PG32UCDM Coil Whine when its OFF

[SniperWolfy]

The monitor in my eyes is an excellent all rounder with lot of features, it needs some further more stable firmware updates to fully shine but there is 1 major issue that is quite common and repeating on daily basis unfortunately so firmware updates won't be able to fix hardware issue.

PG32UCDM have Coil Whine sound if you turn OFF monitor.
Here is an example by someone else recorded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6xZnOx_VUo

From my research there is no such an issue with other manufacturers using the same panel only in ASUS one this is occurring.

[Aureliannn_ROG]

Hi @SniperWolfy ,

based on your question, could you please clarify if this issue occurs immediately after purchasing the machine, or does it occur after updating the firmware? 
What is the current firmware version of your monitor? 
Does this coil whine only occur when the monitor is turned off? 
To further assist the backend team in confirming your issue, please provide the 

1. motherboard/CPU/DRAM/HDD/PSU models
2. The cable you are using for connection
3. Graphics card driver
4. OS version
5. Monitor's product number via private message

6. Provide the original MP4 file of the video showing the issue

Thank you.

[ahmadjsy]

Hello, I'm also experiencing the same issue. It occurs when the monitor turns off, emitting a whine for around 10 minutes. However, today, I noticed it while the monitor was on, and I was using racing mode and the sRGB color space. I also observed it the day after purchasing the monitor. I updated to firmware v302 but didn't notice any change in the whining noise that occurs after it shuts off.

To address your hardware inquiry:

1. Asus Tuf x570 wifi / AMD 5800x / G.skill DDR4 3600MHz / WD SSD, Samsung 970 EVO SSD, Seagate 2TB HDD / EVGA SuperNOVA 850 / EVGA FTW3 3080ti
2. I'm using the DisplayPort and USB-C cables provided with the monitor.
3. GeForce Game Ready Driver v552.12
4. Windows 11 Version 10.0.22631 Build 22631

[Aureliannn_ROG]

Hi @ahmadjsy ,

based on your question, does the coil whine occur only when the monitor is turned on? 

Does the sound still occur when the monitor is turned off? 

Does the coil whine occur whenever the monitor is on, or does it occur only when certain software or features are activated? 

Could you provide more details about how to replicate the issue? 

We have reviewed the private message you sent. 

If you remove the external keyboard, does the coil whine still occur? Whether the sound only occur when you enable the RGB light on the keyboard?

Have you try to cross test other keyboard?

Please provide the keyboard model. Thank you.

[ahmadjsy]

After further testing, I've found that the noise consistently begins immediately after the power indicator light turns orange when I shut down my computer and the monitor enters sleep mode. However, if I press the right button to awaken the monitor, the noise disappears instantly. Regarding when the monitor is on, I've only observed this issue with one of the two keyboards I own. The keyboard causing the problem is a Keychron V1, which is wired-only with no internal battery. The noise occurs only when the RGB lighting on this keyboard is activated, and if I unplug it, the noise stops. The other keyboard I tested is the Keychron K10 Pro, which does have an internal battery. So far, I haven't experienced any issues with the K10 Pro when plugged into the same port with the RGB lighting on. I haven't noticed any noise while using applications or performing other tasks while the monitor is on.

Edit: I did another test, and it appears that the noise begins as I described when I turn off my PC and the monitor enters sleep mode. I timed the duration of the noise, and it lasted exactly 5 minutes after turning off the PC. During this time, the power indicator remained solid orange, and then at the 5-minute mark when the noise stopped, the orange light flashed a couple of times and turned off. It seems that whatever the monitor is doing during that time period is causing the coil whine.

[Aureliannn_ROG]

Hi @ahmadjsy ,

based on your description, it seems that the coil whine issue mainly occurs when the screen is closed and enters standby mode (indicated by the orange light). 

Have you confirmed that the firmware has been updated to the latest version? The current latest version is 103. 

ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM | Gaming monitors｜ROG - Republic of Gamers｜ROG Global (asus.com)

To submit your issue to the backend team for analysis, please assist in recording a video of the monitor producing coil whine in standby mode for our reference (please use an MP4 file format).

Thank you.

[ahmadjsy]

So my monitor wasn't up to date. I did update it and the issue is still there using version 103.

[Aureliannn_ROG]

Hi @ahmadjsy ,

thank you for the information you've provided. 
We've passed your details on to our relevant backend team for analysis. 
Please be patient and wait for any updates or messages from us. 
Thank you.

[ahmadjsy]

I've noticed today that even when I turn the monitor off, the whine is still present but just quieter. So unless the monitor is completely unplugged from the wall, it continues to whine. I would greatly appreciate an update if you guys have made any progress in figuring out what is causing the problem, and whether it's something that could be fixed with a software update. Otherwise, I'm going to explore either returning the monitor altogether or obtaining a different unit using the warranty.

[Aureliannn_ROG]

Hi @SniperWolfy @ahmadjsy @DessyG @stark19 @Silverhaze_NL 

After confirmation from the backend team and the manufacturer, we conducted actual tests in a noise-free room. 

The test results showed that the noise level remained at around 18 decibels. 

Typically, to hear sound outside of a noise-free room, you would need about 25 decibels. 

In an office environment, hearing sound would require 30 to 40 decibels.

Currently, the noise level measured on the test machine at hand remains stable at around 18 decibels. 

As electronic products themselves may have some high-frequency noise due to fluctuations in current during light loads in integrated circuits (ICs), this is not hardware damage. 

These fluctuations cause resonance in electronic components, resulting in high-frequency noise.

Since we cannot fully confirm whether the sound comes from the monitor through the video, if you still believe that the noise coming from the monitor is excessive, we recommend that you take the monitor to the nearest official service center for engineers to diagnose the problem. 

Thank you.