GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 2060 OC REV1. - need some advice

[RTXOwner]

So I need some advice, using the Aorus engine software even on defaults leads to loud and almost continuous coil whine while gaming and since I updated yesterday to the last version (1.6) my comp started to freeze so I said goodbye to the p o s software.
My case has 3 intakes, open top and one outake in the back, as you can see cpu (Ryzen 7 2700x) is fine on idle, with firefox open only .
Since I dropped the Aorus engine software it still has coil whine occasionally but I suspect it is only when it goes over 74-75 degrees Celsius (theory proved by the Ac Odyssey test).
Stats for the graphic board:


Now here are some stats attached first is comp on idle only firefox is open, at the forums and because the software can't stay on top in full screen in Anno, second is a capture with the max values reached in 2 hours of Anno 1800 at 1080p
most of the stuff on ultra except for the shadows, I tried to reduce the load a bit:

and the hardest one in AC Odyssey on ultra at 1080p after 30-40 min of just running around on horseback or on foot, coil whine starts and doesn't stop, it is when the card starts sitting at around 74-75 degrees constantly, the fan curve doesn't adjust enough so basically the card is heating up slowly, but surely. Probably a combination of load and heat for the coil whine?
As I said I tried the latest version of Aorus Engine to adjust the fans but it only seems to make it worse, the coil whine can start even at 2 min ingame also computer started to freeze up from time to time. So all of these captures are without Aorus Engine software installed.

So my questions are:
1.Does this look right to you?
2.Should I return the card? (still in warranty haven't touched it yet, ordered online so probably I would be a week at least with no computer, and no guaranty they will give me something else)
3.Would I be better off buying an Accelero Xtreme IV kit, if it is cooled off it should not make a coil whine anymore? performance is fine the coil whine is what is bothering me the most.

 

[eidairaman1]

Return the card for a different brand if possible, GA cards are bottom bin

 

[robot zombie]

Wow, those fans are really going! Holy crap!

Are you capping your frame rate? Vsync enabled? IME whine is more load dependent than anything. I ask because generally if theres going to be whine its usually most noticable at peak usage with frame rate uncapped. Often simply enabling vsync will fix it.

My card is actually like that. If I let it go wide open and it starts crossing 150 fps it will whine.

Maybe temperature is just conicidental. Not sure... it could be related but looking at the performance of that cooler it doesn't look like there's much you can do anyway.

Personally I wouldn't bother messing with it if I could return it. It's a week of no computer vs however long you have the whiny card for. It may go away over time... or it may get worse. There's really only so much you can do. Some cards are just like that. If the whine is too much for you now, its probably best to cut your losses.

 

[vega22]

Load causes whine, not heat. Load causes heat too which is why you might think the 2 are related.

Send it back but nothing says you won't get another with whine

 

[Chomiq]

Someone should make a sticky about this card so that another person avoids getting a lemon. Same model was discussed before in a different thread, only back then it was due to poor thermal performance of the cooler/fan, the guy sent it back to the store, it went to Gigabyte - they've said it's within the spec. You might try to return it but you can be 100% sure that they won't send you back the card saying there's nothing wrong with it.

As mentioned above, what fps are you getting, what's the refresh rate of your monitor and are you using vsync?

 

[Vayra86]

Coil whine is a hard nut to crack, but IMO a tiny bit of whine is pretty normal at high FPS. And even then it should be a very distant whine. If you can hear it easily and even through fan noise, thats too much.

I'd say count your blessings. At least you have working fans and not-shit temperatures with this GB card.

 

[ppn]

The fan speed is very annoying in idle or low load. I see it on this card too. That alone merits punishment. They should fix the problem.

 

[RTXOwner]

Thanks for your advice. I don't do overclocking usually so I don't have tools for the frame rate.
The coil whine is way louder than the fans in A Creed.
I have vsync on because I still have the old monitor it can only take 60 hz (I had tearing in Odyssey) and I am trying to find a good deal for an 1080p great monitor still.
In Odyssey it was capped at 60 frames because of the monitor. But I have Anthem also which is less demanding, it takes longer but it still gets the same loud whine over there too.
So yes the card shouldn't heat that much on 1080p. RTX 2060 it is advertised as one of the best budget cards for 1440p by many gaming sites so it should behave better on 1080p.
I will try to return the card, I think I have a better shot if I go by myself to turn it in instead of shipping it, 20 bucks the ticket there, one day wasted, but I think it is worth the trip.
LOl as I was writing this I had AC odyssey open in the menu but not minimized, coil started in 5 minutes, it is lower now because I don't play the game but still a bit louder than the fans .

For those interested I will post the results of my card seller encounter.

 

[RTXOwner]

Ok so before leaving with the card to warranty I did one test with case open in Odyssey, even though under 60 degrees for a CPU under load I think is more than fine with closed case, it seems this graphic card was made counting on extra cooling from the cpu cooler. As soon as I opened the case CPU temp dropped around 10-12 degrees, and card temp about 7-8, that is with about 20 degrees in the room at the floor level.
I simply don't want to buy a noisier cooler even though it might be helping the card so at this point I won't try to return it I am not sure I can exchange it, I will just have to use it with open case I guess to avoid getting the coil whine. Also even though it was said before coil is dependent on load, for me it always starts at 74-75 degrees ( on fairly different loads) and gets louder and continuous with the increase of the temp.

Final comments, yeah I know it started as a question it turned into a small review:
I still think the
GeForce RTX™ 2060 OC 6G
(rev. 1.0)
has heating issues. More likely a bad fan curve config in her bios, it is counting too much on the cpu cooler also.
At 80% fan speed (it is logical they are 9 cm fans) it is way louder than my Noctua 12 cm fans (1300 RPM) which I use at max all the time CPU temps were under 60, I had 65 spikes but only after hours of playing which is fine for silent fans.
The Gigabyte Software (v1.6) that comes with the card seemed to ignore my fan curve inputs and started to freeze up freezing up my comp in the process.
Wouldn't recommend the card if you like performance mixed with less noise like I do.
Don't know about the rev 2 for this one, though.
After watching countless reviews for RTX 2060 - the 3 fan variants seem to have better cooling and to be less noisy.

Feel free to add your own opinions below.

 

[biffzinker]

If it was me I'd return the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 OC REV1 for the MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING Z 6G. I've had no coil whine happen with this card, and the GPU boosts as high as it can, temperatures are always low, and when the temperature does go up the fan noise is whisper quiet. It occupies three slots though so not sure if that might be a problem.

Edit: The only issue I've ran into is removing the card from the primary PCIe slot. The plastic latch on this MSI B350 mobo is difficult to get pushed down when the card is installed, and the plastic latch doesn't want to let go of the card.

 

[moproblems99]

Feel free to add your own opinions below.

1. Skip Gigabyte
2. If not 1, buy one of their better lines
3. Fix cooling in your system

Coil whine for me is almost always caused by high frame rates which can be independent of load (not really) and heat. That said, I wouldn't expect that to be the problem with AC:Odyssey because the 2060 isn't exactly a powerhouse and AC:Odyssey is pretty demanding. The Gigabyte card likely just has shit components that don't play nice in the sandbox when they get hot. That coil whine is their little temper tantrum. A cpu cooler isn't going to help you either because that air isn't going to make it to the inlet of your GPU. You should be able to modify the fan curve in Afterburner (never had trouble with any brand) but your specific card may not allow. If you can't do it with Afterburner, do you have an option for a fan on your side panel? Just getting some more fresh air to the GPU seems to be all you need to keep the temps down and you could put your side panel back on.

 

[RTXOwner]

...Fix cooling in your system..

I meant a louder cooler would keep the overall temp in case lower, but indeed would be not very efficient regarding the card.
Thanks, those things you suggested are good ideas I will try them, for the second I'll have to modify the panel (tempered glass) with the right tools and add a fan there there or just replace the panel with an aluminum one. I am not a "fan" of the open case you can hear the card fans have their own high pitch whine at high speeds which you can't hear if it is closed.

 

[moproblems99]

I meant a louder cooler would keep the overall temp in case lower

Generally, I disagree. More/better airflow will keep your case cooler. A cpu cooler isn't really going to help there (enough anyway).

 

[RTXOwner]

If it was me I'd return the Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 OC REV1 for the MSI GeForce RTX 2060 GAMING Z 6G.

I am not sure, if they will change it for me and it is ordered online, if they have better cooling and airflow on their test system the seller will deny the replacement.
It is mostly my fault, I wanted the card in January and I got it when there weren't too many reviews around, but situation can still be salvaged by improving the airflow in my case.

Ok guys last post, could you check this video with the same sound as my card does, mine does the same thing but mine you can hear it thru the case walls.
Is this what is called a whine or is it just the fans vibrating and rubbing against the card at high speeds.
If it is the latter I can change the card .
So I tried MSI burner it improved the temp but the whine (noise) started now at over 2600 RPM for the card fans and 72 degrees so in the end it might be just faulty fans?
Video title: Coil Whine RTX 2060 Gygabite Windforce

 

[MrGenius]

That's not coil whine. I don't know what is. But it ain't that.

 

[robot zombie]

I've heard a couple of cards make that exact noise right when the fans first start up. Never continuously, though.

It sounds ALMOST like coil whine, but I kinda agree with MrGenius, there. That doesn't sound quite like any coil whine I've ever heard, either. Sounds like fan rattle.

 

[biffzinker]

Does the noise stop if the fans aren't moving? Doesn't sound like cool whine.

 

[RTXOwner]

Yes the noise stops in 2 or 3 secs if I alt tab to desktop and the card goes in idle.
I only called my post coil whine because I saw this video first and I forgot to add it when I started the first comment. I assumed the guy knew w t f he was talking about .
Me personally never had coil whine before in about 5 video cards over the course of my life ( now I know how it sounds I looked at 10 vids with real coil whine this evening )
It seems to me the problem with the heating is that the card is boosting by itself at 1950 Mhz instead of 1755 as it is on its Gigabyte product page, hence the fans are not adjusting.
But still doesn't explain why after a random time between 5 min and one hour (while gaming) that annoying sound starts and doesn't stop until I make it go on idle and believe me it sounds like someone mashing a soda aluminum pet next to you continuously. Must be related to fan speeds.

 

[biffzinker]

Yes the noise stops in 2 or 3 secs if I alt tab to desktop and the card goes in idle.

What I was getting at is if you stop the fans with your hand or something else does the noise stop? Careful with your fingers.

Could be one of the fans is off balance or has a wobble when spinning. I've had it happen with a stock CPU cooler fan before.

 

[robot zombie]

Does the noise stop if the fans aren't moving? Doesn't sound like cool whine.

Easy enough to test. Run it up to the point where it starts clicking and then turn the fan curves down in afterburner, let it wind down, and repeat until you find the turning point.

Really, you don't even have to push it. You can set it to run at the suspect RPM range at near idle temperatures and 'wake' it up with anything that puts even the lightest load on it. Just a short valley and then a flat plateau at the desired speed. Bring it down as you go along until the sound stops manifesting. I dunno, you'll have to play around with it. Even better if the fans turn off below a certain point. You can have them ramp up immediately upon any load, saving time and stress on your components having to heat it up and cool it down over and over again by having them kick-up at a low temperature. This way, if it is indeed the fans, you can even produce the result quickly/reliably with the case open.

I don't know what the max RPMs on those particular fans are, but 2600 is generally getting pretty up there. Most will do... what, 3000? It might just be that your case flow situation is putting the fans in that card to work they aren't fully cut out for. The closer you get to max spec of really any part, the more likely minor flaws are to show. In a good part, they never will, but if they are going to, it'll be there, even though a large percentage of the lemons out there will never have a chance to manifest those flaws.

I guess 2600 RPM is gonna be noisy, no matter what you do. But still... if that's the sound they're making now I'd be wondering how they'll hold up in the long run. Things like that typically only stay the same, at best. The way it starts once the fans get to work and doesn't stop until they do makes it sound like something gets stuck at a certain RPM and doesn't 'fall out' until it winds down. I wonder what kind of fans they're using. Maybe not the best ones for a horizontal orientation?

At any rate, you can play around with lowering core clock and power limit in step with your curve to try and keep it from hitting the range where your fans hit that nasty speed, should that indeed be the issue. Otherwise, you're looking at either upping your case cooling or replacing the card with one that has better cooling efficiency or quieter fans. I would side with the latter - anything else is sidestepping a major quality issue. I feel like this goes beyond normal fan noise and should be considered a reasonable cause for a refund or exchange. That's not exactly normal fan noise. Quality of life on a budget card is one thing - those compromises come with the territory. Risk for premature failure under specified operating conditions is another. It seems like your fans are showing signs of that. Not many people would trust them to hold-up long term, and reasonably so.

Personally, I wouldn't go with the same card if I went that route. Even if the new card doesn't have the same problem, it'd still be the same cheap fans... just asking for trouble there.

Just wanted to chime in on the CPU cooler upgrade idea. It probably won't make a difference since the same amount of heat is ultimately coming off of the CPU/cooler anyway. A better cooler just means better operating temperatures, not less total heat energy. Just because you see lower core temps doesn't mean it's generating any less heat. Ultimately, when everything saturates the case temp will be about the same no matter what cooler you use. If anything, a better CPU cooler would simply mean more heat in the air of the choked-out case and less on the CPU IHS and cooler heatsink... until an equilibrium is struck, anyway. Now... a combination of efficient CPU/GPU coolers and case flow that keeps up will lead to even better cooling efficiency all around, but when one side of that equation is off-balance, there's no avoiding correcting it. In your case, the hard limit is on how much hot air can exit the case in a given timeframe. Beyond improving that, cooling performance of the parts inside likely will not change significantly. Gotta bring that saturation point down.

What IS your case setup like, anyway? I know it's not a top-tier cooler, but to hit those temps at that wattage is not the greatest. The gap between that and what I personally have seen with some of the better and even middle-road 2060's is huge. Like, almost 1000 rpm and 10C huge. It might be best to try to improve case temps no matter what you do. Still side-stepping the main issue IMO - the fans should handle it and the card isn't throttling. But you'd certainly be less likely to have problems like this with a case setup that didn't make your GPU fans have to work so much harder to move enough heat away from the GPU.

That said, it sucks to have to trim your card's performance down and futz with the case setup just to keep it from hollering at you. Again, loud fans are one thing. Even a good card will often be loud in a sub-optimal case setup, but still...

 

[RTXOwner]

It is definitely the card fans, the noise is coming from there. I have a sensitive ear to sounds like that, it is coming from both of them.
At over 2000 rpm noise is there but discrete, over 2500-2600 the louder annoying one starts which I can hear thru the headset.
@robot zombie
It is a mid tower so maybe that's one of the issues:
my case airflow setup is front to back 3 fans in, noctua fans (compatible with my 2700x cpu) in push pull config oriented front to back also , one outtake in the back
I also have an open ceiling but It would be tough to fit another outtake fan over there unless I put it outside the case which would be weird,
power source is on the bottom has it's own openings separate from the rest of the case, so the airflow is quite at max.
I could add more powerful fans for the CPU but they are enough for the CPU even with 4-8 hours a day gaming (strategy takes more CPU power, than shooters).

I think the heating problems were because it was overclocking itself by default at 1950, base clock is 1755.

I am actually considering to get an accelero extreme IV rev2 kit, now that I am fairly certain it's the fans, it would cost me about the same to upgrade to a new RTX 2060 - 3 fan version,
and I can use the card daily until I can make the upgrade because I kinda need the comp daily. I lose the warranty I know.

But thanks to everybody for the inputs in the end I got my answers.

It isn't coil whine, faulty fans are making that noise , and my case airflow could use some tweaking .

 

[biffzinker]

I think the heating problems were because it was overclocking itself by default at 1950, base clock is 1755.

Nothing wrong with the GPU's clockspeed boosting to 1,950 MHz. My 2060 boosts to 2,100 MHz then starts to settle at 2,070 MHz. I've seen the clockspeed drop to 1965 MHz during heavy compute work loads due to bumping into the TDP limit.

Base clock speed for mine is 1,365 MHz

 

[RTXOwner]

So I am still tweaking it to see its limits.
At 1755 Mhz and over 2600 rpm fans it doesn't make the noise (well its a bit loud though but normal for fans that speed)
as soon as I allow it to go at 1950 Mhz and the fans are over 2500-2600 RPM that clicking screeching noise starts and doesn't stop until I go idle by alt tabbing to desktop,
I think I will just tone it down to 1755 and get support on the phone and see what they say about it.
@biffzinker seems you made the better purchase.

 

[biffzinker]

@biffzinker seems you made the better purchase.

TPU's review also help influence my choice of RTX 2060.

MSI GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6 GB Review

MSI's GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Z is the best RTX 2060 custom-design we've reviewed so far. It comes with idle-fan-stop and a large triple-slot cooler that runs cooler than the Founders Edition. Noise levels are excellent, too; it's the quietest RTX 2060 card to date.

www.techpowerup.com

 

[RTXOwner]

I am reviving this thread as an testimony after years of service regarding that card xD maybe it helps someone.
The fans were faulty as far as I could tell and for sure they would have broken soon but no way to return the card so I ended up putting myself an after market cooling system on it (Ice something forgot the name though I remember it was 100 bucks at the time) I did require to modify the grill(cut some of it 7%) and new holes for the base plate (it wasn't for my exact version of RTX) but the card has been serving me faithfully since then with daily gaming usage but I did restrict the card at 70deg C though using the afterburner software just to be safe. 1080p gaming was the main task for the card all this time. Still noisy but not gonna burn xD.