Buzzing/Electrical Noise Corsair AX1200i PSU

[Brian 1975]

Just finished setting it up last night and it was working great. This morning it keeps making this intermittent coil noise. If i had to describe it, its this electrical sounding noise. I have 6 fans in my system (2 SP120, 2 AF120 + 2 C70 fans) and I can hear this thing over all of them!

Bought it from NewEgg and just filed for an RMA but I want to know if this is a known issue and if anyone else here has experienced a similar problem? BTW my old HX850 doesn't have this issue.

Here's a cell phone video I made:

[Khenglish 1154]

I can't remember the last time I got hardware that did not make noise. My HX850 makes that buzzing sound. My last laptop buzzed. My 550W OCZ PSU buzzed and chirped. My 580 clicked, my 460 clicked. even my gf4 4200 clicked for each frame. Maybe my np2096 was silent. I can't remember.

This laptop buzzes with a 19.5V PSU plugged in, but not a 19V (technically built for 19V). It also makes a click for each frame rendered. Headphones that are plugged in literally make an audible click for each frame. It's quiet so usually I can't hear it, but it's there. Personally I'd rather use fraps to track my FPS. Maybe clevo shouldn't have taken out so many capacitors from design to production to save on costs. There are at least a dozen empty capacitor pads on the motherboard.

[Brian 1975]

I can't remember the last time I got hardware that did not make noise. My HX850 makes that buzzing sound. My last laptop buzzed. My 550W OCZ PSU buzzed and chirped. My 580 clicked, my 460 clicked. even my gf4 4200 clicked for each frame. Maybe my np2096 was silent. I can't remember.

This laptop buzzes with a 19.5V PSU plugged in, but not a 19V (technically built for 19V). It also makes a click for each frame rendered. Headphones that are plugged in literally make an audible click for each frame. It's quiet so usually I can't hear it, but it's there. Personally I'd rather use fraps to track my FPS. Maybe clevo shouldn't have taken out so many capacitors from design to production to save on costs. There are at least a dozen empty capacitor pads on the motherboard.

LOL sounds like you got bad luck! What's odd is that the PSU isn't making that noise now that its warmed up. I'm still going to RMA it because obviously that chirping/coil sound whatever you want to call it shouldn't be there. The HX850 I got is dead silent, makes no noise at all, maybe you should buy it off me so you can finally have a product that doesn't click? Hahaha.

P.S. None of my Alienware's ever had clicking/chirping/coil noise.

[unreal25 786]

I don't hear anything like that. TX650 psu here. Yeah, just RMA it, I heard their support is pretty good. Then again, it may be something specific with these high-power psu.

P.S. None of my Alienware's ever had clicking/chirping/coil noise.

It's kind of difficult to hear it even if they had with all the fan noise in stock configuration.

[Brian 1975]

I don't hear anything like that. TX650 psu here. Yeah, just RMA it, I heard their support is pretty good. Then again, it may be something specific with these high-power psu.

It's kind of difficult to hear it even if they had with all the fan noise in stock configuration.

Heh well even with them overvolted to the max they never had coil whine or minimal at best. The guy that bought my M18x is lucky, its a fully tested system and OCs like mad.

[Jimbo 696]

I've never heard of it as a known issue with the AX1200 especially, but it is a known general issue. Sometimes it's just two components disliking each other. I've heard a PSU buzz when connected to my old GTX280, but not any other GPU. You just never know.

[Brian 1975]

Well in any case I'm gonna send it back and hopefully the next one doesn't exhibit the same behavior. They should have stuck with Seasonic for their 1200W supply instead of Flextronics. I'd have grabbed an Enermax if they had the same quality sleeves as Corsair...too late now.

[silvertop 10]

What else do you have connected to that circuit?

That raucous cricket noise sounds reminiscent of RFI from a nearby laser printer's fuser heater cycling.

Especially if it wasn't noticeable on day of initial startup.

Using Win 7/8? Re-evaluate your WEI score and see if that makes it go crazy.

[Brian 1975]

Replacement arrived today and there's no noise like the first one. So I guess that one was defective.

[cx-ray 14]

Well in any case I'm gonna send it back and hopefully the next one doesn't exhibit the same behavior. They should have stuck with Seasonic for their 1200W supply instead of Flextronics. I'd have grabbed an Enermax if they had the same quality sleeves as Corsair...too late now.

I have two Seasonic X-1250 power supplies. Both make noise depending on the type of load. Nothing I'm able to hear though, unless I put my ear right next to them. On occasion my GPUs whine quite a bit louder.

[Kimblah 10]

I have a Nexus NX-8500 and it is making this buzz. Is there any way to fix it by yourself?

[Xonar 410]

When my AX850 powers down, there is a whining noise for a little bit (discharge?). But it's so hard to hear...

[aeonoscence 11]

lower end psu's like ocz, tt and cm low spec psu's always buzz

just coil whining you can't stop it

that's why they're so cheap

my ax1200i doesnt buzz at all so it was a good RMA

don't think you can change coil whine - but as others have said check that it's not ur psu that's buzzing - when i had an antec tcp1200 it buzzed like crazy with a 680 - but it was the 680 making all the racket l0l

my 7970 buzzed as well under a silverstone strider 1000w

so i dont expect high end psu's to scream

[mortenmoulder 10]

My friend had the same problem. It's like an electrical coil noise. It's nothing like coil whine, right?

His problem was a faulty connection, and he sent it in for RMA and received a brand new one. PSU as well, and the brand was Corsair.

[irascible 10]

My last corsair made noise, but only when there was intense 3d graphic processing. Since switched to a seasonioc PSU, and had no issues. However, i've found every PSU has reports of making noise. Honestly, it's hit/miss. If you get one that makes noise that's noticeable outside of putting your ear against it, i'd RMA it.

[tUMi 12]

Back in 2008 I had a Corsair HX620 PSU that had a buzzing noise. The buzzing noise was audible only when running games and other 3D applications like benchmarks (3DMark etc.). I also remember that I had couple of GTX 280's and GTX 285's which also produced the buzzing sound during gaming, especially when the FPS was very high. It's very common to think that the sound comes from the PSU even it truly comes from the GPU. Most likely the sound comes from the coils of the PSU (or GPU) as people have already stated here.

No buzzing or whining sound issues with my current Seasonic X-650 PSU and EVGA GTX 780 Classified GPU.

[KYRUSS55 10]

That buzzing sound, sounds like a loose ground on the transformer.

[theta 10]

I've had issues in the past with the 1200 and 1500 Corsair models making noises (high-load coil whine). I switched over to the EVGA 1500 and haven't heard anything out of the ordinary at all. YMMV, of course.