8800GTX SQUEAL!

J

Jomanscool2

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 30, 2007
Messages
348
AAH! I just setup a new system last night with a BFG watercooled 8800GTX, which idles at 37C.

I wanted to get a load temp, so I started running RTHDRIBL on it. Only second later, the card is squealing/buzzing! I immediately stop the process, and it stops. I then tap the two square blocks near the PCI power connectors with the word Delta written on them, and they are PIPPING! I open RTHDRIBL for a few seconds, and it sounds like the buzz is comming from that area of the card.

Anyone have any idea what is going on? I really hope I don't have a defective card, because I would hate to have to drain my entire system...

Oh, btw, everything is running stock, and here are the specs

EVGA 680i (first version)
BFG 8800GTX WCE
E6600 C2D
2GB 1066 Corsair Dominator
 
There was a long thread about this sometime ago. It seems to be a problem with the card, quess its RMA time, unless somebody has found a fix for it. Doubt that atleast without voiding warranty, but lets see what the owners of squeeling 8800 have to say.

ps. Alot of cards have this "feature" for example my X1900 does make a noticeable buzz to it when FPS are high (IE when FPS hit the roof in Oblivion menus). But to my understanding this is nothing comparable to squeel of a 8800.
 
omg! i had this problem too. but, i wanted a new psu so i thought if its this then ill rma it first. got a new psu- problem solved no whine at all. mine was only when the gfx card was under load so it makes you think it was that. if the gfx card seems hot they can run at 60 degrees which 35 is hot to the touch..
 
Well, I doubt it is the PSU. I am just running a single 8800GTX and a conroe on a toughpower 850W.

I will search for the squeal thread and maybe I have to RMA mine... ='(
 
i was on a conroe and 8800gtx. both stock clocked through a 780w psu. some psu's are just faulty and some are just incompatiable. try getting hold of another 8800gtx to test it....
 
Tek, not really possible. Unless I go and buy a new one, pop it in my system, then return it. Nobody I know has high end PC equipment (PSU or GPU) that I could test. I have a feeling it is the buzzing noise people have reported on numerous forums, as it is the EXACT same problem they are reporting (same noises at the same times, etc).

Looks like BFG will be getting a call from an unhappy customer this afternoon...
 
try a new psu then. it was the prob for mine. or insulate the noise and listen to each component.
 
I have the same problem, bu honestly I only notice it when benchmarking w/o audio on.

I'm on water too.

Is your squeal prety loud?
 
Is the squeal coming from the card itself or thru the audio outputs of the soundcard?

If the PSU has fixed it for some people, the only thing that I can think of is once under a load, the PSU's output voltage is dropping too low.

Try measuring the 12v line feeding the graphics card, and watch the voltage under no 3d load, then again once you fire up your benchmark. If you see more than .5 v drop your PSU is definately the problem. The big drop means your PSU simply cannot supply the needed current (amperage). Don't let the PSU's wattage rating fool you.. I have had a 600W that essentially could really only supply about 300 useable watts (if that). Under a 3d load on a 5900 ultra, the 12v line dropped all the way to 11.27v. bad. very bad.
 
I am having the exact same problem.

It is not the sound card, Ive had this happen with the sound card not installed, and no speakers hooked up to system.

It is NOT my power supply. I highly doubt my PCP&C 1KW doesnt not have the ability to power this card.

I have tested voltage drop, and it is only .01v under load, Tested with my Fluke 89 DMM.

Starting to get really annoying.
 
Well, the other possibility is that part of the power supply circuitry on the vid card has a bad or overloaded part.

Time to call your manufacturer's helpdesk. Sounds like by now they will have heard of the issue and should know the solution.
 
theres a threwd on this called 8800gtx whine and a guy had 4x 8800gtx's because he thaught it was them whining, then he got a new psu... done :)
 
That noise is from the little audio speaker on the graphics card. It makes noise when the card isn't getting enough power. Bad card or bad power supply. Might as well RMA them both at once.
 
id say psu. how come the system runs fine then, only with a whine.. myn did?
 
Teknokid said:
theres a threwd on this called 8800gtx whine and a guy had 4x 8800gtx's because he thaught it was them whining, then he got a new psu... done :)
Click to expand...

Ive tried it with 3 PCP@C Power Supplies. 1KW, Silencer 750, and 510 SLI, all the same..


I am 100% sure its coming from the Video card.

Guess its time to call EVGA,.. Glad I bought the EAR 1 day upgrade.
 
GoodBoy said:
Is the squeal coming from the card itself or thru the audio outputs of the soundcard?

If the PSU has fixed it for some people, the only thing that I can think of is once under a load, the PSU's output voltage is dropping too low.

Try measuring the 12v line feeding the graphics card, and watch the voltage under no 3d load, then again once you fire up your benchmark. If you see more than .5 v drop your PSU is definately the problem. The big drop means your PSU simply cannot supply the needed current (amperage). Don't let the PSU's wattage rating fool you.. I have had a 600W that essentially could really only supply about 300 useable watts (if that). Under a 3d load on a 5900 ultra, the 12v line dropped all the way to 11.27v. bad. very bad.
Click to expand...

It is coming through the card itself. I have my case open as I am still working on it, put my ear next to the card, and that is definately where it is coming from. I have a feeling it is the EXACT same problem these people are expressing. I have even turned off the speakers, and the noise still occurs.

http://www.evga.com/community/messageboard/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=21294

I doubt the PSU is fluctuating. 18 amperes on two of the 12V rails, 30 on the other two, and I am using the two PCIE cables that come directly out of the PSU, not the modular ones. I do have an abundance of fans, 5 120MM fans, 2 80MM, and a 40MM all on the 12V lines, but they do not draw more than 2 amps at max (according to their specs), and I doubt they are on the same rails as the main two PCIE connectors.

Anyways, how would I measure the voltage on the 12V rails under load? Would nTune show me that? Like I said, I can't imagine that it was due to power, as the card was fine when 2 instances of orthos ran on the CPU for 6 hours straight, but as soon as I open RTHDRIBL, even when the CPU is idling, the squeal starts.
 
my 320MB EVGA 8800GTS does this as well. But I find its only during load, and only some apps. Like ATI-tool's artifact tester. 3dmark 05 or 06 did not cause the noise. Who knows, but thats why EVGA has good warrenties. If the card is fine in 3D Mode, don't worry about it. Mine is 100% stable. Laptops have this same problem, its just noise and its normal as well.
 
I have the same buzzing issue with a 7950GT I recieved from EVGA RMA when I sent in a bad 7900GT. I get the noise during 3d accelerated stuff and sometimes when I drag around 2d windows. I think they should pay shipping second time around...
 
SIMPLE FIX.

The cooler fan goes too full 100% under load. At 100% the fan may or may not be noisy. On 1 of my GTS' I can run the fan at 100% and not hear it, but on the 2nd GTS at 100% it can be easily be the loudest noise coming from my PC.

Get Rivatuner or Ntune and set the fan speed to a fixed number around 80% or so. I can get up to 85% until I can actually hear it. Anything higher sounds like it is "squealing".

Hope this helps.
 
Triz08 said:
SIMPLE FIX.

The cooler fan goes too full 100% under load. At 100% the fan may or may not be noisy. On 1 of my GTS' I can run the fan at 100% and not hear it, but on the 2nd GTS at 100% it can be easily be the loudest noise coming from my PC.

Get Rivatuner or Ntune and set the fan speed to a fixed number around 80% or so. I can get up to 85% until I can actually hear it. Anything higher sounds like it is "squealing".

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

If you had read the thread, you would have known that I have a WATER COOLED CARD! There is no fan.
 
This happened to me also, I had an asus 8800gtx earlier which made the noise, so I exchanged it for an BFG 8800gtx OC - also made the noise though.

Though it was much lower - so low that I dont really get bothered with it. However my system is still unstable and Im thinking of this could be the PSU afterall.

It is quite hard to know what the problem actually is, I mean some people have very powerful PSU's and still have the problems, other have a bit more low-end PSU that does the job. And some people have fixed the problem by just replacing the GPU.

The question you might want to ask yourself is if your system is table in games (i.e. it doesnt crash etc..) and that the noise level is acceptable - I doubt you will ever get a 100% quiet 8800gtx card. The sound comes from the capacitors oscillating it seems (usually) and can be fixed but only with a void of the warranty.
 
Triz08 said:
SIMPLE FIX.

The cooler fan goes too full 100% under load. At 100% the fan may or may not be noisy. On 1 of my GTS' I can run the fan at 100% and not hear it, but on the 2nd GTS at 100% it can be easily be the loudest noise coming from my PC.

Get Rivatuner or Ntune and set the fan speed to a fixed number around 80% or so. I can get up to 85% until I can actually hear it. Anything higher sounds like it is "squealing".

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Same here my problem is also on a watercooled card.

I am about ready to see whats going to that speaker with an oscilliscope to see whats going on.
 
The noise is most bothersome, louder than the eVGA SPP fan at 75%, and 5 SilenX 120MM "18 dBa" fans (quote for understanding supposudly false measurements". There is no way I can put up with it. I litterally thought there was a spark arching between two caps.

I did not even try to see if it is stable, it scared me sh**less.

Guess I will just end up calling BFG tonight. Uggh, second full drain of my system and I still havn't gotten the thing running yet.
 
Yes, thank you all for your inputs. I talked with two BFG reps (first rep set up RMA for non WCE 8800GTX), and neither had ever noticed a problem like mine before (where it is audible above 680i fan).

Will ship the card off tomorrow, and hope for the best!

Now, just have to finish my homework... f$%k...
 
hang on. u did link it to the water cooling right? i still think its ure psu..
 
sorry you did. its fine to run like it was, myn ran for 2 months before i found it was the psu and rma'd it :)
 
Teknokid said:
hang on. u did link it to the water cooling right? i still think its ure psu..
Click to expand...

Still doesn't explain mine. I brought the whole thing into work with me today. Ripple is just fine under load. Voltages are spot on. It is NOT my PSU. I am going to contact EVGA today and get a Advance Replacement.
 
I hate to beat the dead horse here, but stop, take a deep breath, and think about this a moment.

You can have a top-line, name-brand, high-quality PSU.

That PSU can be rated at enough power to light up an African village.

Every meter, oscilliscope, and Star Trek tricorder can show that the output is so perfect, so smooth, so tightly within spec that the very angels in heaven sing at the sight of it.

But until you try a different make and model of PSU, you haven't eliminated the possibility of some offbeat mismatch between a totally new and different GPU and your PSU.

You can shake your fist at the gods and declare that it's impossible, but that's not troubleshooting--it's only denial.

At least one user has done the sensible thing and actually TESTED the hypothesis by replacing his PSU, which fixed the problem. If that had not happened, all the reasons why it shouldn't fix the problem would carry more weight. But because it did happen, it shows us that there's something going on here that isn't in our data banks yet when we try to just think through the problem.

There's no substitute for hands-on troubleshooting because there are just too many unknowns in any complex interactive system. This alternative may not fix your problem, but there's only one way to find out: try it. All other indirect tests and measurements fail to get to the root of the issue.

And if it doesn't fix the problem, don't complain that I screwed you over with bad advice. Just cross that possibility off your list and move on to the next one. Really, friends, this is Troubleshooting 101 we're talking about here.
 
One of my 8800GTX's makes this squeal sound, but ONLY when it's set as the primary card in my SLI setup. Meaning, when it's in the top slot. Both are watercooled. I initially thought it was the PSU as well. I happen to have two PC Power & Cooling 1Kilowatt units (the Quad). I swapped it out for the one in my Rig. Still made the sound. I have broadcast quality recording equipment in my house, lots of it. So I hooked up a Shotgun Mic with a Parabolic Dish (the kind you see on football sidelines to get the "crunch" sound from a hit, or what we use to record what the QB's are saying from 60 yards away). These microphones cost on the average of $3,000 to $10,000. So, I hooked one up and started pointing it at the 8800GTX that was squealing. I found it's coming from the rear power section on the card, from that flat circular chip looking thingy (I have no idea what it is). It's close to where the power adapters are.

At least on my card, that's exactly where the sound is eminating. My card squeaks when I move the mouse too. I can make it "squeak" on command LOL
 
ROFL! @ Commander Suzdal.

The round component, is it a piezo speaker? If it was then you would think it would be mentioned in the user manual for the card (I've never heard of an alarm speaker on a video card, but I suppose it's possible).

So, has anyone RTFM?? :)

Could someone take a close-up picture of the suspect component?
 
AppaYipYip said:
One of my 8800GTX's makes this squeal sound, but ONLY when it's set as the primary card in my SLI setup. Meaning, when it's in the top slot. Both are watercooled. I initially thought it was the PSU as well. I happen to have two PC Power & Cooling 1Kilowatt units (the Quad). I swapped it out for the one in my Rig. Still made the sound. I have broadcast quality recording equipment in my house, lots of it. So I hooked up a Shotgun Mic with a Parabolic Dish (the kind you see on football sidelines to get the "crunch" sound from a hit, or what we use to record what the QB's are saying from 60 yards away). These microphones cost on the average of $3,000 to $10,000. So, I hooked one up and started pointing it at the 8800GTX that was squealing. I found it's coming from the rear power section on the card, from that flat circular chip looking thingy (I have no idea what it is). It's close to where the power adapters are.

At least on my card, that's exactly where the sound is eminating. My card squeaks when I move the mouse too. I can make it "squeak" on command LOL
Click to expand...

Hmmm, interesting data! So, what we have so far is that the sound isn't made by a capacitor or VRM that's about to blow, but by a part that was designed to buzz, presumably when power is "perceived" by it as being too low. I'm guessing it's supposed to sound a loud alarm when the power is obviously off, like if one of the 6-pin adaptors is disconnected, but it can sort of "start" to activate (buzz) if power is borderline.

Next up, one of your PCI-E slots generates the effect, but not the other one. This highlights something that we have overlooked when trying to directly test the PSU with a volt-meter: 1/3 of the power to the GTX is coming from the slot itself, not the dual 6-pin connectors. And it's a variable that hasn't been visible to single-card users because the default single-card slot is the same one that was connected with buzzing in your SLI setup--the top one. So to them it's just "always there."

Add it up and it looks like we have a marginal power problem in the primary X16 PCI-E slot, at least on some motherboards/configs. Maybe the way that slot shares power with other 12V components on and off the board makes it weak, at least under certain combinations of load. Maybe the board design just has a flaw in the supply of power to the slot.

If the card runs fine, maybe the easiest solution in a case like this is to (ahem) gently remove/disable the buzzer.:eek:

Edit: Looks like a common factor is having a 680i motherboard. Could be (yet another) flaw in this design. Thoughts?
 
I emailed nvidia and the rep said the cards have an "Insufficient power" buzzer. That they have had it for years. (I never noticed it or ever heard it).

So. The above theory sounds pretty close. The power supply OR motherboard could be causes of the issue, with the power supply itself most likely. If the 12v line seems steady, it could be the 5v or 3.3v lines dropping, whichever supplies power to the pcie slot, or it could be the 12v line thats a part of the main psu to mobo connector. Actually that might be the most likely culprit.

Easiest test would be to swap out the PSU first, (even if you got a P&PC 1kw one) and see what happens. Another easy test would be to pull your vga card and install it in a different computer. Maybe not so easy if you water cool....

Chances are the vga card is ok, but simply has a big demand for juice. There is also the possibility that the alarm is erroneously being activated. But the last time I thought my vga card was the problem, It turned out to be my PSU.

YMMV
 
regardless...as with comp hardware you best get swapping ...trusting is naive
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top