anyone else's x1900 make crazy noises?

[Zbox]

Just installed my new x1900xt and quite unhappy with the sound coming from the thing during gameplay.

It almost seems like in any scene that puts significant stress on the card that it starts making a noise similar to what you would hear a hard drive while accessing data makes. This happens in WoW outside the bank in Orgrimmar, and in 3dmark. I haven't tested it with many other games yet, but being as it happens in every 3d program I've run so far, I'm willing to bet it happens there also. Anyone else witness this?

Apparently this IS a problem with this card and others, see:
http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33843512

 

[Xed]

Mine does it, one of my 7800gtx's does too. Pretty annoying when I don't have the tv on to drown out the noise.

 

[jiffylube1024]

I don't want to sound like a sarcastic ass but... are you sure that that's not the hard drive accessing in high stress applications? MMORPG's stream data from the HD all the time, and 3dmark has to transfer tests into and out of RAM from the HD as well...

I've heard of video cards making high pitched whining noises. (my X850XT PE did that out of the box for some reason... After installing and using ATItool to adjust the fan settings, the noise strangely disappeared forever.)

 

[Xed]

Quite sure.

It's a constant noise easily reproduced and ended simply by turning your camera angle. Get 10-20 people on screen nada, get 50-100 poof there it is.

The noise is only similiar in frequency to say a hard drive under heavy load, the actual sound itself is different.

I read long ago (can't verify if it was true) that this started with certain 5900's (think gainward) and for some reason the capacitors were resonating under high load causing the noise.

 

[Zbox]

hehe, yes I can verify that it's not the hard drive... it sounds similar to one, but not exactly like one. I'll make a video of it later when I get home... it's quite annoying

 

[ayabe]

I don't have this problem.

 

[BroadbandGamer]

Do you guys have your boxes sitting right next to you (like on your desk)? I've got mine on the ground next to my desk and I can't hear my X1900 XTX.

 

[Zbox]

Mine is on my desk, but I'd certainly be able to hear it if it even if it were on the ground under my desk.

 

[KeepItRed]

Originally posted by: Zbox
Just installed my new x1900xt and quite unhappy with the sound coming from the thing during gameplay.

It almost seems like in any scene that puts significant stress on the card that it starts making a noise similar to what you would hear a hard drive while accessing data makes. This happens in WoW outside the bank in Orgrimmar, and in 3dmark. I haven't tested it with many other games yet, but being as it happens in every 3d program I've run so far, I'm willing to bet it happens there also. Anyone else witness this?

Welcome to the world of high-performance cooling.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Xed
Quite sure.

It's a constant noise easily reproduced and ended simply by turning your camera angle. Get 10-20 people on screen nada, get 50-100 poof there it is.

The noise is only similiar in frequency to say a hard drive under heavy load, the actual sound itself is different.

I read long ago (can't verify if it was true) that this started with certain 5900's (think gainward) and for some reason the capacitors were resonating under high load causing the noise.

It's most likely either coil buzz from your PSU, or similar sorts of noise coming from the power regulation circuitry on either your motherboard or video card (hence why you're getting it under heavy rendering loads; the card is using more power).

If you are sure it's coming from the video card itself, you could try to RMA it out for another one and see if the situation is any better.

 

[Zbox]

I'm gonna bump this...

I've gone through 2 RMAs, new PSUs, motherboards, tried the card in various friends' computers and the problem persists in every situation. This electrical noise seems to be inherent to the X1900 line.

Worst video card investment ever.

 

[Zbox]

edit: double post

 

[Frostwake]

Just a question... Are you playing without sound? Cuz you sure as hell wouldnt be able to hear 10 hard drivers together no matter how loud they were... Another solution is using headphones and cranking up the sound as well lol i mean if you invest in a high end card why not invest in a top sound system as well and forget about any noise your pc might be making?

 

[imported_ST]

Originally posted by: Zbox
I'm gonna bump this...

I've gone through 2 RMAs, new PSUs, motherboards, tried the card in various friends' computers and the problem persists in every situation. This electrical noise seems to be inherent to the X1900 line.

Worst video card investment ever.

is this like a high pitch whine? could possibly be from one of the inductor coils. on my x1900xt i didn't noitce this, but then again the loud hsf aka "the leafblower" might be drowning this out..

 

[Bull Dog]

Originally posted by: Zbox
I'm gonna bump this...

I've gone through 2 RMAs, new PSUs, motherboards, tried the card in various friends' computers and the problem persists in every situation. This electrical noise seems to be inherent to the X1900 line.

Worst video card investment ever.

My X1900XT doesn't make any wierd noises. And hasn't done so for the past 4 months that I've owned it.

 

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: Zbox
Just installed my new x1900xt and quite unhappy with the sound coming from the thing during gameplay.

It almost seems like in any scene that puts significant stress on the card that it starts making a noise similar to what you would hear a hard drive while accessing data makes. This happens in WoW outside the bank in Orgrimmar, and in 3dmark. I haven't tested it with many other games yet, but being as it happens in every 3d program I've run so far, I'm willing to bet it happens there also. Anyone else witness this?

My X1900XT doesnt make weird noises at all. It's loud for some, but I can tolerate fans @ 75% easily during gaming- just crank up the volume.

 

[Zbox]

Here is a quick recording I made of the noise:
http://67.72.68.82/x1900xt_noise.mp3

My apologies for the low quality recording. Obviously the low-end hum is from the fan, and not the noise I'm talking about. This clip was recorded at the server selection screen in BF2. Another note is that the noise is much more distinguishable and of higher volume when observing this first hand.

There is a solid buzz until clicking update servers list at which point the same noise falls into a rapid "chirp" pattern and then returns to the solid buzz after the server list is done updating. This noise is identical to what I am seeing in other applications, WoW, 3DMark, etc. It is extra peculiar in BF2 because the noise is most obvious when there is no 3D stress on the card whatsoever.

 

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: Zbox
Here is a quick recording I made of the noise:
http://67.72.68.82/x1900xt_noise.mp3

My apologies for the low quality recording. Obviously the low-end hum is from the fan, and not the noise I'm talking about. This clip was recorded at the server selection screen in BF2. Another note is that the noise is much more distinguishable and of higher volume when observing this first hand.

There is a solid buzz until clicking update servers list at which point the same noise falls into a rapid "chirp" pattern and then returns to the solid buzz after the server list is done updating. This noise is identical to what I am seeing in other applications, WoW, 3DMark, etc. It is extra peculiar in BF2 because the noise is most obvious when there is no 3D stress on the card whatsoever.

All I can tell you is I've never heard anything like that on my X1900XT.

 

[fliguy84]

Originally posted by: Zbox
Here is a quick recording I made of the noise:
http://67.72.68.82/x1900xt_noise.mp3

My apologies for the low quality recording. Obviously the low-end hum is from the fan, and not the noise I'm talking about. This clip was recorded at the server selection screen in BF2. Another note is that the noise is much more distinguishable and of higher volume when observing this first hand.

There is a solid buzz until clicking update servers list at which point the same noise falls into a rapid "chirp" pattern and then returns to the solid buzz after the server list is done updating. This noise is identical to what I am seeing in other applications, WoW, 3DMark, etc. It is extra peculiar in BF2 because the noise is most obvious when there is no 3D stress on the card whatsoever.

Sounds like something is stuck to the fan. Maybe dust?

 

[Zbox]

It's brand new, just put the thing in today... And this is the _third_ card I've tried in various systems; they all make this noise... *sigh*

 

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: Zbox
It's brand new, just put the thing in today... And this is the _third_ card I've tried in various systems; they all make this noise... *sigh*

Hate to break the news, but it's clearly something on your end, not something wrong with X1900XT's.

 

[Zbox]

Right, the problem must be on my end- in all three unique setups I have and the addtional three friends computers I tried with setups different from my own. The sound being replicated in every unique environment this card has been placed in clearly proves it is something on my end.

 

[JackBurton]

One of these should clear that right up.

 

[Zbox]

bump with a reference to many others experiencing the same issue:
http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33843512

 

[sodcha0s]

Originally posted by: Zbox
Right, the problem must be on my end- in all three unique setups I have and the addtional three friends computers I tried with setups different from my own. The sound being replicated in every unique environment this card has been placed in clearly proves it is something on my end.

Ever consider that maybe it's due to the high power demand of the card, and not actually the card? I have a 1900XTX and don't hear anything like that. What PS and motherboard are you running? Maybe we should start a thread with everybody listing their hardware and whether or not they have the sound issue to see if there is any kind of pattern. Just a thought.