High Pitch Noise Eminating from PSU

U

U53r

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 5, 2013
Messages
128
Hey Guys,

So I just bought a new headset whichs connects via USB and noticed this high pitch hum and pulsating sounds coming through it, upon further investigation I realized my PSU was making the same sound (which I now cant stop hearing lol)

I'm not sure if this has been happening for a while and I just dismissed it as fan noise so it didnt really register with me or if its just a coincidence that its starting now when I just got the headset but come to think of it the computer has always had a bit of a high pitch sound.

The problem is I'm not sure whats causing it, is the PUS on its way out? or is this just the way it is? or does my house wiring have some sort of harmonic distortion thats causing the psu to sound like this?

My options, so far, to either buy a new psu or a power conditioner, both cost about the same so I wanna be sure so I'm not throwing money out the window but I dont know how to rule out one o the other.

Any thoughts?
 
PSU: OCZ Fatal1ty 750w
Mobo: MSI 790FX-GD70
CPU: AMD 1100T HSF: NZXT Havik 140
Memory: Dont remember the exact model, Kingston Platinum I think
HDDs: 2x 500gb WD blacks
GFX: MSI GTX 660ti and 9800GTX+ physx co
Optical drive: LG something or another
Case: Corsair Carbide
KB/Mouse: Razer Black Widow/Corsair M60
Monitor: is an LG TV till my NEC shows up
 
U53r said:
any solutions?
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Coil whine is pretty likely, and no end-user solutions. Manufacturer solutions would be to use a thicker gauge coil with more mass that does not resonate, or to enclose their coils in epoxy (not always a good solution though because it changes the thermal dissipation properties and may cause issues in some cases if the coil wasn't specifically designed into the circuit as being epoxy-encapsulated).
 
Sometimes coil whine only manifests at certain loads, so sometimes you can add or delete some load from your system and it will quit...not much of a solution.

It is an electromechanical phenomenon, I have heard of folks managing to dampen the coils enough with hot glue, but not often.

Sadly, if it is bad enough to bug you it probably means an RMA or a new PSU.
 
hmm, so you're saying I'm stuck with this headache inducing noise? lol now that I hear it I cant seem to un-hear it, I can hear it from the other room even.

To atleast get rid of the sound in my headset do you think connecting the headset via a powered USB hub would isolate it from the psu whine?

Also, can you recommend any decent psu's around or under the $100 mark that dont suffer from this issue?
 
jojo69 said:
Sometimes coil whine only manifests at certain loads, so sometimes you can add or delete some load from your system and it will quit...not much of a solution.

It is an electromechanical phenomenon, I have heard of folks managing to dampen the coils enough with hot glue, but not often.

Sadly, if it is bad enough to bug you it probably means an RMA or a new PSU.
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Actually I did notice that when I run a game it lessens or even stops all toggether, must be the extra load from the graphics cards, starting to look like I'm in the market for a new psu lol
 
On the upside, apart from the noise that PSU is probably fine and may not whine in another system.
 
I havent noticed any instability or anything so I dont think its malfunctioning but the noise is really annoying, especially through the headset. Do you think connecting the headset through a powered USB hub would isolate it from the whine?

Also, do you know of any good PSU's around th$100 mark that may not suffer from this problem? Probably need something in the 700w range.
 
try DanniBui on the general hardware subforum for current hardware recommendations, hard to say on the isolation, depends where it is getting in, could be right at your audio hardware frontend in which case there is no help for it, could be a couple ferrites on your headset lead clear it right up.
 
Eh, coil whine shouldn't pass to the headset. I'd be more willing to think something failed and is now putting noise on the rails.

It's a mediocre Sirfa unit. I'd replace it regardless, especially since the OCP doesn't work.
 
Well I have a feeling its from the 5v usb power, the sound mimics whats comming from the PSU exactly down to every pulse, its a USB headset so its got its own adio card built in and doesnt use the one thats in the system. It does have a ferrite core on the cable as well.
 
Jorona said:
Eh, coil whine shouldn't pass to the headset. I'd be more willing to think something failed and is now putting noise on the rails.

It's a mediocre Sirfa unit. I'd replace it regardless, especially since the OCP doesn't work.
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Can you reccomend a replacement that won't break the bank?
 
U53r said:
Can you reccomend a replacement that won't break the bank?
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Based on your components, I'd put your peak load right around 600w. To give yourself a little head room, I'd go for a 700-750w unit. The Rosewill Capstone 750w is a great Super Flower based unit that has scored really well in all metrics and has great efficiency (Gold rated). The Seasonic X-750 is also a great gold rated unit. There's also a 35 dollar off code at newegg right now on the X750, making it tough to beat for price to performance. Seasonic does have higher then normal complaints about coil whine, so you might run into a similar issue with it though.

If you wanna save a little scratch, The Corsair CX-750 is also a great supply, but you sacrifice efficiency for that price point. It also only has 6 pin PCI-E connectors, I'm not sure if either of your video cards require an 8 pin.

XFX Pro 750 (Seasonic Based), Corsair TX750, Corsair HX750, Corsair AX750 (Seasonic Based), Antec HCP-750, Rosewill Fortress 750, NZXT Hale82 (but not the Hale82-N), NZXT Hale90 v1 750w (Haven't seen anything about V2 yet, but it seems to be based on a less robust platform, so I'd be leary of it til it's reviewed), Seasonic S12II 750, Seasonic M12II 750, Kingwin LZP-750, Rosewill Tachyon 750, etc etc etc. These are all solid choices. That 600-800w range has probably the most variety of quality units available.
 
I doubt his system will ever top around 425W load (and that estimate might be a little on the high side, if anything). A 600W PSU would be fine, 100% positive about that. The Rosewill Capstone is what I use, and when it goes on sale (like 20% off Rosewill PSUs) the deal is unbeatable. That series is made by Super Flower, which is quite a good OEM. Only problem with it is lack of MOVs, but if you use a quality surge protector and don't plug your computer into the same outlet as something with a motor (mini fridge, blow dryer, heat gun, etc.) then it doesn't even slightly matter.
 
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Thanks for the great suggestions Jorona, the headset I just bout is actually the Rosewill RHTS-8206 and I gotta say I am really impressed with the quality for the price, the bang for the buck is exceptional so I'm inclined to give em a shot with the PSU as well.

Now there are 2 Capstone 750's, the 750 and 750-M with only $15 seperating them right now, which is the better?
 
dandragonrage said:
I doubt his system will ever top around 425W load (and that estimate might be a little on the high side, if anything). A 600W PSU would be fine, 100% positive about that.
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Well I do have my CPU OC'd to 4ghz and with both cards running on a physx heavy game Id rather be safe then sorry lol
 
U53r said:
Now there are 2 Capstone 750's, the 750 and 750-M with only $15 seperating them right now, which is the better?
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M is modular. It's up to you. I prefer non-modular because it's way more convenient for me to just bend the unused cables out of the way and shove them into some corner of my case than it is for me to actually have to store them separately. Also there's an extra connection on the modular PSUs which will add just a little bit of resistance and lower efficiency... by like 0.001%, lol.

You will DEFINITELY be fine with a 600W/650W PSU, but if you want another 750W, I guess that's fine.
 
dandragonrage said:
I doubt his system will ever top around 425W load (and that estimate might be a little on the high side, if anything). A 600W PSU would be fine, 100% positive about that. The Rosewill Capstone is what I use, and when it goes on sale (like 20% off Rosewill PSUs) the deal is unbeatable. That series is made by Super Flower, which is quite a good OEM. Only problem with it is lack of MOVs, but if you use a quality surge protector and don't plug your computer into the same outlet as something with a motor (mini fridge, blow dryer, heat gun, etc.) then it doesn't even slightly matter.
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An OC'd 1100T can pull down nearly 300w on its own. His 660Ti is 175, and his 9800GTX is around 160. I'd say my 600w peak load (Folding or Furmark+P95) was abit conservative frankly.
 
Ahh Ok, I tend to like modular because I dont like having to deal with unused wires in the case and I have a couple large drawrs of computer parts and cables well suited to be the new home of any spare cables lol

Doing the math, peak consumption for cpu + both cards will be about 520, then add HDD's, fans, audio, usb devices, optical drive and other mobo components I honestly think a 600w would be pushing it and would be getting really taxed at full load.

Besides, the price difference between a 650 and a 650 is ~$10.
 
dandragonrage said:
You are both doing ridiculous calculations that are nowhere near true, but hey, up to you.
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Mine are based off of power consumption figures at full load, cross reference from several reviews so unless they are all lieing...
 
U53r said:
Mine are based off of power consumption figures at full load, cross reference from several reviews so unless they are all lieing...
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Reviews that say your chip OCed to 4GHz will pull about 300W max entire SYSTEM, WITH a decent video card? Because those are what I've seen. What reviews are you looking at that claim your CPU alone will pull 300W? You are NOT going to be able to OC that chip such that it dissipates like 250% of stock power, man.
 
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dandragonrage said:
You are both doing ridiculous calculations that are nowhere near true, but hey, up to you.
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Do I need to quote sources for you? Just do alittle googling and I'm sure you'll find my math is sound. Give or take 20w

I recommend a lot of PSUs in this forum. The way I do it is take peak load number for the CPU and GPUs and then add 10%. That covers headroom and other system components. He has an OCed 1100T, which I know at 4.2ghz pulls nearly 300w. (Source: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2010/12/07/amd-phenom-ii-x6-1100t-review/7 ) The GTX 660Ti pulls 165w (Source: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_660_Ti_Power_Edition/26.html ). The 9800GTX pulls 156w ( Source: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-9800gtx-review,1800-12.html )

I feel my suggestions are sound. I do agree that a 650w unit would likely be just fine, but I like to recommend that 10% overhead. It's just a safeguard.
 
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dandragonrage said:
Reviews that say your chip OCed to 4GHz will pull about 300W max WITH a decent video card? Because those are what I've seen. What reviews are you looking at that claim your CPU alone will pull 300W? You are NOT going to be able to OC that chip such that it dissipates like 250% of stock power, man.
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I dunno about the CPU, the figures Ive seen on my CPU OC'd to 4gz are about 150w, 66ti stock 135, mines OC'd, 9800gtx+ is a bit of a beast a 235w, and thoes are all average number they could very well spike higher, then add in everything else and you arrive at right around 600w.
 
U53r said:
9800gtx+ is a bit of a beast a 235w
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No, just no. Why are you making up numbers? 9800GTX (slightly - like 10% - more for the +) has a TDP of 160w, and it's not going to hit even that doing just PhysX. You're looking at about 325W load for the system minus the 9800GTX+, plus 160W tops for it (but generally less), and less usually. And honestly you should probably just dump the 9800 anyway. It's pretty old. People on this site love to gain e-peen by shoving as many components as possible into a system, but it's often just ridiculous. Yeah, I could fit a bunch of my old hardware into my system too, but why? Anyway, even if you don't dump it, your and Jorona's numbers are still high. But hey, whatever...
 
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dandragonrage said:
No, just no. Why are you making up numbers? 9800GTX (slightly - like 10% - more for the +) has a TDP of 160w, and it's not going to hit even that doing just PhysX. You're looking at about 325W load for the system minus the 9800GTX+, plus 160W tops for it (but generally less), and less usually. And honestly you should probably just dump the 9800 anyway. It's pretty old. People on this site love to gain e-peen by shoving as many components as possible into a system, but it's often just ridiculous. Yeah, I could fit a bunch of my old hardware into my system too, but why? Anyway, even if you don't dump it, your and Jorona's numbers are still high. But hey, whatever...
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TDP is a measure of thermal dissipation not power consumption.

I use the 9800 as a physx co processor, they have quite good cuda/floating pojnt performance so its nice to have in physx games and to use for rendering when I do 3d work.
 
Yeah, and almost all power (>90%) dissipated gets turned into thermal power. They're close enough to the same thing. And I DID look up some reviews for that CPU and did not see anywhere NEAR 300W power draw from it, but rather just over 300W system load WITH a decent video card.

You do 3d work and use the 9800 and not the 660?
 
How are my numbers high? I've now referenced where I got them, and how I came to my recommendation. Where's your proof?

Also, The 9800GTX+ would use less wattage as its a smaller node (55nm vs 65nm).

Regardless, what it comes down to is he has a 600w unit at full 100% all go load. End of story.
 
Jorona: Didn't notice you edited it. Your link for the CPU shows 360W system load with a 5870, very close to what I said, and FAR from your claim of 300W CPU only. My bad on the 9800GTX+, it's so old that I forgot about the process node difference.

Does it matter if he buys a 750W? No. It's just a discussion.
 
I dont get the problem here anyways, the price difference between a 650 and a 750 is all of about $10, so why would I even consider the 650? Not only will it be taxed more under load but it limits my future upgrade-ability so why is it even a consideration?

Oh and to answer your question, you can render over more then 1 card at a time.
 
dandragonrage said:
Jorona: Didn't notice you edited it. Your link for the CPU shows 360W system load with a 5870, very close to what I said, and FAR from your claim of 300W CPU only. My bad on the 9800GTX+, it's so old that I forgot about the process node difference.

Does it matter if he buys a 750W? No. It's just a discussion.
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You're right, It does show system load, but the GPU is unloaded. meaning it should be at around its 20w Idle consumption (Source: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ATI/Radeon_HD_5870/28.html ) take another 50-70w for mobo and you end up around 270-290w, thus my "nearly 300w" assessment.

Granted, that's a higher OC then he has, but it's is a good point of reference.

U53r said:
I dont get the problem here anyways, the price difference between a 650 and a 750 is all of about $10, so why would I even consider the 650? Not only will it be taxed more under load but it limits my future upgrade-ability so why is it even a consideration?

Oh and to answer your question, you can render over more then 1 card at a time.
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You're right, it's not a huge difference. It is money thrown out the window though for no good apparent reason, though. I hate wasting money, and I assume others do too.
 
Seasonic X-750 for $90 is one of the best bang/buck power supplies you can get. Currently available at Newegg.
 
Tsumi said:
Seasonic X-750 for $90 is one of the best bang/buck power supplies you can get. Currently available at Newegg.
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I'd agree if his problem wasn't a high pitched noise issue. Seasonics seem to have higher then average complaints about coil whine. I'm gonna stick with the Capstone suggestion.
 
Tsumi said:
Seasonic X-750 for $90 is one of the best bang/buck power supplies you can get. Currently available at Newegg.
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That is a good price, though the Seasonic X series has whine issues with SOME setups, unless they have modified them to fix it.

The Capstone is on part quality-wise with the Seasonics other than the lack of MOVs, which as I mentioned as long as you use a quality surge protector (you should do so anyway) and don't plug motors into the same outlet/strip (you shouldn't do that anyway) then it makes essentially no difference. For some average person who knows nothing of MOVs and of proper surge protection and is likely to plug their PC straight into the wall, or into some $3.99 "surge" protector they bought in 1992, it WOULD potentially make a difference. But otherwise it's fine.

I would still buy a Capstone over a Seasonic if the price were better on the Capstone, which it typically is. I have the 650W and I think I paid $70 for it. So $20 difference from that X-750 for 100W less, so the difference still isn't that big. That is a relatively good price for the Seasonic though. Usually the Capstone would murder the Seasonic in price and value.
 
Well buying a PSU that I might neeed to upgrade if I get some high end gfx cards in here down the road would be a waste too. Besides, am I wrong in assuming that the higher the rating the heavier duty the components have to be and therefore the longer its lifespan will be?
 
U53r said:
Well buying a PSU that I might neeed to upgrade if I get some high end gfx cards in here down the road would be a waste too. Besides, am I wrong in assuming that the higher the rating the heavier duty the components have to be and therefore the longer its lifespan will be?
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Frankly, yes, you are wrong. Shitty PSUs come in all shapes and sizes.

If you're looking to future proof against bigger badder video cards, then get the Lepa 1600w PSU. Biggest thing you can buy right now, and a damn good supply at that.
 
U53r said:
Well buying a PSU that I might neeed to upgrade if I get some high end gfx cards in here down the road would be a waste too. Besides, am I wrong in assuming that the higher the rating the heavier duty the components have to be and therefore the longer its lifespan will be?
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What did you have in mind? Dual 670? Dual 680? Second 660? Frankly if you want to go bigger and better then yes buy more, but tell us what we're looking at and we can give you the best recommendation.

Here's a pro/con vs buying an oversized (well, let's say fairly significantly oversized like at least 20%)
+slightly higher efficiency at moderate to high loads because you will be more in the middle of the larger PSU range where it's more efficient
+the bigger you go, the more you can add
-Lower efficiency at idle, because power supplies go quite down in efficiency as they near very low and very high loads.
-cost
-some bigger PSUs are likely to have fan profiles that spin the fans more, or fans that are just louder in general (because they are meant to blow more air at full voltage and don't seem to work as well at slowing down and quieting down quite enough). Though the really good ones shouldn't have this issue.

About the efficiency comments, you can check the 80plus charts for specifics if it interests you. The larger PSU will probably have your system idling at under 20% as compared to say 25% or 30%. The difference in efficiency could be maybe 1% or so I'd say (check the charts for a specific PSU if it interests you), not that big a deal.

Other than that, no differences really. Quality is not determined by unit size. If you're hitting like 95%+ of the power of your PSU constantly, on a good PSU, it may have a lower lifespan than say 85%-90% but should be okay if it's a good enough PSU. A low quality PSU could explode or shut down just from trying 90-95% of the rated power.
 
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