This unpleasant little whistle has a name: coil whine. This electromagnetic phenomenon is not recent. Typically, the processor is the source, but it can also come from the graphics card or other components of your computer. The phenomenon is quite widespread and is fairly well known to the general public, yet there does not seem to be any improvement among manufacturers.
In reality, the noise is not that loud, especially if you use your computer with headphones or earphones. However, for those who have purchased a configuration that is supposed to be silent, with semi-passive radiators, that is to say radiators that only turn on when your equipment heats up to cool it, coil whine can completely ruin your investment. !
In this article we will explain where this noise comes from and see if there are any solutions.
Here is an explanatory video on Coil Whine :
Why is Coil Whine heard?
So that the explanation is understood by everyone, popularization is required, my apologies for people who know the field very well. In your graphics cards and your processors, two elements are to blame: the coil and the capacitor.
Concretely, for the coil, when the current passes through the copper wire, micro-vibrations can be created. This is what gives rise to the auditory phenomenon. For the capacitor, imagine sheets of very rigid metal, close together and very small. When the current passes, they will also start to vibrate, which will also cause unpleasant noise. It is therefore these vibrations which will create the sound.
What you need to understand is that this phenomenon happens all the time! However, most of the time, the noises are outside the frequencies perceptible to our ears. The higher the current voltage (so in case of heavy use, for example when playing video games), the closer the noise will be to what you can hear, and the more perceptible it will be.
You might think that this noise is damaging your components, your coil or your capacitor? This is not the case, the noise is certainly annoying, but it has no influence on the stability of your components.
Is it possible to prevent Coil whine?
If you are on this article, it is probably for this answer.
You will be disappointed… For the consumer it is very difficult to stem this phenomenon. Manufacturers simply do not pay much attention to the subject because it represents greater costs for them. There are some possibilities, such as blocking the coil with resin or silicone, but these measures are temporary and do not work in the long term.
Unfortunately, you'll just have to pray that you don't come across a bad graphics card or processor!
Some tips:
However, there are some tips for reducing the sound produced:
- If it occurs during a game of video games, many Internet users have noticed that activating Vsync or Gsync reduces the noise, or even eliminates it completely.
- Still others found that coil whine decreased when the computer was used heavily and for a long time. Indeed, the shrill sound only occurred at the beginning of their games.
And after-sales service?
Are you saying to yourself that if the problem is there, the manufacturer will be able to change your component? Not so obvious...
In reality, there are no common seller positions. Some consider that this problem is “normal”, and that all manufacturers have this problem. They refuse to take back your equipment. Others agree to take charge of it, as long as the coil whine is “pronounced”.
In the event of distance selling, you always have the possibility of withdrawing for at least 14 days (this is the law). This remains the easiest way to test your graphics card and be sure it is replaced
In addition, if you purchased a product with the stated feature that it would be silent, any manufacturer should normally take back your equipment if the noise is really annoying.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, the coil whine phenomenon may or may not hit you randomly. This will not be your fault or that of the manufacturer. You can have this problem with a graphics card, buy exactly the same model and no longer have it!
The only possible hope is that over the years, manufacturers improve their manufacturing processes. Currently, the only viable way is to test the product during the withdrawal period. This way you are 100% sure of getting your money back if any problems arise. Otherwise, you will have to battle with after-sales service if your component is still under warranty!
