My video card is making noise, and it's not the fan

[Munky]

I'm not saying it's a problem, but I would have never believed it's possible until I heard it today for myself. It happens in certain OpenGL shader demos, mostly when there's vertex transformations happening, like rotating a 3d model. Once the model stops rotating the noise quiets down. Also, if I lower the clock speeds then the noise becomes less. It's a very high pitched electrostatic noise, sort of like what a CRT TV makes.

For example, when you run this demo it happens, but not in actual games. Anyone else seen it happen?

 

[Keysplayr]

Check for bulging or leaking caps.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: munky
I'm not saying it's a problem, but I would have never believed it's possible until I heard it today for myself. It happens in certain OpenGL shader demos, mostly when there's vertex transformations happening, like rotating a 3d model. Once the model stops rotating the noise quiets down. Also, if I lower the clock speeds then the noise becomes less. It's a very high pitched electrostatic noise, sort of like what a CRT TV makes.

For example, when you run this demo it happens, but not in actual games. Anyone else seen it happen?

Are you sure it's coming from the video card itself and not the PSU? Sometimes changing load on the PSU can result in 'coil buzz' or other high-pitched noises.

It could also be coming from the power regulation circuitry on the motherboard, or even on the videocard itself. As suggested, check the capacitors and other components for anything amiss.