RTX 2070 - Buzzing Noise Under Load

[Dennis_L]

Hi,

My Rog Strix 2070 oc edition has buzzing noise under load.
With premium components on the card, i expect there should be no noise.
Anyone else with Rog Strix 2070 oc experience buzzing?
Is this considered a defect?

I'm running a Corsair Ax860 psu for reference.

Thanks!

[lj-mak]

Dennis L wrote:
Hi,

I have returned the card but I haven't tried another RTX 2070.
I find it interesting you experience the same "slight" buzz noise during load with your MSI GTX 970, because I also experience the same thing from my old reference GTX 780.
In my case, the noise don't come from CPU vrm area, it is more like the GPU area.
At this point, maybe you should try the older BIOS version and let us know.

The common thing we have is the Maximus Vii Hero, so I'm thinking it is a mobo issue.

Thanks

There is nothing to do with PC components, case, bios....etc. It's the card it self. The middle fan makes that noise. I have strix 2080, if i keep the middle fan on 70% speed, makes buzzing noise. Above or below 70% there is nothing. I returned it to amazon and the new one makes the same noise. Contacted asus, they asked me to ship it for RMA. Seriously.... It's a brand new card. I am returning and the 2nd card, i'll buy some other model/brand hopefully would be better.

[Dennis_L]

Hi Jack,

I'm running BIOS Version 1104.
I suspect it is the mobo, but I have no way to test it.

Dennis

[jackstawow]

Dennis L wrote:
Hi Jack,

I'm running BIOS Version 1104.
I suspect it is the mobo, but I have no way to test it.

Dennis

Thanks!

I'll try the BIOS version and see what happens. It is possible the issue has been present for a while now and I never noticed it. When I got the 2070, I moved my AIO from being top mounted to front mounted. If the issue was there when the AIO was top mounted, it is possible I couldn't hear it as the AIO "blocked" the sound from coming out the way it does not.

Nevertheless, I'll give the BIOS version a try and report back my findings.

[jackstawow]

Did some more digging today. I downloaded Heaven Benchmark 4.0 and ran the Extreme preset on both my old MSi GTX 970 and new ASUS Strix RTX 2070. Doing so, I hoped I could replicate the noise in a more controlled test than just running a game.

After running the test, the noise occurred on both GPUs, emanating from what appears to be the same area near the motherboard VRMs. Both GPUs did have audible coil whine, but I could easily tell that was coming from the GPUs. I recorded two videos showing the noise happening with both GPUs installed.
RTX 2070 Installed: https://youtu.be/C-y3jCW0NbI
GTX 2070 Installed: https://youtu.be/qDVBryhl5Tc
Note: Both GPUs had the same NVIDIA driver (417.35) installed. Clean Driver install was completed after installing each GPU.

I don't think that I could have performed a more clear test to show the noise is coming from the VRMs on the MOBO, but I can't be 100% certain. Let me know what you all think of my findings.

On another note, I was pleasantly surprised by the benchmarks I got on the 2070 compared to the 970.

Cheers!

[Dennis_L]

Hi community and jack,

Just want to update on this issue.

My original rtx 2070 oc had buzzing noise (low pitch, not the sceaming type) which i could hear just outside the case.

The new replacement i got has significant less buzzing noise. I can't pin point any specific noise among my noctua fans running at 1200rpm and the wind noises now.

There has been no change to my system at all, so the mobo or psu weren't the cause. It was just the card.

Hope this helps.

D

[jackstawow]

Dennis L wrote:
Hi community and jack,

Just want to update on this issue.

My original rtx 2070 oc had buzzing noise (low pitch, not the sceaming type) which i could hear just outside the case.

The new replacement i got has significant less buzzing noise. I can't pin point any specific noise among my noctua fans running at 1200rpm and the wind noises now.

There has been no change to my system at all, so the mobo or psu weren't the cause. It was just the card.

Hope this helps.

D

Hi Dennis,

Glad to hear the replacement is doing well. I've decided I am going to return mine for a refund and go back to my 970. Since I am going back to college in a few weeks and don't have space for my PC there, the PC will sit in my house basically until May, so no point in me keeping the card. I'll probably purchase a new 2070 then or whatever is current at that time, as well as do a CPU, MOBO, and RAM upgrade (Intel 10th gen?).

As for my issue, I went ahead and replaced my new RM750X with a new new RM850x. Though the the noise is still there, it is a lot quieter than it was before. Seems like the RM750X I had might have been a faulty unit.

Thanks for the help and enjoy the card!


Best Regards,

Jack

[bohbra]

I also came to the same conclusion it was the card but thought I would share what I tried.

Original setup
MB: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS ULTRA
PSU: Corsair RMx 650
CPU: i7 9700k
Issue: Experiencing coil whine when graphics card is under load, regardless of FPS.

Tried: Swapped graphics card with MSI RTX 2070 Armor 8G
Result: This card also has some coil whine, but was quieter

Tried: Swapped psu with be quiet! BN652 Dark PRO11 750W
Result: No change in coil whine

Tried:Exchanged graphics card
Result: No change in coil whine

Tried: Put graphics card in entirely different PC (old asus motherboard, thermaltake psu):
Result: No change in coil whine

At this point I gave up and excepted that this card and probably others always emit some coil whine under load.

[jondoe1989]

Hopefully I can share my experience as an insight.
the buzzing sound you hear is probaly coil whine from the GPU. You can find various youtube videos of pc users recording their GPU's coil whine
I've had several GPUs over the last decade, ranging from the GT8800, GTX280, GTX560TI, GTX980, GTX980ti, and most recently the RTX 2080 strix. All the GPUs i've had come from a variety of brands, but mainly asus.
When i got the GTX980 OC STRIX, it was my first encounter with "loud buzzing" under load. It definitely came from the GPU. Basically a very simple way to isolate noise is to use a hollow cardboard tube (like the one you wound find with baking paper or alumimium foil) and put one end on ur ear, and direct the other end at various components of ur PC while running with side panel open.
Anyway it was so loud i thought it was defective, so i returned it to the retailer. They didnt have another one in stock, so i swapped it for an EVGA 980, pretty much the same problem - it buzzes under load too, quieter but at a slightly higher pitch.
A few years later I borrowed a friend's EVGA 980ti - and it was pretty "buzzy" too, probably the loudest.
After watching youtube reviews of the Strix RTX 2080 OC, and how they all mention it's a really quiet card, and one youtube (Science Studio) commented that it had an inaudible coil whine - I got it.
Sadly, it does have coil whine... but I have to say it's pretty quiet and i do sit close to my PC.
In the past i've also tried switching out PSUs, mobos and etc various way to alleviate coil whine, but essentially it's down to the luck of the draw. The degree of coil whine depends on too many things, your home's electrical source, your PSU, the various components on your GPU's PCB and all the components of your PC will somehow contribute to coil whine, and how bad it is, it's just luck.
One last thing to note, coil whine is worse if the FPS of whatever game or benchmark you're running is higher, as the frequencies of electrical impulses passing through the GPU components is higher.
if memory serves me right Linustechtips has a old youtube video detailing coil whine, and how he is a quiet freak, and essentially he moved his workstation into a seperate room.

TLDR - coil whine is inevitable, and pretty much a luck of the draw. One solid solution is to get a case with thick sound insulation, like ones from BeQuiet or the fractal design silent cases, although at the cost of poorer thermals. The sound insulating foam pads reduce high frequency noise. And avoid cases with tempered glass - glass is a somewhat good sound conductor.