant about this. One of my cards has this problem.
Any chance to show it on PCB? happens in the photo.

Someone posted a photo some time back in this thread of a Sapphire 6900 XT Nitro. The PCB is basically the same as mines just without RGB. Ideally you would seal the highlighted components in that image back there, but what I did was listen by ear where the noise is most concentrated from and then gooped up the chokes that I could get access to without removing the cooler. You should probably remove the cooler to be more professional and accurate instead of being lazy like me

 

[lexluthermiester]

You should probably remove the cooler to be more professional and accurate instead of being lazy like me

This. I didn't want to criticize or seem to harsh, but the card really should be disassembled for best results. No worries though as you got the job done.

 

[Lagoochu360]

This. I didn't want to criticize or seem to harsh, but the card really should be disassembled for best results. No worries though as you got the job done.

I really wanted to dissemble it at first but I couldn't find my tiny screwdriver for the backplate. Was too lazy to pick up a new one at the local store after I just got the adhesive, after examining the card I realized that there were gaps in between the cooler exposing some of the chokes so I decided to YOLO it

It worked in the end though, thank you kindly.

 

[lightning70]

This. I didn't want to criticize or seem to harsh, but the card really should be disassembled for best results. No worries though as you got the job done.

Those red lines are coils, are we going to apply them to the spaces in between, sir?
I can remove the cooler no problem for me. I had previously removed and pasted many video card coolers for thermal paste replacement.

 

[Mussels]

Those red lines are coils, are we going to apply them to the spaces in between, sir?
I can remove the cooler no problem for me. I had previously removed and pasted many video card coolers for thermal paste replacement.

basically, yes.
Theres images in the first page showing what's inside those and why the glue helps contain the noise/reduce vibration



You want some glue on all four sides, not the top where the thermal pad contacts them

If you can narrow down where the whine comes from in advance, you might not need to apply it to all of them

 

[lexluthermiester]

Those red lines are coils, are we going to apply them to the spaces in between, sir?

IF those are the chokes making noise, then yes. However, don't just glue the ones that you've highlighted. Do them all.

If you can narrow down where the whine comes from in advance, you might not need to apply it to all of them

While that is generally good thinking, when some chokes whine, the others are likely to follow in time. I practice and advise sealing them all in a line of them like those just to avoid having to do the same job again later.

 

[Dj0ntist]

So I tried this method with my 4090 strix, without gluing the SAP coils, didn't really do anything. The non-SAP chokes didn't really have any gaps between the choke cap and the pcb, doubt that the glue even flowed in the coils. Guess I'll have to try gluing the SAP ones too. Tho they are already filled so it probs won't do anything either.

 

[lexluthermiester]

So I tried this method with my 4090 strix, without gluing the SAP coils, didn't really do anything. The non-SAP chokes didn't really have any gaps between the choke cap and the pcb, doubt that the glue even flowed in the coils. Guess I'll have to try gluing the SAP ones too. Tho they are already filled so it probs won't do anything either.

You're not trying to "fill" the coils, you're sealing the opening between the choke housing and PCB so that noise can't escape the choke housing.

BTW, welcome to TPU!

 

[dragontamer5788]

Hmm.

Trying to figure out the physics behind this. I've got two theories.

1. Piezoelectric effect -- Some materials bend / move when you apply electricity to them.

2. Electromagnetic effect -- Inductors create magnetic fields.

I'm thinking #2 is the issue. As the coil builds up EMF, the various metals in the case pull upon the inductor and the inductor physically moves. Then, 1/60th of a second later, the alternating-current electricity disappears, so the inductor moves back into its default place. Then 1/60th of a second later, the coil charges back up again, etc. etc. Creating a 60Hz tone / whine.

#1 has been known to be the case in some MLCC capacitors, crystals, and other things.

 

[Dj0ntist]

You're not trying to "fill" the coils, you're sealing the opening between the choke housing and PCB so that noise can't escape the choke housing.

BTW, welcome to TPU!

Well I certainly sealed any openings, the non- SAP chokes were very tight against the pcb already. But isn't the point of low viscosity glue that it goes IN the choke coil?

And thanks for the warm welcome :----)

 

[lexluthermiester]

This problem has already been analyzed. The choke coils themselves are physically vibrating and creating a resonance effect that generates sound at various frequencies. Most are so high pitched that they are inaudible to the human ear and most other mammals. However some drift down into the audible ranges.

the non- SAP chokes were very tight against the pcb already.

Perhaps, but unless they are sealed with an adhesive, there still exists a tiny gap sound can emanate from. It's important to seal that gap completely. Seal up all of your chokes and the problem should diminish if it doesn't go away entirely.

And thanks for the warm welcome :----)

You're Welcome.

 

[Mussels]

The cover can vibrate and hum on the PCB of the card, liquid that wicks inside can reduce the vibration while sealing the outside prevents the high pitched whine

both help

 

[athenaesword]

Hey there, Welcome to TPU!
First point, I would highly recommend you get in touch with ASUS about this as they are generally good about warrantying cards with noisy chokes. If you take the card apart and perform this kind of modification, they might claim the warranty is void. IF because of where you live in the world a warranty claim is not possible, then let's proceed, but please take extreme care.

The following photo is from that card's review by @W1zzard here at TPU.

ASUS GeForce RTX 4080 STRIX OC Review

The ASUS GeForce RTX 4080 STRIX OC is a masterpiece graphics card design. It looks fantastic and is built like a tank, thanks to thick metal used on both the main cooler shroud and the backplate. The card is also the highest-clocked in our reviews and comes with a super powerful VRM.

www.techpowerup.com

Make sure this is your card. If not, please take a photo of the card you have and upload it and I'll direct you on which parts are the choke coils.
View attachment 274614
Shown above are the main coils of concern. The SAP2 coils are designed to be fill through coils and are unlikely to be the source of the noise. However, if you find that they are, the only thing you can do it is to apply glue to the bottom of the choke as there might be a vibrations being generated from between the coil and the PCB. Makes sure to use enough to wick all the way through the spacing between the coil and the PCB.

IF those are the chokes making noise, then yes. However, don't just glue the ones that you've highlighted. Do them all.


While that is generally good thinking, when some chokes whine, the others are likely to follow in time. I practice and advise sealing them all in a line of them like those just to avoid having to do the same job again later.

hi there, thank you for this guide. i'm embarking on it in a week or so. just to confirm here though the ones that you've circled here on the 4080 ti look different to the straight rows boxed up by @lightning70 in his picture.
which ones are we suppsoed to do? i have a ASUS TUF 4090 currently with an EK waterblock which i need to remove to do this.

 

[lexluthermiester]

hi there, thank you for this guide.

You're Welcome!

i'm embarking on it in a week or so. just to confirm here though the ones that you've circled here on the 4080 ti look different to the straight rows boxed up by @lightning70 in his picture.
which ones are we suppsoed to do? i have a ASUS TUF 4090 currently with an EK waterblock which i need to remove to do this.

Using a photo of that PCB(courtesy of W1zzards review), The chokes shown circled in Red are the most likely culprits. However, the SAP chokes(circled in Yellow) could also be the source(s) of noise. You can do them all at once if you don't want to chance a second job, or you can do the Reds first and then Yellows later if you still have noise. It's up to you.

 

[GraveUypo]

I've been coming back to this topic ever since i bought my rx6900xt that has nasty coil whine. I still haven't worked up the will and courage to do this, but i'm almost there.
Today i found something that i think works like a large-scale demonstration of why this works.

look at that. not exactly the same, but similar, and gluing it made what seemed like a 80db noise all but go away. i need to do this already, lol. been postponing it for over a month

 

[Dj0ntist]

So I tried gluing also the SAP caps from my 4090 strix, still didn't really do anything. Don't know what I could've done wrong, maybe the glue was too watery, prolly not possible tho. Or maybe I'm just noticing it more since its water cooled now lol. Oh well, maybe the 5090 will be quieter.