ATI 1900XT chirping and squeaking?! NOW FIXED

[MrWizzard]

Well every card I have gotten up until now has been an Nvidia.

I decided to go out and get a 1900XT.

Everything is installed and working but whenever it runs 3d apps the card itself sounds like it is squeaking and chirping kind of a cross between the two.

I have written the manufacturer and they say this is normal.

It's really loud, anyone else having this problem, I have read of a couple other people who have had this problem, but nothing is conclusive.

If this is normal then this will be my first and last card I ever get of ATI.

I might be able to get a sound clip up so you guys can hear it later.


I am sure it's the card, and everything is hooked up correctly. I have enough power.

The card is branded powercolor. I am using a ANTEC 450W smartpower supply.

Thanks

1/10/06 PROBLEM FIXED

I was using an Antec 450W SmartPower 2.0

I just upgraded to an ePOWER/Tagan TG-530-U15 530W Per ANAND's Guide.

The problem is completly gone, it was the power. My poor ATI card was just being starved of power, and trying its best to do its job with what it had.

Now it runs nice and quiet. YAY Maybe this won't be the 1st/last ATI card I ever get.

This ATI is a power monster!

Thanks again for all the help.

Per request here is a link to the ANAND tech guide that helped my pick my Power supply
HERE

 

[aggressor]

I don't have those kind of issues, though the fan is just plain loud

 

[MrWizzard]

What Brand did you get?

Thanks

 

[Wreckage]

Make sure the fan is not damaged.

When people have been reporting the fan as loud on the XTX, I would assume they mean it still sounds like a normal fan just louder. "Chirps and squeaks" could be a sign of hardware failure.

 

[RichUK]

So how loud is loud?

Are they really that bad?

See if you can get a sound clip that would be interesting.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

i had similar noises from my older 6800GT...specifically in splinter cell. i think it comes from the inductors/capacitors on the board (used for power) since they operate with respect to a frequency...which might produce some chirping, you know how you charge a camera flash up and it makes that whining noise? its just the cap filling with charge

my 6800GT sounded like loads of little tiny animals squeakin....never had a problem with the card though

 

[nts]

Funny but no problem here.

Which brand did you get?

 

[BroadbandGamer]

I can't hear mine.

Do you have your box on your desk next to your ear?

 

[Gstanfor]

It will be either the electrolytic capacitors or the wire coils on the card making the noise.

Such noise varies depending on the quality of the power being supplied, the amount of electrical interference present near the circuit and the quality of the components themselves.

You can try rearranging things in the case to see if that helps any.

provided the capacitors on the card are good quality, there shouldn't be a lot to worry about.

 

[NYHoustonman]

Happens on my brother's XFX 6800 AGP.

 

[5150Joker]

Some guy on R3D had a chirping noise with his X1900XT and after using it a few days it failed.

 

[superjohnyo]

I have a Powercolor X1900XT and I don't hear any chirping or squeaking.

 

[Gstanfor]

Check the electrolytic capacitors on the board out carefully. If they are not Japanese branded be very suspicious. Check for doming at the top, bulging at the sides or leakage.

The other thing you can try is another PSU to see if cleaner power affects things (the noise is an indication the power filtering circuitry is working hard).

 

[5150Joker]

Here's a thread about the noise on R3D, you should go check it out: http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33843512

 

[nitromullet]

Joker, why not just cut to the chase:

http://www.rage3d.com/board/showpost.php?p=1334167254&postcount=79

ATI sent this:

At this time, we are recommending that you get the card replaced. As it is probably new, it may be best to send it back to the place or purchase or reseller for a new one. If this is not possible and the card is built by ATI, you can submit the RMA request from our website to arrange for the replacement.

 

[Budarow]

RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA RMA

 

[Nirach]

I'd go with a few other people on this. RMA that sucker.

 

[JBT]

I'd RMA as well... thats sorta funny Powercolor said its normal... eh oh well.

 

[dalearyous]

i have asus one and i'd say its really quiet. i can't even hear the thing in the case. i'd return it

 

[rgardner]

450 Watt ps sounds pretty small ... could be squealing cause it's unhappy.

 

[MrWizzard]

Updated with fix woot woot

 

[M0RPH]

Can you please give the link to Anand's guide that you mentioned helped you fix this? Thanks.

 

[MrWizzard]

I have put the link in my original post.

 

[mindless1]

Such sounds typically come from the inductors.

It's not "poor power" that causes it. Any inductor of the wire-wound type is subject to resonant frequencies. These frequencies are determined by several factors but in short, both the load the card causes as well as the incoming voltage matter. For example, 11.8V might be fine, 11.94 might cause noise, and 12.02 might be fine. It's just that the specific input voltage and output load is causing a certain frequency and duration of supply switchig to attain the target output voltage.

It can happen on motherboards, monitors, many other devices that use similar switching with wire-wound inductors. Capacitors do not make these kinds of noises unless very severely failed, the card would not work if the caps were that bad.

All the above is assuming it wasn't just the fan- different PSu and slightly different voltage levels will also put the fan into a slightly different RPM.

If anyone in the future faces a similar problem but not the ability to RMA/replace the part, coating the inductor coils with something like hard epoxy can eliminate the noise- but not all inductor coils are easily accessible and this would of course void the warranty even though it should not effect actual function of the card.

 

[MrWizzard]

Thanks for the info Mildless 1, didn't know it could have been that too.