I got two gtx 980 reference cards from two different places about a week apart (I just couldn't live without SLi after so long) and the cards are in stealth mode. I hear nothing from them and the fans can barely be heard unless in the upper end, then I can hear them blowing but that's it. I'm not sure if there is some high tone I should be hearing if something is wrong or if we are talking about or that noise that bleeds into the audio. 
 
I can say I am very happy with with my cards and that I stuck with EVGA. 

Yes.
 
GTX 970 SC ACX 2.0
 
I can hear it over the fans and everything else inside my case. The higher the GPU load, the louder the coil whine, as you'd expect. Only had a few hours of use.

Only when i exit heaven benchmark i can just barely hear faint squealing for couple seconds and only really hear when im paying attention my tower is on desk about 3 feet away from were i sit.
Ill have my 2nd 980 in few days crossing fingers its all good.

No coil whine - 970 FTW

Yes.
 
I have the GTX 980 Superclocked with reference cooler. When I turn on my computer there's no coil whine for a couple of minutes but when my computer is turned on it just keeps getting louder and louder. The higher the load the louder the whine. Vsync/fps cap doesn't remove the whine.
 
The thing however is, when I have my headphones on, I can't hear a thing. My headphones are open so I can hear everything else quite well but I can't hear the coil whine with my headphones on. If I don't have my headphones on it's pretty damn annoying. I'm also unable to use my speakers now.
 
Unrelated to the thread: I plan on RMAing my 980. Does anyone know if it's possible to get a replacement product that's different, and pay the difference? I mean, I'd like to swap this reference 980 SC into 980 SC ACX2.0. Does anyone know if it's possible?

I have a GTX 980 ACX 2.0 and happy to say there is no coil whine present.

Appreciated if you do, and when was your step-up?  If you run passmark and don't hear any coil whine I'd honestly be shocked, but perhaps they've addressed it without making a public statement to avoid a series of mass returns. 
 
Yeah, I wish this issue was as simple as the more common internal audio screech, which can be directly dealt with.  This, unfortunately, can't be addressed at the consumer end without voiding warranties (glue/heat gun).  

I just got my EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW today (ordered via Amazon November 6th and came from Tiger Direct). The first thing I did was run Windows Experience Index. There was perhaps a dozen different frequencies audible. I then launched Minecraft (which I play without v-sync due to input delay/lag). It was more of the same. It's not just a barely audible, only in a few given games' logo FMV, constant tune either. It is a loud and variable squealing during actual game play (at least with Minecraft, but that was honestly enough for me to pull it and put the old one back in). It is quite literally unbearable. I cannot use this.
 
Reading that some of you went through like eight cards, or have heard every one do it, theorizing that some aren't putting them through scenarios that would expose it, or can't hear the high pitched noise (I tried recording it with my camera and it didn't pick it up...), makes me scared.
 
My EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti failed a while back, but it did not do this. I almost think rather than playing the RMA lottery (or maybe they all do it?), I should just return it and pass on the GeForce GTX 970 series? What do I do then? I'm on a PNY GeForce GTX 650 now, but it was only meant to be temporary until availability of these got better. I was planning on upgrading from the GeForce GTX 560 Ti anyway, but then it failed. I decided to give EVGA a chance despite others recommending against them for the GeForce GTX 970s. I never knew the coil whine issue was as big of a problem with these (I read of one mention of it but figured it was just one case). Now I'm finding out the hard way mine has what I would term as a defect, but it doesn't seem to be an EVGA exclusive thing?
 
*sigh* I really just can't catch a break. I already have so much time lost in this and I don't have the patience (or money) to keep throwing at it. This has been the most expensive graphics card I ever got, and it's probably the worst. I'm not even sure I want to RMA it. I might just return it and find a deal on a GeForce GTX 700 series or something (or did they have this too?), I don't know...

papnschmilees
Coil whine+1    970 SC ACX2.0 very audible even when capped at 60fps
 
Borderlands: TPS
Payday 2

I'd send it back. I am okay with coil whine when my card hits say 300 FPS with full load, like benching. However, if I get coil whine at anything below 200 I send it back. I had a 780 ti that I could hear in the other room when running at 40-60 FPS... I sent it straight back. For 600 bucks, my card better be pristine. 

There is some coil while on my 970 ACX 1.0 but only when running a benchmark. No whine while gaming or on idle. If there is while gaming, it's very little and I can't hear a thing.

Guess i'll join the club soon maybe next week with 2 980 SC's..lol
 
 

Just got my 970 ftw today. Put it on my system fired heaven and valley and there was a good amount of coil whine. I will do more testing on it on the weekend on my main system with a better psu to see how it behaves. I wasn't expecting to get to RMA it so soon.

970 FTW
nothing below 300FPS
slight buzzing above 300FPS
under compute load it does whine every now and then - the EVGA OC scanner compute test a 1280px causes some clearly noticeable whine, but it that at very high FPS and goes away if I turn on MSAA or up the resolution.
 
 

Just one thought. How about trying add an info about the gpus asic besides having coil whine or not to see if there is any correlation.

none, dual 970 FTWs, just loud fans :D