Corsair power supply & EVGA video card squeal/whine

UPDATE: I don't have any of the parts used in this video anymore. So unfortunately I cannot keep trying to test for fixes. I upgrade a lot and currently have an i7-860, GTX 580, and 625W MODU82+ Enermax PSU. (if you were wondering, with my newer parts, the noise is still there but just barely. I only heard it in 3DMark and ATI Tool)

This is a short video demonstrating how my Corsair HX520W squeals whenever a 3D application is running. I have tried several fixes (see below) and nothing has helped. The general consensus on various forums is that it is a type of coil whine, harmless but annoying. But also not fixable.

Relevant system info:
Core 2 Quad Q9300
Gigabyte GA-EX38-DQ6
8GB G.Skill DDR2-800
EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 SC
Corsair HX520W

Attempted Fixes:

BIOS: I tried all those stupid BIOS "fixes" that some say will fix the problem. NONE OF THEM WORK. Stop telling me to turn off C1E, it didn't help.

PSU: I replaced the PSU with a HW620W Corsair. The noise was still there. The 620W unit was overkill for this system so this is clearly not a problem of the unit being stressed too hard.

GPU: I RMAd the GTX 260 for another GTX 260. Unless I got unlucky twice, this is not a graphics card issue.

Motherboard: A cap fell off of my motherboard, so I bought a Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R to replace it. I had a slim hope that switching mobos would somehow fix the problem. Of course it didn't.

PSU, again: I finally bought a new PSU, this time abandoning Corsair and switching brands. With an Enermax MODU82+ 625W, the noise is almost completely gone! When running ATI Tool, there is still a noise similar to the one in this video, but at a much lower volume. But more importantly, when playing games, I cannot detect a noise at all.

I know that this problem isn't exclusive to Corsair. Thanks to everyone on the comments for which other brands have this noise too. But what I don't understand is how Corsair is one the highest rated (and most expensive) PSU brands out there. Yet this noise is so widespread. And it is never mentioned in any official reviews, just in tech support forums and on videos like this. I didn't want to pick on Corsair exclusively with this video, I just wanted to create awareness of a really widespread power supply issue.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• corsair
• hx520w
• 520
• watt
• power
• supply
• psu
• evga
• geforce
• gtx
• 260
• video
• graphics
• card
• noise
• squeal
• squealing
• whine
• whining
• buzz
• buzzing

[umbrefawx]

you all are idiots. firast of all the problem is a setting in your bios, ive had customers come to me with this problem. Check to see if your motherboard has an "advanced CPU setting called C1E or C1E HALT and disable it. Problem solved, if not then get a new unit.

[corb01772]

@umbrefawx This problem has nothing to do with a BIOS setting. I tried all the supposed BIOS "fixes" when I made this video. How can disabling a CPU power saving feature fix a problem that has nothing to do with the CPU? Try not to post like an idiot if you are going to call the rest of us idiots.

[Clickyduck]

there's an article on the corsair forums called "Noisy PSU? Read this first!"

It gives some troubleshooting advice for their whole range of PSUs

turning on Global force vsync in my nvidia panel fixed it completely for my TX650...

[corb01772]

@Clickyduck Yup, forcing global vsync helps because it caps the FPS to your monitor refresh rate and the noise mostly occurs at very high FPS. It doesn't fix the problem, it just masks it.

[westnyleproductions]

YOU HAVE THE C1E HALT SETTING ON DUMBASS...

[corb01772]

@westnyleproductions Thanks for being so eloquent. C1E does not have anything to do with this problem. This has nothing to do with BIOS settings.

[Gorbatsjov666]

@BOMBhollywood Are you kidding? haha, me too. Bad xbox port game haunts psu or graphics card because it wanted to be xbox exclusive? anyways man, played alan wake and it sucked.

[AerialORANGES]

@FlossBandit EVGA GTX 560. Buzzes slightly when not gaming (barely at all, varying noise depending on what I'm doing) when gaming, slightly louder. I have to pretty much put my ear up to the case to hear it though.

[FlossBandit]

okay i'm using a different psu but is everybody else here with this problem using an EVGA card?

[bennytobe]

@BOMBhollywood oh god that's why i'm here. the framerate jumps to almost 3000 in the menu and that's when it squeals. v-sync fixes it but the fact that i know it's there gets to me.

[BOMBhollywood]

i get this when i try to play alan wake. but on no other games. :\

[noobmaster31]

I have the same problem. I thought it was my video card because when I run a video game or do a video test like window experience score test, it usually starts. Now I know what it is. How do I fix this? Is there anything said about this on the Corsair website? Also could this be capacitor squeal or are we getting goo Japanese capacitors? I have the Corsair TX750.

[tigyi]

@Benfro89 Are you overclocked? - try stock clocks on everything on a fresh install. Pause your blue screen to see the error. Could also be a memory issue (or a bajillion other things... but let's start there).

[tigyi]

Glad you made this video. Got a Corsair TX650M that was screaming.. I thought it was the caps on my motherboard, put my ear next to the back of the PSU and heard it was from there... Damn... so RMA-ing it does nothing? - I have a a few fans running and a water cooled CPU, in silence it is noticeable

An older AMD system with an ATI card used to leak sound into my speakers whenever I moved anything on screen (weird EMI thing or ???). That was annoying... this I can live with if it isn't damaging.

[MagnuSSungaM]

I had this problem with my old psu, was 500 watts. Always made a loud crackling noise when ever any 3d applications were in use. Bought a new 750 watt, problem went away.

[bamfan2044]

Sounds like a capacitor is crying.