Whistling Motherboard

[Xerin]

So yesterday I got my new QX6700, BFG nForce 680 motherboard and Corsair 2GB DDR2 XMS2 Dominator PC2-6400C4. Installed them all and when I turn the system on I can hear a whistling noise coming from the motherboard. The closest I can compare it to is an 56k modem when it's connecting, but not as loud. On it's own this might not have bothered me, but it does get more intense when the system starts to load anything... and Window XP and Vista BSoD when I install the drivers for the Geforce 8800 GX.

Vista did let me install the driver but then the system seemed to pause every few seconds, during which the mouse cursor wouldn't even move. Then it BSoD and would BSoD every time I rebooted.

I updated the BIOS to the latest version because I know there is an issue with data getting corrupted with the nForce 680i boards.

Any suggestions anyone? Please??

 

[Mr. Smith]

Sounds like a faulty mobo mate... If you have updated the bios, are running at stock but getting bsod then something is wrong... Have you got your old mobo to test the new components? Also, in the bios have you got everything set up correctly for your new gear, enough volts and so forth?

Try eliminate each component one by one... You might have to RMA something

 

[PV5150]

The whistler is installed on motherboards and gfx card to alert you that something is not plugged in usually. The gfx card one goes off if you forget to plug in the required power connectors, and the mobo will do it if you haven't plugged in the additional power connector. Your's seems to be a ill sounding whistler, most are quite shrill and annoying. I'd check all your connections and plugs first. I have included an example of a whistler on my gfx card, it's the small black cylindrical shape at the top right.

 

[Xerin]

I heard the whistle on the gfx card, just about scared the

out of me. It was LOUD. Because I had forgot to plug in the PCI-E connectors... this one is different. and like I said when it's in POST or idle it pretty much stops, as far as I can tell it whistles when there is HDD access.

Dumb question, doesn't the BIOS set up the correct volts etc for the mem, cpu etc by default?

 

[Ham]

Some do some don't in my experiance. My ASRock does, my Asus dosn't. (Talking about mem voltage)

 

[PV5150]

Dumb question, doesn't the BIOS set up the correct volts etc for the mem, cpu etc by default?

Yes it does by default usually. HAL (hardware abstraction layer and SPD in bios) usually takes care of the settings

... this one is different. and like I said when it's in POST or idle it pretty much stops, as far as I can tell it whistles when there is HDD access.

Sounds like a dodgey drive, that'd be my first place to look if you're sure everything else is plugged in. I just lost my RAID array on my main rig....big BSOD. Currently reinstalling now as we speak lol

 

[Xerin]

I forgot to sat that in POST it states the CPU as Quad Core XQ6700 @2.66Ghz 1.8Ghz. Same in comes up in Vista.

 

[FragTek]

Sounds like a bad cap on the mobo, or a cap that's beind deprived of power. They make that faint, yet annoying whistle when there's something wrong of they're not getting clean/enough power.

Have a spare PSU you can test with it mate? Make sure to update ur BIOS to the latest version available and then I would go in to the BIOS settings and manually adjust ur CPU voltage to spec... I know some mobo's and quad cores just don't play very nicely together.

 

[Xerin]

I've already updated my BIOS.

I was going to manually set the cpu voltage last night but I couldn't find the right specs with any of the documentation that came with the CPU.

I don't have a spare PSU with a powerful enough to test it with, so I will just start disconnectiong everything that I can and see if that makes a difference. Though it is a OCZ GameXStream 850W, with a second 650w PSU running the WC pump, and fans etc...

 

[Pyr0]

It's probably the inductors (usually around the cpu socket area) oscillating, apparently it's a fairly common occurance with the reference 680i boards.

A friend has just gotten rid his BFG board for the same reason - just squealing when overclocked under load.

According to BFG it was not a good enough reason to RMA

According to some reports on XS, a couple of people have had success in silencing the squeal/whistle by putting epoxy or hot glue onto the offending parts.

RE: CPU core voltage, try loading up CoreTemp and see what it says for VID

http://www.thecoolest.zerobrains.com/CoreTemp/

 

[Xerin]

What voltage should the CPU Core be for a QX6700? It's currently set at 1.16v in BIOS. The CPU is only at 1.8Ghz! It's supposed to be 2.66 ARGH!

The CPU temp never goes above 37C.

 

[Pyr0]

did you download coretemp?

what did it say for the VID?

using cpu-z to keep an eye on the CPU speed, does it increase to 2.66GHz when you start a super pi run (or anything else that puts a load on the CPU)?

have you got speedstep, EIST or C1 enabled in the bios?

these options will lower your CPU multi and Vcore when idle

 

[Xerin]

Well it is letting me boot into windows now, and the pauses have stopped. But the core speed is still 1866 Mhz.

The VID in Core Temp is 0.8250v

And it doesn't change when the system is under load

 

[Pyr0]

:s strange

intel specs say 1.100-1.372V

http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sspec=sl9ul

did you check for the throttling options in the bios? (speedstep & thermal control)

do you have the CPU multiplier set manually in the bios, it seems like it's only using a x7 multi

 

[Xerin]

Yep that is what it was. I set the mutiplier to x10 and it set to the correct 2.66 Ghz.

Bloody simple huh?

Now I just have to see if the BSoD's will show up again and if the whistling is going to drive me crazy or not