Description: This article contains some of the most frequently asked questions about coil whine from Winter 2019.

Q: What is coil whine?
A: Coil whine is a high pitched noise or whine generated by cables or wires inside electronic devices. It is usually outside the range of human hearing, but when it is audible, it can be highly irritating.

Q: Is coil whine harmful to my computer?
A: Though annoying, coil whine is not harmful to your computer.

Q: Can I do anything to remove coil whine?
A: Once a component begins to produce coil whine, there is not much that can be done to fix it. Your best course of action is to isolate which component is responsible and replace it. Most often your Video Card or Power Supply can be responsible for coil whine.

Q: Is there anything that can reduce the coil whine?
A: Whine can be reduced with sound dampening materials, active noise cancellation, or noise dampening headphones. Be careful not to insulate your PC too much though as airflow should never be obstructed.

Q: Can I replace my video card or power supply if it has coil whine?
A: Most manufacturers will not replace a component under warranty for coil whine alone.