Electrical Interference on Sound at high load

[Derezed_]

Hello...back in a different sub-forum with the same problem.

I got an RMA for my mobo to check if it was generating dodgy sound and got my mobo back no fault found.

My situation is when playing games, not even necessarily high GPU load games, I get interference in my sound output. It sounds like static electricity, or sometimes like an electrical substation.

Example of sound here. It seems it starts by having a sound from the game that sounds kind of like interference (like a rocket taking off) and then decides that's part of the sound for ever more.

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I have an X670E Pro RS. I have issues with two different sound devices (one 3.5mm jack, and any my USB headset), and three sound outputs (HDMI through graphics card, onboard graphics through 3.5mm audio jack and sound blaster x through 3.5mm headphone jack).

I want to test if using the SPDIF out of my soundcard can break this problem by hopefully taking a pure digital signal minus noise along a fibre to a seperate DAC and then converting it to an analog signal without the noise presumably being generated by my Graphics Card / MOBO / CPU AIO / RAM / PSU / WiFi card.

Does this sound like a sane thing to test or should I save my money and bin my new rig?! If it does, I need to buy a DAC with an SPDIF input and a 3.5mm jack output (or headphone would do). I can see lots of sparky boxes on sale on Amazon for £10.00, but it can't be that simple right?

I also assume that the "noise" from whatever component or components are generating it travels along my HDMI/DisplayPort/USB/3.5mm jack wire and won't travel along the fiberoptic SPDIF cable...am I right or just talking rubbish?

 

[Derezed_]

I notice that the Audio chip for this motherboard is between my GPU and the PSU in my case. If either of those are generating noise, I am guessing it is being carried from the audio chip to the audio outputs? Sound unlikely now that I say it. If you watch the video above, you can see that the sound is fixed as soon as you change any setting in sound settings. Changing anything immediately makes it like there was never a problem. You can also change back to the original; setting that had the problem, same thing. It's like the interference gets stuck somewhere and stays forever until a reset...either a power off or a change in sound state that presumably clears the line. This is me clutching at straws right now using a system with borked sound.

 

[Tetras]

What did you change during the (end of the) video, when it stopped?

 

[Hotwired]

I also assume that the "noise" from whatever component or components are generating it travels along my HDMI/DisplayPort/USB/3.5mm jack wire and won't travel along the fiberoptic SPDIF cable...am I right or just talking rubbish?

The only way you're removing noise by using a fibre optic cable is if the metal cable is collecting interference along the way. If the computer believes the "noise" is the correct signal to be sending then it doesn't matter what cable you use, it's going to ship you the same thing.

The fact that merely twiddling the sound in software resets the sound to normal would suggest it's not the cable. I'd be strongly suspecting a software bug and if it's multiple unrelated games then I'd suspect something to do with windows or the motherboard drivers or any software you're using that manages the motherboard sound.

 

[Derezed_]

What did you change during the (end of the) video, when it stopped?

Literally anything. Sample rate, enhancements on/off. Changing output from speakers to headphones removes the noise. Extremely irritating.

The only way you're removing noise by using a fibre optic cable is if the metal cable is collecting interference along the way. If the computer believes the "noise" is the correct signal to be sending then it doesn't matter what cable you use, it's going to ship you the same thing.

I know sadly. That's what I am dreading but tend to agree with you. If it's physical, I can try to actual solve it. If it's software I'm screwed.

The fact that merely twiddling the sound in software resets the sound to normal would suggest it's not the cable. I'd be strongly suspecting a software bug and if it's multiple unrelated games then I'd suspect something to do with windows or the motherboard drivers or any software you're using that manages the motherboard sound.

I haven't seen much chatter about this issue though so I am pretty confused since if it was software, my setup isn't exactly exotic so I would expect more people to be encountering it. It's game breakingly ball breakingly annoying though.

I have a friend bringing an external soundcard round today to test that out. Fingers crossed the system can spit out a raw audio signal without noise.

If it turns out that it IS software, I agree that it is likely windows and/or motherboard...if it is I am surely doomed to play games with terrible static like it's 1948. It is unlikely to be sound driver specific since the problem occurs with my RealTac audio as well as my Sound Blaster X, assuming they use different shizzle in the background and don't share some broken common library. Again, plenty of people use onboard sound with no issue. I am just special.

 

[EsaT]

That doesn't sound typical load related interference.

Have you run DPC latency test?

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[Derezed_]

Hey EsaT,

Yeah, I have used that. It comes back red (problem). It was the first evidence I used with ASROCK to demonstrate that there was a problem. They suggested ignoring that and going a different route.

I have now removed my Sound Blaster card (bought specifically to try to address this issue) and reverted to the onboard sound. I am getting better results so far, but I am guessing it is only a matter of time before the interference comes back.

One thing from leftfield is if it is interference on an input port. I noticed on the sound card and on Windows 11 that I had zero option to select "No Input Device" for an input device...it defaulted to some input device or other. There was certainly no microphone plugged into the socket but I wondered if interference could occur on that if it was loud enough. Probably not.

My optical suggestion above failed, so the issue is internal to the case if it is physical.

 

[EsaT]

Bad DPC latency can definitely cause that kind of breaking up of sound when audio data packets get delayed for too long...
Or maybe even discarded from being so out of sync?

Actually that noise is quite similar to what bad intermittent analog cable connection can cause.

So time to use drivers tab of LatencyMon to start looking for what might be causing the issue.
There's possibly multiple entries showing high execution time.

 

[Derezed_]

It's normally the Nvidia driver that is top of the list which is apparently normally the case.

Not much I can do about it though...downgrade drivers? My motherboard is a new chipset so it could potentially be to blame, my PSU might not be good enough to handle real spikes in power demand (although it is overspecified for my current system). Nightmare.

LatencyMon is where I started. Is it where I give up?

I am holding out on a malfunctioning NVmE M2 drive...but I am again clutching at straws.

 

[JasonM]

It's strange the issue is on both a sound card and motherboard audio.

I would disable all the various inputs, so line-in, mic-in and so forth, just disable everything not in use.

Disable all the effects in your sound settings, that's if you have anything on. Make sure spatial audio is off.

I would set all your audio to 24/48Hz, even 16/44.1, and see what happens.

I would make sure it's not your amplifier / speakers (and not the computer)

Have you tried connecting the amp and the computer in separate wall sockets (as in not the same power strip!) to reduce the possibility it's a ground issue.

 

[swampy]

You could try running the pc outside the case? Lay the motherboard on the box , make sure psu is outer the case too
sometimes cases can do strange things

 

[Derezed_]

It's strange the issue is on both a sound card and motherboard audio.

I would disable all the various inputs, so line-in, mic-in and so forth, just disable everything not in use.

Disable all the effects in your sound settings, that's if you have anything on. Make sure spatial audio is off.

I would set all your audio to 24/48Hz, even 16/44.1, and see what happens.

I would make sure it's not your amplifier / speakers (and not the computer)

Have you tried connecting the amp and the computer in separate wall sockets (as in not the same power strip!) to reduce the possibility it's a ground issue.

Hi Jason,

1) I have disabled everything. I cannot seem to actually disable the mic in...it shows a device whatever I do, even though no device is plugged in...the port is active...I would hope that when muted it won't do anything, but I don't trust the mic in.

2) All disabled.

3) Set to lowest possible.

4) It's probably the computer.

5) Yes on the separate wall sockets for all things. No difference.

 

[Derezed_]

An update on this.

I have performed a set of complex operations and may have solved the issue by doing the following:

1) Uninstalling Windows 11
2) Installing Windows 10

I am beyond irritated, but the issue appears to have gone.

Lots of points to people who pointed at software. Guess I'll have to wait until that new OS is stable enough for my ancient system!

Of course it wasn't that simple. The problem went away...and then came back with avengeance.

So...intermittent is definitely the word. Does this mean it is likely to be an external issue? Don't PSUs harmonise the electricity coming into the box so there are no fluctuations?

On the Windows 10 box, it appears to be trying to fix itself...the interference doesn't stay the same way as it did with Windows 11. Just as bad though...it started to lag up a bit too...

I am going to have to run the thing out of the box.

 

[Derezed_]

So, I cannot yet reproduce the issue with my machine outside of the case.

I have a 4000D Airflow which is a little tight with my AIO rad on the top. If I switch the AIO to the side it is difficult to get a decent amount of cold air to push over the components.

If I don't get the issue when the machine is on its box and not in the case, what's the diagnosis / prognosis from the experts?

 

[JasonM]

Is your case painted? It could still be a grounding issue or lack of grounding. In short painted cases prevent a computer from being grounded correctly.

You have to scratch paint from the PSU screw holes, plus don't use painted screws if you have them in use. The first picture is some additional grounding I added to the HDD's, however it's the PSU grounding that's most important.

 

[Derezed_]

So I took the board out of the case and popped it on top of the anti static bag it came in. Ran it for a while and the problem has returned. I think that eliminates the case as the source of the problem.

I have now removed my GPU and the sound card which would leave the following components:

1) Motherboard (ASRock X670E RS Pro)
2) CPU (AM5 7700X)
3) Ram (32 gb Corsair Vengeance 5200, running at 4800 because interference)
4) PSU (Corsair RM750x)
5) AIO (Corsair ICue H115i pro xt)
6) Drive (Samsung 970 Evo Plus)

Apparently I like Xs in my components

 

[JasonM]

So I took the board out of the case and popped it on top of the anti static bag it came in. Ran it for a while and the problem has returned. I think that eliminates the case as the source of the problem.

It could still be a grounding issue, or lack of grounding, that is causing this.

Also, do you have a spare PSU you can try?

 

[Derezed_]

I do not have a spare PSU. I will soon request an RMA for it, but I doubt the issue will be reproducible so I'll just get it right back (as happened with the mobo). Likely an unholy alliance of components and drivers that has doomed me to keep a £2000 junk heap.

 

[JasonM]

Likely an unholy alliance of components and drivers that has doomed me to keep a £2000 junk heap.

There is normally a single reason, you just have to find it.

PS Have you tried resetting your BIOS?

 

[Derezed_]

Hi Jason,

I have flashed my BIOS several times but this problem has remained consistent throughout. I have previously reset CMOS by shorting the jumper too.

I can't reproduce the issue with built in sound and built in graphics. I don't know if this is because the GPU is causing interference itself or if the system doesn't have enough load to get stressed enough to perform.

What I really want to do is a boiler repair: keep replacing bits until it works. That's cost about a grand though which is a little steep.