Why does DW make my video card squeal?

[Bill Nichols]

Now I'm glad my time in the Navy fried my ability to hear hi-frequency sounds

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Wim Libaers

Transformers have moving parts. The laminated core will have vibrating sheets due to the changing magnetic fields. It's like a loudspeaker, but not intentional. This is minimal at low power and with well-made transformers, can be quite loud at high power and with old or badly made transformers.

First off, transformers used in computer devices are usually solid ferrite cores, which do not vibrate and hence cannot produce noise. Furthermore, the sound produced by a vibrating laminated core is more of a low-pitched humming noise, not a high-pitched squeal. What may be producing the latter is the switching-mode inverter present in his power supply. Cheap inverters can produce a high-pitched squeal when operating at high frequencies.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Bill Nichols

Now I'm glad my time in the Navy fried my ability to hear hi-frequency sounds

Yea just wait till you take a fertility test, you're gunna be pi$$ed!

[XanderF]

Originally Posted by Jammer

What may be producing the latter is the switching-mode inverter present in his power supply. Cheap inverters can produce a high-pitched squeel when operating at high frequencies.

Video cards also have a number of inverters on them - especially those with power supply connections. Have a whole battery of power circuits, mosfets, etc

I think it's *that* area of the video card that the squeal is coming from, but why DW and DW alone (and only when no FSAA is applied) would be causing that ridiculous squeal is a curious thing.

(FWIW, I did put the other card in and verified that 4xFSAA fixes that one, too. Must have had something funny with the drivers the last time I had it in, but it's confirmed that 4xFSAA fixes both cards I have, while both squeal with no AA on. Too bad AA doesn't work properly in DW.)

[Zerogreat]

Originally Posted by XanderF

I think it's *that* area of the video card that the squeal is coming from, but why DW and DW alone (and only when no FSAA is applied) would be causing that ridiculous squeal is a curious thing.

An unforeseen combination of factors, which happens maximally once per 10 years? :hmm:

[porphy]

Hi

I tried changing my settings for the 6800GT, but it doesn't really matter if I have no ffsa or 4x or anything else. The squel changes slightly in pitch, but it is still there.

Cheers Porphy

[Syxx_Killer]

Sorry for digging up an old thread, but when I started playing DW again the other day, I noticed a high pitched noise coming from my card. I don't recall this with a pre 1.03 patch. I hear the sound when the game first comes to the intro screen, before the intro video, and every menu. I don't get the noise during the intro video or when playing the game unless I got to a menu like Options or USNI Reference. However, in the USNI reference, if I go to the 3D view, the high pitched noise stops. My card is a 256MB PCI-Express card. It is an Abit Radeon RX700-Pro. I never heard the noise before until patch 1.03.

[GunnersMate]

Just use this as an excuse to buy a new x1900xtx or 7800gtx!

[Syxx_Killer]

I sure wish I could, but right now I am unable to. This RX700 will just have to last a little while longer. I just hope the noises it is emitting isn't shortening its life.

[GunnersMate]

What is the exact model of your card?

[Syxx_Killer]

It's an Abit Radeon RX700-Pro.

[HydroShok]

Originally Posted by zma

It's not the fan, I'm afraid. I also have liquid cooling in my Geforce 6800GS, and I hear the noise.

Actually, I managed to fry a video card two weeks ago. I may have messed up installing the GPU waterblock, which resulted in overheating... shortly after I launched DW. It wasn't the GPU core or any of the memory chips that fried, however. It looked like a regulator or something like that to me. There was no warning at all when it happened, my monitor just went blank and then I smelled smoke.

I don't remember hearing a squeal from the old card back then, though.

Glad you said this. ATI cards go off on their own with the refresh rate when you play games . There good chance of this causing your monitor to black out(maybe not in your case however, since you definitely fried the card apparently). Older CRT monitors can be permanently damaged in less than a minute running outside its specs for resolution or refresh rate. Newer monitors display a message, "frequency out of range".

You have to go into ATI's options and force it to use the desktop refresh rate. Believe or not, the card ignores whatever refresh rate settings windows has. When you run games, its just radically changes refresh rate, which is very dangerous on an older CRT monitor.

Also, CRT monitors are famous for making these high pitch noises. They are very faint, and high pitched. The pitch changes if you move up and down in a pull down menu. If you run over the max refresh rate, you should notice all sorts of funny stuff.

definitely need to force desktop refresh rate. Cut off use DDC info. Google your monitor specs and set the max resolution and refresh rate manually. Make sure you get it right, because it can damage a monitor to run it outside of specs. Also, cut off Vsync.

There's only one thing i know off that can make noise. Fans. I gotta Abit motherboard, my northbridge fan is like a symphony. I have never had success using those "cool and quiet" fan speed adjusting programs, they just crash, or don't even work. All that software if very dependent of having the lastest BIOS.

[GunnersMate]

I see that the fan has a 3 wire connector for RPM monitoring. It could be that the fan is spinning up to high to cool of that toasty GPU. Try running 3DMark 2005 and see if it happens again. Also if you have any overclocks running turn them down to spec.

[Syxx_Killer]

I found out something strange. After a bit of testing, I think the high pitched nosie only happens when my resolution is 1024x768 (changed it in the game's options, not in Windows). When I change it to 800x600 it seems fine. 800x600 is my monitor's native resolution. It is an old 15" CRT monitor (13.9" viewable). I just don't know why it only happens in DW.

[GunnersMate]

Cr@p! You're monitor is failing ! ! ! I've had that same thing now that I remember. I had an old 15" HP monitor and that was the first sympton. Soon you wont be able to use 10x7 and it'll start to go all dark forcing you to increase brightness as much as you can Best find a B&M for a new monitor.