Reports of Loud Coil Whine on PS5

Ferdie · Nov 24, 2020

Mr Eric said:
FYI a french website (Les Numeriques is a bit like Tom's Hardware in France, so quite serious) made a strange discovery : the PS5 is using 2 different types of fan. One seems very silent while the other not really. No way to know which is which until you open it, so it's a bit of a lottery if you get the good one or the bad one.

They found out that fan A is 39db while fan B is 43db while playing.

Google translate this to know more : https://www.lesnumeriques.com/conso...t-pas-dotees-du-meme-ventilateur-n157521.html

they also recorder the different sounds (with a big volume boost to hear the difference) from the fans and the power supply if you want to check it.

Why Sony did this again is beyond me. My PS4 slim was loud as hell and PS5 is quite noisy as well. I'm pretty sure I got 2/2 with the bad fan.

I don't want to open it already, fucking hell.

Ferrs · Nov 24, 2020

Ferdie said:
Why Sony did this again is beyond me. My PS4 slim was loud as hell and PS5 is quite noisy as well. I'm pretty sure I got 2/2 with the bad fan.

I don't want to open it already, fucking hell.

I'm with you here. I mean, coil whine sucks, but I find it absolutely crazy that I have to open my PS5 because somehow the fan isn't even well mounted and it vibrates. It's crazy for a 500€ product.

amstradcpc · Nov 24, 2020

gothmog said:
Not sure I would trust that. Console wars rage outside these walls. :)

Defective units of a brand new system they're trying to manufacture as fast as possible is to be expected. Sorry you have to experience that. I would contact Sony directly and tell them what's up before you go through BB. Sony hearing about it might help with their QC.

I would say coil whine in a normal unit is almost imperceptible as far as you dont look for it in a silent room. So, people not aware of its existence wont perceive it as noisy and much less identify it as coil whine but as just the fan making its function.

ParanormalFupa · Nov 24, 2020

Ferdie said:
Why Sony did this again is beyond me. My PS4 slim was loud as hell and PS5 is quite noisy as well. I'm pretty sure I got 2/2 with the bad fan.

I don't want to open it already, fucking hell.

It was to be expected. They never publicly acknowledged or recognized the noise issues with the PS4. It never seemed like a concern or priority going into the PS5. People claimed Cerny once provided adequate assurance that this wouldn't be a concern, but the general silence from Sony on this only indicated to me that whatever design and manufacturing philosophy that led to the noisy PS4, still existed.

You don't accidentally make a console that was absurdly loud as the PS4 was. It's either an accepted consequence of budget cutting during R&D or manufacturing or there is some engrained oversight where literally everyone at Sony games with headphones.

Ferdie · Nov 24, 2020

So, what is the best game to really stress the system and test the noise? I saw Borderlands 3 mentioned. It's on sale for 20 bucks.

KTroopA · Nov 24, 2020

ok so I checked and I have the type B fan, it is not loud though. go figure

coolguy949 · Nov 24, 2020

For me AC: Valhalla and I've heard Demon's Souls really makes it whine. If you don't want to spend $70 then it sounds like Borderlands 3 is one of the big offenders of coil whine. Also Fortnite does it for me.

Deleted member 52190 · Nov 24, 2020

ParanormalFupa said:
It was to be expected. They never publicly acknowledged or recognized the noise issues with the PS4. It never seemed like a concern or priority going into the PS5. People claimed Cerny once provided adequate assurance that this wouldn't be a concern, but the general silence from Sony on this only indicated to me that whatever design and manufacturing philosophy that led to the noisy PS4, still existed.

You don't accidentally make a console that was absurdly loud as the PS4 was. It's either an accepted consequence of budget cutting during R&D or manufacturing or there is some engrained oversight where literally everyone at Sony games with headphones.

Most peopel report that console makes zero sound, not quit sure were your comment is coming from.

Psychotron · Nov 24, 2020

coolguy949 said:
Looks like Push Square has put up a poll about coil whine:

Poll: Have You Experienced PS5 Coil Whine?

Whirred and wonderful

www.pushsquare.com

About 22% say they have it. Reading the comments is a bit saddening though as only one person has commented they have coil while as of this time. Everyone else says their system is silent even under gaming. I guess we are just the unlucky ones. I'm going to call Best Buy today to see what they can do for me.

My video is the first one. So many butthurt fanboys in the comments. They're so threatened by people being unhappy with their console they feel the need to insult and disprove them. Children, all of them.

ParanormalFupa · Nov 24, 2020

Snakeeee said:
Most peopel report that console makes zero sound, not quit sure were your comment is coming from.

Tell that to the people experiencing problems. You will have no problem finding them. Knowing that at least 51% of people state that their console makes no noise will be very reassuring. Nothing for them to be upset about.

Namikaze · Nov 24, 2020

I was enjoying PS5 until this thread lol. After turning off my air filter & fan, and putting my ear right on the PS5, I can hear slight coil wine.

My only concern is that just like my launch PS4 fan, the issue could continue to get worse to the point of being unbearable. Hopefully this won't be an issue in the future.

Sklaary · Nov 24, 2020

Does somebody has a video of a complete silent PS5? I never found one on YouTube. I still think there is no quite PS5 out there.

My PS5 DE is ok but not dead silent like the X.

Deleted member 52190 · Nov 24, 2020

ParanormalFupa said:
Tell that to the people experiencing problems. You will have no problem finding them. Knowing that at least 51% of people state that their console makes no noise will be reassuring.

Please.

You coment has nothing to do with that, you basicaly saying they did nothing to adress the noise compare to the ps4 which is a lie and besides that, you have 0 evidence of what you just comment.

Your comment just makes things worse with this hyperbolic, there are peopel with units with problems, doesnt mean that every single unit or the majority of the units have the same problem.

sumo · Nov 24, 2020

I've been trying to work out the different sounds mine is making. I think its getting a bit louder each day and to me it seems to be the fan bearings making the most noise now.

JohnnyToonami · Nov 24, 2020

Psychotron said:
My video is the first one. So many butthurt fanboys in the comments. They're so threatened by people being unhappy with their console they feel the need to insult and disprove them. Children, all of them.

Fanboys are idiots. The PS5 is a bit of a monkey's paw, thank god I only paid $23 for the thing. Loud coil whine, terrible UI and software issues plague it. Sure some people don't have any of these issues but compared to the launch of the PS4 it's worse and I played BF4 at launch.

ParanormalFupa · Nov 24, 2020

Snakeeee said:
Please.

You coment has nothing to do with that, you basicaly saying they did nothing to adress the noise compare to the ps4 which is a lie and besides that, you have 0 evidence of what you just comment.

Your comment just makes things worse with this hyperbolic, there are peopel with units with problems, doesnt mean that every single unit or the majority of the units have the same problem.

It was never suggested that all PS4 or PS5 units had/have problems. Nor should it be expected that they will all have problems, that is obvious due to the nature of the problems (high spinning fan with lots of potential variables) that are only known because people are trying to determine the cause on their own without the assistance, help, or recognition from sony.

what's the motivation for telling other people not to care about this? PS4 fan noise was 100% bullshit for consumers. There is no other way to describe it. Benefit of the doubt should not be extended after that.

OCD Guy · Nov 24, 2020

Fan A seems to have a higher pitch than Fan B, even though it was recorded as being quieter, the type of noise is far worse to my ears.

Also they mention that there is actually a Type C fan too. One featured in the Sony teardown video.

I find it interesting that out of their test sample of 5 consoles, 3 of them suffer from coil whine to varying degrees, but two of them don't have it at all.

Tolaschmied · Nov 24, 2020

But I do. 🙂😉

Had my working buddy calling and he said "I dont know what you mean, mine only makes BluRay Drive noises - you Always have Something to complain". Drove to him. 25min later. I could even hear it in the menu. He couldnt or at least he said he couldnt hear it at all.

So, that makes 4 out of 4. And the YouTube Video a few pages back was 5 out of 5. I wouldnt call it a lottery... I would say, the exception is a quite one...

So if you have a quiet one: Theres Something wrong with that unit... 😁

Experienced the Same with my LG C8 and C9 77" OLED. Both Coil whine while displaying a dark picture with White Text. Eg ending of a movie. Drove me crazy. LG Support said "we dont know of this Problem" - a few days ago they recalled C7, C8 and C9 devices because of "defective Power supply". LoL

Yuuber · Nov 24, 2020

Is coil whine audible from the get-go or is it a problem that occurs the more you play?

So far I really can't hear anything from my console.

Keibe · Nov 24, 2020

I think we should remember that manufacturers don't consider coil whine to be a defect.

Ctrl Alt Del · Nov 24, 2020

Elite49 said:
Fanboys are idiots. The PS5 is a bit of a monkey's paw, thank god I only paid $23 for the thing. Loud coil whine, terrible UI and software issues plague it. Sure some people don't have any of these issues but compared to the launch of the PS4 it's worse and I played BF4 at launch.

You only paid $23 for you PS5? No wonder it sucks.

Nordic4tKnight · Nov 24, 2020

Keibe said:
I think we should remember that manufacturers don't consider coil whine to be a defect.

No, but other noises coming from the fan could be a defect.

Deleted member 52190 · Nov 24, 2020

ParanormalFupa said:
It was never suggested that all PS4 or PS5 units had/have problems. Nor should it be expected that they will all have problems, that is obvious due to the nature of the problems (high spinning fan with lots of potential variables) that are only known because people are trying to determine the cause on their own without the assistance, help, or recognition from sony.

what's the motivation for telling other people not to care about this?

You should read your first comment, because this explanation is different that your first comment.

Didn't told anyone not to care about this, so dont say thins i didn't say, just told your that your comment about them not doing anything about the colling was wrong and continues to be wrong.

coolguy949 · Nov 24, 2020

Namikaze said:
I was enjoying PS5 until this thread lol. After turning off my air filter & fan, and putting my ear right on the PS5, I can hear slight coil wine.

My only concern is that just like my launch PS4 fan, the issue could continue to get worse to the point of being unbearable. Hopefully this won't be an issue in the future.

This is how my brother's PS5 is. Many of us here would love to be in your situation. 🙂 I hear mine from the couch 9 feet away.

ParanormalFupa · Nov 24, 2020

Snakeeee said:
You should read your first comment, because this explanation is different that your first comment.

Didn't told anyone not to care about this, so dont say thins i didn't say, just told your that your comment about them not doing anything about the colling was wrong and continues to be wrong.

If you have something to share that makes the problems being discussed in this thread acceptable, and me terribly wrong, please post it. Because whether I was right or wrong about cooling doesn't change anything for the folks in this thread or for the problems that you may or may not believe. I think it's a bullshit pattern of noise problems, bad for consumers, and worthy of being upset about given the history.

Deleted member 12317 · Nov 24, 2020

Mr Eric said:
FYI a french website (Les Numeriques is a bit like Tom's Hardware in France, so quite serious) made a strange discovery : the PS5 is using 2 different types of fan. One seems very silent while the other not really. No way to know which is which until you open it, so it's a bit of a lottery if you get the good one or the bad one.

They found out that fan A is 39db while fan B is 43db while playing.

Google translate this to know more : https://www.lesnumeriques.com/conso...t-pas-dotees-du-meme-ventilateur-n157521.html

they also recorder the different sounds (with a big volume boost to hear the difference) from the fans and the power supply if you want to check it.

There's even a part about coil whine from the PSU at the end with a SoundCloud audio clip, 3 out of their 5 PS5 have coil whine.

JohnnyToonami · Nov 24, 2020

Ctrl Alt Del said:
You only paid $23 for you PS5? No wonder it sucks.

ahahaha

Deleted member 52190 · Nov 24, 2020

ParanormalFupa said:
If you have something to share that makes the problems being discussed in this thread acceptable, and me terribly wrong, please post it. Because whether I was right or wrong about cooling doesn't change anything for the folks in this thread or for the problems that you may or may not believe. I think it's a bullshit pattern of noise problems, bad for consumers, and worthy of being upset about given the history.

You being wrong has why i made the coment in the first place, so yah, i whould say it matter quit a bit. But lets move on, no point in discussing this further

Ferrs · Nov 24, 2020

Well, Sony did take measurements to fix the PS4 noise with the PS5, not only they said it in some ocasions including their teardown video, I mean, look at it, it's huge and has a giant fan and heatsink, and it's certainly way better than the PS4. To be fair no console should have launched with the noise the PS4/Pro does, but here we are.

But even with that, they still failed, atleast partially, because the fan can be noisy for a lot of customers. The worst part is that it can be noisy due to a manufacturing error, and you simply had to buy a big lottery ticket. Atleast with the coil whine, even though it's also a lottery, everyone starts at the same place, with the fan you have to pray the gods they mounted that shit properly instead of having some part vibrating.

Tolaschmied · Nov 24, 2020

My theory: they got Wind of the 499€/$ price Point of series x in january or february and cut Corners. Cheap PSU. Simple as that.

SAINT_ · Nov 24, 2020

My brothers console has very slight coil whine when playing Miles, only noticeable when your right on top of it and the TV is on mute.

He didn't know what the hell I was talking about when I mentioned it 😂

Elite49 said:
Fanboys are idiots. The PS5 is a bit of a monkey's paw, thank god I only paid $23 for the thing. Loud coil whine, terrible UI and software issues plague it. Sure some people don't have any of these issues but compared to the launch of the PS4 it's worse and I played BF4 at launch.

If I only paid $23 for my PS5 I wouldn't care how loud it was lol

The UI does kinda suck tho.

MrFox · Nov 24, 2020

Yuuber said:
Is coil whine audible from the get-go or is it a problem that occurs the more you play?

So far I really can't hear anything from my console.

No idea, there are anecdotes of it getting better over time, and anecdotes of the oposite. In my own experience, I've never heard coil whine being loud or annoying. If mine was significantly audible from the couch, I would definitely return mine. I never heard coil whine audible beyond 1 meter. Maybe I've always been lucky?

I think audible coil whine is a recent phenomenon from the last 10 years or so, and probably because we have higher and higher current involved, meaning stronger and stronger magnetic forces inside inductors, and power management that don't create a full load continuously throughout each frame, creating pulsating noises in sync with the frame rate.

The molded inductors used on the PS4 motherboard cannot really produce coil whine (but the PSU can), it's the smaller ferrite-based ones that usually do. Those are necessary when going with higher current, the molded ones are only useful in limited situations. The ferrites are usually filled with resin, but the magnetic forces are still strong enough to resonate.

Deleted member 19533 · Nov 24, 2020

Yuuber said:
Is coil whine audible from the get-go or is it a problem that occurs the more you play?

So far I really can't hear anything from my console.

It is, but it's quieter in the OS than in a game. As soon as a game is going it ticks up. The whine/pitch fluctuates with what's on screen. I tried it on a few consoles in the opening area of Demon's Souls right where you start. The console sounds different looking forward from the start than it does turning the camera to the wall. It was repeatable on each system.

It, however, is not loud. It's just an odd sound you'd more notice cause it's more unusual than how loud it is. It's a buzzing magnetic sound. A hum you hear from a PC or even house lights.

There are loud units, for sure, but the system should not be loud. All units have it that I've seen, and all claims I've heard of silence so far with proof show they have the same whine. They just don't hear it cause it's seriously not loud.

JohnnyToonami · Nov 24, 2020

SAINT_ said:
If I only paid $23 for my PS5 I wouldn't care how loud it was lol

The UI does kinda suck tho.

When it's this loud you sure would lol

Ferdie · Nov 24, 2020

Mr Eric said:
FYI a french website (Les Numeriques is a bit like Tom's Hardware in France, so quite serious) made a strange discovery : the PS5 is using 2 different types of fan. One seems very silent while the other not really. No way to know which is which until you open it, so it's a bit of a lottery if you get the good one or the bad one.

They found out that fan A is 39db while fan B is 43db while playing.

I removed the plates and mine is fan B, of course...

I have the worst luck with my consoles :(

Webbo · Nov 24, 2020

Here's mine playing Black Ops Cold War in 120fps mode, I checked the fan and I'm pretty sure it's a type B (blades go all the way to the centre). The thing is I always play with a headset so I can't really hear it but knowing it's there just bothers me and I can here it clearly from my sofa when I take my headset off.

nikwhatsup · Nov 24, 2020

Not really coil whine but this is how my disc drive sounds every now and then when playing disc games.

Skulldead · Nov 24, 2020

Webbo said:
Here's mine playing Black Ops Cold War in 120fps mode, I checked the fan and I'm pretty sure it's a type B (blades go all the way to the centre). The thing is I always play with a headset so I can't really hear it but knowing it's there just bothers me and I can here it clearly from my sofa when I take my headset off.

I feel you I just tried Borderland 3... this is unacceptable...

Aranikasu44 · Nov 24, 2020

coolguy949 said:
I believe it was said before in this thread but it seems the coil whine intensity coincides with the frame rate of the game. I started to experiment more this morning to find a pattern. In Spider-Man Remastered it wasn't too bad until I switched the game from Fidelity mode to Performance mode. Now it sounds just as loud as my other 60 fps games like Fortnite and AC Valhalla. But for some reason AC Valhalla has an annoying pulsating sound to it that makes it a little more noticeable. It's also interesting how switching tabs in the Spider-Man menu will change the pitch if the sound as if it's some musical instrument.

Edit: Actually Spider-Man has the annoying pulsating sound too, especially while in Octavius' lab.

I'm sure mine has coil whine now too. I've just been playing Godfall and I have a buzzing noise coming from my system I'm sitting probably a meter away from it but its quiet but if I lean in close its buzzing.

When I switch weapons the buzz like goes and comes back as the weapons change or the items.

Guys, can coil whine actually break or damage my system and is there a chance it will ease?

Psychotron · Nov 24, 2020

Aranikasu44 said:
I'm sure mine has coil whine now too. I've just been playing Godfall and I have a buzzing noise coming from my system I'm sitting probably a meter away from it but its quiet but if I lean in close its buzzing.

When I switch weapons the buzz like goes and comes back as the weapons change or the items.

Guys, can coil whine actually break or damage my system and is there a chance it will ease?

It won't damage your system. It is an annoyance but shouldn't mess with performance.

Aranikasu44 · Nov 24, 2020

Psychotron said:
It won't damage your system. It is an annoyance but shouldn't mess with performance.

I feel that Godfall has some performance issues, after a while on mine only on Godfall it starts to stutter when picking up items?

Is this happening for anyone else too?

What causes coil whine? Just out of curiosity Psychotron?

Psychotron · Nov 24, 2020

Aranikasu44 said:
I feel that Godfall has some performance issues, after a while on mine only on Godfall it starts to stutter when picking up items?

Is this happening for anyone else too?

What causes coil whine? Just out of curiosity Psychotron?

It's caused by electrical current running through inductors. It causes a vibration that creates the buzzing we hear. This can be controlled by applying some glue to both insulate and hold things still. Feel free to correct me if I'm mixing anything up, anyone.

Techno · Nov 24, 2020

nikwhatsup said:
Not really coil whine but this is how my disc drive sounds every now and then when playing disc games.

Wow that sounds like a lawn mower lol.

Skulldead · Nov 24, 2020

Xcell Miguel said:
There's even a part about coil whine from the PSU at the end with a SoundCloud audio clip, 3 out of their 5 PS5 have coil whine.

Yeah now we have the proof this is not normal. Sony better made a statement soon, this give me weapon for my repair, thank to point this out.

Aranikasu44 said:
I feel that Godfall has some performance issues, after a while on mine only on Godfall it starts to stutter when picking up items?

Is this happening for anyone else too?

What causes coil whine? Just out of curiosity Psychotron?

this happen to godfall because it's always online, Digital Foundry explain it on their analyse.

Dantero · Nov 24, 2020

Webbo said:
Here's mine playing Black Ops Cold War in 120fps mode, I checked the fan and I'm pretty sure it's a type B (blades go all the way to the centre). The thing is I always play with a headset so I can't really hear it but knowing it's there just bothers me and I can here it clearly from my sofa when I take my headset off.

It sounds like my induction cooktop when I put it on max power.

zuf · Nov 24, 2020

I've started getting a slow, rhythmical clicking noise even when it's idling on the system menu with all games and apps closed.

It's more annoying than the coil whine, which is also there for pretty much any game.

Aranikasu44 · Nov 24, 2020

Psychotron said:
It's caused by electrical current running through inductors. It causes a vibration that creates the buzzing we hear. This can be controlled by applying some glue to both insulate and hold things still. Feel free to correct me if I'm mixing anything up, anyone.

So basically. Sony being cheap arse cunts. lol

Nordic4tKnight · Nov 24, 2020

zuf said:
I've started getting a slow, rhythmical clicking noise even when it's idling on the system menu with all games and apps closed.

It's more annoying than the coil whine, which is also there for pretty much any game.

Someone on Reddit contacted Sony and is sending their PS5 to them also had a ticking noise: https://www.reddit.com/r/PS5/commen...urce=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

Falus · Nov 24, 2020

Im satisfied with mine. If it get worse illl change it or repair in 6 month. Right now it's too crazy. Got another one stolen.

Ferrs · Nov 24, 2020

Btw this is my PS5, since I didn't upload a video. My phone sucks so it doesn't record sound very well

Reports of Loud Coil Whine on PS5

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