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The main project page remarks on the importance of having reports about hardware that is silent, given the natural tendency that "annoyed owners over-report and silent units under-report." Wood notes that the published coil-whine percentage for any one piece of gear is a ceiling rather than an estimate. For example, having 20 reports of coil whine and 20 reports of silence for a part doesn't automatically imply that half of the units are noisy. A part will only show a coil-whine verdict once at least 5 reports are collected.
If you're wondering what causes coil whine, it's a vibration-induced noise that originates in components that switch states at high frequencies. While physics dictates that low rumbles travel further, the human ear and brain are tuned for mid-range frequencies, which is why a whine with a low decibel reading might be exceedingly annoying (and also the reason why a crying baby sounds louder than anything else).
The "coil whine" designation originates from inductors with literal wire coiled around a core material, but is now colloquially used for other parts that can exhibit similar behaviors like transformers, chokes, and ceramic capacitors.
Coil whine can be musical, demonstrates engineering student
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/techie-creates-a-database-of-coil-whining-graphics-cards-power-supplies-and-liquid-cooler-pumps-open-source-project-wants-community-reports-of-affected-parts#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/membership
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.