PS5 Coil Whine Issues | Fixed by Experts

Do you have a PS5? If so, you may have noticed an issue with the loud coil whine. This problem has left many PS5 owners wondering what it is, what causes it, and how to fix it.

Sony has remained tight-lipped about the issue, but that doesn’t mean we can’t explore it ourselves!

This blog post will discuss everything there is to know about PS5 coil whine. We will answer all of your questions and provide some solutions to help you get rid of the noise.

PS5 coil whine is one of the most common problems with the 5th-gen consoles

What Is PS5 Coil Whine?

PS5 coil whine is a problem that has left many owners of the console frustrated. So what is it?

Actually, PS5 coil whine is a high-pitched noise that is generated when the electronic device (PS5) is in use.

On a purely technical level, PS5 coil whine refers to an undesirable noise emitted by an electronic component inside the PS5 body vibrating as power runs through the electrical cable.

What is PS5 coil whine

Just about anything with a power source can create coil whine to your PS5 to some degree, but it’s usually caused by an electrical current going through a power-regulating component like a transformer or inductor, causing its electrical wiring to vibrate at a variable frequency. This happens in almost all electrical devices, not just the PlayStation 5, usually at a frequency and volume that’s inaudible to humans, especially inside a metal or plastic case.

Coil whine happens in all electrical devices including the PS5

But when you’re dealing with high-powered components like those found in PS5 systems, especially the graphics card and power supply, these vibrations can be audible. This is especially true for anyone who’s sensitive to high-frequency noises. In bad cases, you can actually hear the pitch of the coil whine change as the GPU draws more or less power and the electrical frequency across various components shifts. It might be particularly noticeable when running a 3D game or high-intensity graphics application on your PS5.

PS5 coil whine is really nothing to be concerned about. It can be annoying, of course, but it isn’t like a rattling engine or a squeaking wheel—the noise is a byproduct of your PS5 and graphics card’s normal operation. Your PS5 system isn’t losing any performance or longevity because of coil whine.

NOTE

If you hear a distinct hissing or high-pitched whistling from the inside of your PS5 instead of a buzz or scratch, that might be the altogether different phenomenon known as “capacitor squeal.” You have to be concerned about it if it’s what you actually hear, as it usually indicates a failing component.

What Causes PS5 Coil Whine?

By now, you have already learned that the PS5 coil whine is caused by the electricity that flows through the coils in the device. The sound can be very annoying and can be heard even when the console is in standby mode.

Causes of PS5 coil whine

But, why does that sound happen in the first place?

There are many factors that can contribute to the PS5 coil whine. Some of these factors include the type of materials used in the construction of the device (either the PS5 console itself or a device connected to it), the wattage of the power supply, and even the ambient temperature of your room. The most common cause, however, is the design of the console itself. PS5 coil whine is more common in devices that have a lot of coils, such as the PSVR.

PS5 Coil Whine Is Noisy and Annoying

PS5 coil whine noise has been noticed by an increasing number of PS5 players, indicating that it is not an isolated occurrence but rather a fact in the 5th-generation consoles. Rather than being a source of concern, gamers find the coil whine sound somewhat annoying.

PS5 coil whine can be really noisy and annoying

In many circumstances, the noise may fade away with time, but in others, it will continue and may escalate in response to the console’s effort.

As a result, the coil whine is more likely to occur when playing games that need more power (for example, those in which the player moves quickly) or that demand a higher graphic load.

How to Know if Your PS5 has Coil Whine?

To verify whether your PS5 has coil whine or not, simply pay attention to see if noise arises when you play particular video games or when the game starts. The coil whine noise is always coming from the console’s rear, in the area below (when it is in the vertical position).

You can confirm that your PS5 has a coil whine if you hear a tiny noise or a noise that becomes louder with time.

So, in brief, the easiest way to know if your PS5 is exhibiting coil whine is to listen for it. The noise will be a high-pitched squeal that you can hear when your PS5 is in use. This noise will vary in volume depending on how close or far away you are from the console. If you’re not sure whether or not your PS5 has coil whine, try recording it and playing it back later.

How PS5 Coil Whine Affects The Internal Hardware

Fortunately, PS5 coil whine doesn’t necessarily mean that anything is wrong with your console’s inner hardware.

While it is the sound of parts of your PS5 hardware, literally, vibrating from having a large amount of power going through them, this doesn’t mean anything is coming dislodged or being damaged.

What it does mean is that you’ll need to take some special measures if you’re looking to reduce coil whine.

PS5 Coil Whine vs Fan Noise

The noise produced by the coil or an electrical component should not be confused with the noise produced by the console fan.

PS5 coil whine sound is different from fan noise

Looking back, the PlayStation 4 was notorious for being quite loud, especially when the game required a lot of power and the device was becoming hot. The fan, which was attempting to cool the machine, was the source of much of the noise in PS4.

As for the sound produced by the PS5 fan, it will always come from the console’s front, where it is loudest.

ٍSome power gamers were able to fix the PS5 coil whine problem (or what they thought was coil whine) simply by opening up the console and removing a loose sticker that was touching the fan blades. In such a situation, it isn’t actually a PS5 whining coil at all. It’s possible that you are also misinterpreting a fan obstruction as such.

What does PS5 coil whine sound like?

The sound of a coil whine can range from humming, buzzing, or whining to grinding. It can sound like a low, continuous buzzing, akin to a bee’s humming. Coil whine is described by other PS5 gamers as an obnoxious high-pitched sound. When you run a damp finger around the rim of a wine glass, it sounds quite similar to the PS5’s coil whine, as many gamers have described it. Other users have compared the noise to that of a small generator or an electric shaver.

Every gamer’s experience varies depending on their current console settings and the games they’re playing. Some of you may hear a high-pitched version, while others may hear a deep rumble comparable to that of an old refrigerator.

PS5 coil whining, according to users, is worse and more invasive than PS4 fans or coil whine on a PC GPU.

Tinnitus sufferers will not appreciate the buzz. Unfortunately, once you switch off the console, your tinnitus may begin to imitate it.

How long will PS5 coil whine last?

When you’re playing graphically intensive games on your PS5, the coil whine should disappear. However, some users have reported that the whining sound continues for a few minutes even when they are in Rest Mode or on the home page. However, there should be no audible coil whine three or four minutes after you exit your game.

The Majority of PS5 Consoles Have Coil Whine

The majority of PS5 consoles have coil whine, and most gamers have complained about it. It depends on your performance, FPS, and graphical settings, as well as the games you’re playing, whether you experience coil whine or not.

Most of PS5 consoles have coil whine

Sony, surprisingly, employs two separate fan models from two different vendors. If you obtain the louder fan, the coil whine may be hidden by the fan. The coil whine becomes more noticeable if you use the quieter fan option.

How to Fix PS Coil Whine

There are several ways that you can try to fix the PS5 coil whine. Here are a few suggested solutions that help you work around PS5 coil whine.

1. Keep Your PS5 Cool

The first thing you can do in order to fix PS5 coil whine is to keep your PS5 cool enough to operate flawlessly and seamlessly.

To put it in the very simplest terms, a game console like the PS5 works based on the movement of electronic impulses. When the PS5 chip gets warmer, it causes those impulses to travel more slowly. This can result in the electronic impulses not arriving when they are supposed to, causing the PS5 console to process numbers incorrectly, such as 1+1=0. This may cause coil whine in PS5 and your console can eventually crash/freeze. For that reason, proper cooling has become essential for keeping a game console stable.

In brief, electronic components perform at their best in a low-temperature environment.

But how to keep your PS5 cool in order to avoid/reduce coil whine?

There are a few ways to keep your PS5 cool. You can try to place it in an area where there is airflow, such as near an open window or door. You can also try using a cooling pad or fan. Moreover, make sure your PS5 is clean inside, as dirty PS5 is more prone to overheating which may promote coil whine.

2. Disable 120 Hz video output.

To disable 120 Hz video output in PS5, follow these steps:

  1. Launch the PS5 Settings menu.
  2. Select Sound and Screen.
  3. Select Video Output Format.
  4. Select Standard (1080p).

3. Disable Performance Mode

Disabling performance mode has been known to help with PS5 coil whine issues. This is done by following the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Select Power
  3. Select System Features
  4. Toggle off the Performance Mode

Do note that this will disable some PS5 features and games will take longer to load. However, your PS5 console will be quieter. If you’re still hearing coil whine even with performance mode disabled, then there might be a deeper issue. In this case, we recommend bringing your PS5 console to the nearest Sony service center.

4. Readjust the position of your stand or console

If you’ve tried disabling performance mode and it hasn’t worked, readjust the position of your stand or console. Sometimes PS5 coil whine can be caused by how the console is positioned in your gaming area. If you can, try moving it to a different spot and see if the coil whine goes away.

5. Ignore it for a while

In some situations, the problem may resolve itself over time. It might be worth attempting to ignore the noise for 3 days to a week before sending the console away and losing important playing time, or opening it up and potentially voiding the warranty. However, if the PS5 coil whine becomes worse rather than better, you must immediately stop using it and contact PlayStation Support.

NOTE

If your PS5 console is still under warranty, don’t forget that you can always contact Sony for repairs or replacements. Visit their website to learn more about their product warranty policy.

Conclusion

We hope that this blog post has helped to answer some of your questions about the PS5 coil whine. If you are still having problems, please feel free to contact us for more help.

For more PlayStation-related content, be sure to check out our other blog posts! Thanks for reading!


What Is PS5 Coil Whine?

PS5 coil whine is an issue that many PS5 owners are experiencing. It is a high-pitched squeal that you can hear when your PS5 is in use. The volume of the noise will vary depending on how close or far away you are from the console. If you're not sure whether or not your PS5 has coil whine, try recording it and playing it back later.

Why My PS5 Has Coil Whine?

The source of the coil whine noise, electromagnetic coils, are found in all manners of electrical devices connected to PS5 as well as the PS5 hardware components, and typically serve as inductors or transformers. As these devices have an electric current passed through them, they begin to resonate; at the right frequencies, these vibrations become audible noise, manifesting as a distinct whining hum. In general, the more power that flows through the coils, the more pronounced the whine will become — a problem for many PS5 cosoles.

How to Avoid PS5 coil whine?

Since the PS5 coild whine is the result of a physical process that occurs during the regular use of the PS5, there are few ways of preventing coil whine, such as keeping your PS5 cool and adjusting the position of your console. You can learn more on how to fixing PS5 coil whine through this article.

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6 Responses

  1. threads Bay says:

    I’m glad to see that the experts have been able to fix the coil whine issues on the PS5. I was starting to get a little bit frustrated with it.

  2. Poul says:

    As the name suggests, coil whine is caused by vibrating coils as power passes through the PS5’s GPU, resulting in an audible buzzing sound. Reddit is full of threads by disgruntled PS5 users, whining (sorry) about the whine.

  3. Runy says:

    My DualSense doesn’t seem to charge for more than a couple of minutes in rest mode, and it doesn’t charge past two bars for some reason. I also hear the coil whine. So far, everything else appears to be in order. So, how about you? Any really bad problems you’ve had, and how did you solve them or avoid them in the future?

    • PlayStation Expert says:

      Coil whine, as the name implies, is caused by vibrating coils as power passes through the PS5’s GPU, resulting in an audible buzzing sound. Reddit is full of threads by disgruntled PS5 users whining (sorry) about the whine.

  4. Liam says:

    I contacted PlayStation support to inquire about fixing my PS5’s obnoxiously loud coil whine, and I was told “that’s just how the system is under stress and there’s nothing we can do.” He essentially informed me that if I sent it in, they probably wouldn’t fix anything. Has anyone else had success getting theirs fixed for the same problem?

    • PlayStation Expert says:

      Make sure the PS5 is in a space that has good ventilation. If the issue still exists, open the console and clear any obstructions from the fans. For authorized repairs, you can also get in touch with PlayStation Support.

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