Graphics card: Fix coil whine - is that possible?

In this article we will show you what you can do with the graphics card in the case of coil whine. The annoying noise can usually only be eliminated with the help of a frame limiter. However, if you still have a guarantee, you should try sending the graphics card back.

Graphics card: coil whine - what is it actually?

To fix coil whine on a graphics card, you should first know what coil whine is:

• Most people assume that the beep comes from the graphics card fan. However, this is wrong, because the unpleasant sound actually comes from coils sitting on the graphics card. Mostly these are the converter coils, which, as the name suggests, convert the voltage. This can happen at high frequency under load and you will hear an unpleasant sound.
• Coil whining is actually not harmful. Even if it sounds very unhealthy, it reduces the life of a graphics card.
• The phenomenon occurs particularly at high frame rates. But coil whistling can also occur under other loads.

Graphics card: coil whine fix without guarantee

If you are out of warranty, there is only one way to fix the coil whine. You must limit your FPS so that the graphics card no longer runs under full load.

• With a so-called frame limiter you can fix or greatly reduce the coil whine. Your graphics card will then no longer calculate as many images as possible per second, but a number that you have specified. This relieves your graphics card and thus also the voltage transformers. As a result, you should no longer have a coil whine, but occasionally it can still occur quietly.
• The easiest way to limit FPS is to turn on Vsync. This is available in just about every game and is also available in the Nvidia and AMD drivers. This setting adjusts the calculated images per second to the refresh rate of your monitor. This should make the coil whine disappear in most cases. However, since Vsync sometimes leads to an increased input lag of the mouse, you can limit the FPS in other ways.
• All you have to do is check the drivers from AMD or Nvidia. You can also use tools like RadeonPRO for AMD or NvidiaInspector for Nvidia.

Coil whine on the graphics card: exchange on guarantee

However, if you still have a guarantee, you can definitely try to send the graphics card back. But be careful: there is no legal basis here, the goodwill of the seller is crucial.

• A seller does not have to take back the graphics card in the event of coil whine. So be sure to ask nicely. Because if the seller is accommodating, you can usually get an exchange model. It is best if the graphics card was advertised with things like "particularly quiet" or "cool and quiet" or similar. Then you can rely on it.