If you can fix it by messing around with the software (I think you said changing literally any option solves the problem?), then I don't think there's a hardware issue here, but I also can't say what the problem is likely to be. The people who made the software might have a better idea.
Electrical Interference on Sound at high load
- Thread starter Derezed_
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If you can fix it by messing around with the software (I think you said changing literally any option solves the problem?), then I don't think there's a hardware issue here, but I also can't say what the problem is likely to be. The people who made the software might have a better idea.
So removing my GPU and just running the AMD graphics I have no sound issue.
The OCUK support guy said to run Prime95 Torture Test (small FFEs). My temps hover around 91 degrees with a power draw of 145 watts. If I have my GPU plugged in while running this test and I test sound, I get distortion. Without the GPU plugged in, no distortion. Any idea why removing the GPU from the equation would lead to no sound issue? Power Draw? Interrupt BUS?
The OCUK support guy said to run Prime95 Torture Test (small FFEs). My temps hover around 91 degrees with a power draw of 145 watts. If I have my GPU plugged in while running this test and I test sound, I get distortion. Without the GPU plugged in, no distortion. Any idea why removing the GPU from the equation would lead to no sound issue? Power Draw? Interrupt BUS?
Running both the onboard sound card and the Creative card simultaneously can cause issues. I would disable your onboard card via the bios and uninstall any installed Realtek audio drivers. Does the problem occur with only the Creative card enabled and the GPU running?
These are my thoughts on this.
1) It's possible the graphics card is injected noise into the computers power at high load.
2) Another option the PSU is injecting the noise, but it's only occurring when it's under high load (from the GPU).
3) It's possible it's BIOS, are you running latest BIOS version and / or have you reset the BIOS to default settings.
I still find it odd it's occurring on both motherboard and sound blaster card, as the suggestion above I would disable onboard audio and test sound card only.
You could also do with another PSU to test against.
Does the computer work well otherwise, are you seeing random crashes for example?
1) It's possible the graphics card is injected noise into the computers power at high load.
2) Another option the PSU is injecting the noise, but it's only occurring when it's under high load (from the GPU).
3) It's possible it's BIOS, are you running latest BIOS version and / or have you reset the BIOS to default settings.
I still find it odd it's occurring on both motherboard and sound blaster card, as the suggestion above I would disable onboard audio and test sound card only.
You could also do with another PSU to test against.
Does the computer work well otherwise, are you seeing random crashes for example?
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Soldato
- Joined
- 6 Sep 2016
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That sounds far worse than electrical interference almost like short circuit and arcing going on.
So the motherboard had a sticker over the RAM slots...I may have got all of it, but I suspect residue may be creating shorts...OCUK don't agree, board came back to me no fault found.
Messing with the RAM timings/voltages creates more of the noise/less of the noise. Under load it comes back. Not sure where to go from there. After telling me it had nothing to do with RAM, ASRock are now asking about tertiary RAM settings...not something I am familiar with or qualified to alter! XMP profile = no good at all. Brave new world.
Messing with the RAM timings/voltages creates more of the noise/less of the noise. Under load it comes back. Not sure where to go from there. After telling me it had nothing to do with RAM, ASRock are now asking about tertiary RAM settings...not something I am familiar with or qualified to alter! XMP profile = no good at all. Brave new world.
Thanks guys.
Tetras, on the fixing front, it does seem to resolve when the program has been terminated (whether this is because the load instantly disappears or some other reason I can't say). Changing sample rate no longer fixes it while the program that has the dodgy sound is running (now using Cyberpunk 2077).
Theforce. Soundcard is now out of the equation.
JasonM. Injecting is the word. I can see the interference on the volume monitor so it's part of the signal. I am waiting on a "spare" GPU.
BIOS wise I am ok. I am running the latest version, all set to automatic.
Memory tests work fine..the one thing I DO have is a spare DDR5 kit.
System wise, it seems pretty solid since a scorched earth install of Windows 11. No slow down in game performance, no glitching, nothing. Just this static/popping from all sound devices.
I am gaslighting myself now and working with ASRock support to fix my BIOS settings...
Tetras, on the fixing front, it does seem to resolve when the program has been terminated (whether this is because the load instantly disappears or some other reason I can't say). Changing sample rate no longer fixes it while the program that has the dodgy sound is running (now using Cyberpunk 2077).
Theforce. Soundcard is now out of the equation.
JasonM. Injecting is the word. I can see the interference on the volume monitor so it's part of the signal. I am waiting on a "spare" GPU.
BIOS wise I am ok. I am running the latest version, all set to automatic.
Memory tests work fine..the one thing I DO have is a spare DDR5 kit.
System wise, it seems pretty solid since a scorched earth install of Windows 11. No slow down in game performance, no glitching, nothing. Just this static/popping from all sound devices.
I am gaslighting myself now and working with ASRock support to fix my BIOS settings...
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That is strange also. For you to see the interference on the volume monitor, it would have to be on the digital side, so maybe it's coming from a line-in, or mic-in, then windows is mixing it into the output ??
EDIT. That would also explain why it's on two sound devices (sound card and motherboard audio). You don't have a USB mic or web cam plugged in do you?
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So...the issue is definitely heat related.
With fans set to a standard curve instead of ear splitting mode (performance), the problem comes along. I then bumped the fans up to 100% and whatever component was too hot got cooled down enough for the issue to stop.
Problem is...no idea which component got too hot!
All temperatures on sensors appear fine. CPU temps all good, GPU temps all good, M2 drive all good...no idea about PSU temp, but feels cold exhaust.
My graphics card does sit above the X670 chipset heatsink though which gets nice and toasty...I do wonder if the heat vented from the graphics card is negating the benefit of the chipset heatsink.
What I would love to do is vertical mount the GPU to move it away from other components...but the 4000D is a terrible case to do that with!
Sound wise, does anybody have any experience of buying £30 Noctua case fans over Arctic BioniX fans. So they do the job apparently...cool the system such that whatever is getting too hot doesn't get too hot...but! Noise wise they're loud...
With fans set to a standard curve instead of ear splitting mode (performance), the problem comes along. I then bumped the fans up to 100% and whatever component was too hot got cooled down enough for the issue to stop.
Problem is...no idea which component got too hot!
All temperatures on sensors appear fine. CPU temps all good, GPU temps all good, M2 drive all good...no idea about PSU temp, but feels cold exhaust.
My graphics card does sit above the X670 chipset heatsink though which gets nice and toasty...I do wonder if the heat vented from the graphics card is negating the benefit of the chipset heatsink.
What I would love to do is vertical mount the GPU to move it away from other components...but the 4000D is a terrible case to do that with!
Sound wise, does anybody have any experience of buying £30 Noctua case fans over Arctic BioniX fans. So they do the job apparently...cool the system such that whatever is getting too hot doesn't get too hot...but! Noise wise they're loud...
Thanks Eddie, that was one of the things ASRock told me to do. I actually set it to Gen 4 (I think) since I didn't trust Auto.
I have also decided I have two issues!
1) My Soundblaster Z SE appears to actively attract electromagnetic interference which is why I get that spicy arcing electricity sound only with that card. Sadly, the sound is vastly superior to the onboard sound which is just a bit trashy.
2) The games I have decided to play have known issues with the kind of sound issues that I have been having, namely:
a) Cyberpunk 2077 and (this guy's video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avpI3byI1o4 has the problem sound I experience and the solution works too, as long as you have two audio devices actually plugged in)
b) Android: Become Human. Same kind of sound issue as Cyberpunk.
I thought it was all down to my GPU heating up (which it might be, but who knows!), but I have been playing games like Farcry 5 on Ultra, 4k resolution with zero sound issues...so far.
Sound cards seem to be a thing of the past so I am not sure how I can get better sound!
I have also decided I have two issues!
1) My Soundblaster Z SE appears to actively attract electromagnetic interference which is why I get that spicy arcing electricity sound only with that card. Sadly, the sound is vastly superior to the onboard sound which is just a bit trashy.
2) The games I have decided to play have known issues with the kind of sound issues that I have been having, namely:
a) Cyberpunk 2077 and (this guy's video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avpI3byI1o4 has the problem sound I experience and the solution works too, as long as you have two audio devices actually plugged in)
b) Android: Become Human. Same kind of sound issue as Cyberpunk.
I thought it was all down to my GPU heating up (which it might be, but who knows!), but I have been playing games like Farcry 5 on Ultra, 4k resolution with zero sound issues...so far.
Sound cards seem to be a thing of the past so I am not sure how I can get better sound!
An external DAC is the way to go.
DAC n00b here, but what do they bring to the party? From my (very) limited knowledge, sound cards used to take on the audio processing and output that presumably CPUs used to do. Then we got onboard audio chips which should have made sound cards redundant but were of varying degrees of quality so sound cards survived. Then sound cards seemed to have fallen foul to not being in their own Faraday cages and not being able to cope with all of the electrical noise flying around inside PC cases so we get external DACs.
Does an external DAC actually do the raw audio processing via the USB connection (as in it is as if it is an internal soundcard, but with the benefit of being external to the noisy box), or does it need a feed from the onboard sound (such as a digital out?).
Looking at DACs I can't make head nor tail of them, all I know is that the sound blaster is next to useless because: EMI and the internal sound (realtek) is pretty shonky (not delivering the sound experience of the sound blaster except for the benefit of not having raw electrical arcing noise comign throught he speakers).
I do have an external DAC, but it cost 10 quid so is likely literally just there to take a digital signal from my onboard sound and convert it to analogue for my speakers...like for like (no special effects).
Does an external DAC actually do the raw audio processing via the USB connection (as in it is as if it is an internal soundcard, but with the benefit of being external to the noisy box), or does it need a feed from the onboard sound (such as a digital out?).
Looking at DACs I can't make head nor tail of them, all I know is that the sound blaster is next to useless because: EMI and the internal sound (realtek) is pretty shonky (not delivering the sound experience of the sound blaster except for the benefit of not having raw electrical arcing noise comign throught he speakers).
I do have an external DAC, but it cost 10 quid so is likely literally just there to take a digital signal from my onboard sound and convert it to analogue for my speakers...like for like (no special effects).
Most of them connect via USB, some will have optical inputs too. They also need an amp unless it's a dac/amp combo.
Special effects aren't necessarily a good thing, mostly marketing gimmicks that lower the sound quality. Which £10 DAC do you have? There are good quality cheap options like the Apple USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.
It's really noddy. Something I bought to test the theory that the interference was on the wire (it wasn't). It's called a PRO-SIGNAL PSG3432 DAC. Literally says "HD Video/Audio Converter".
Without the spatial effects (aka enhancements), my onboard sound isn't doing the job it's supposed to. I have re-enabled enhancements since without them the sound output for games just isn't correct (you only get part of the sound so what's the point?). Happier now I know that Cyberpunk and Detroid: Become Human are known for having a sound bug that sounds like mine. The Sound Blaster issue is irritating but I am going to send it back to them to tell me nothing is structurally wrong with it. Makes me think of the Jam episode with the TV that's full of lizards.
ALSO I know I'm in the wrong place to say this but I am using the HDMI sound output from my GPU now anyway...I am not an audiophile but when a character in game says "he wanted to go out with a bang" and there was no bang, even my deaf ears knows something is wrong! Or when all I can hear is loud footsteps and no background traffic noise...Farcry 5 has saved my sanity with this one...I think I am reconciled to using HDMI (Nvidia driver) over my onboard sound because...what's the difference anyway!?
Without the spatial effects (aka enhancements), my onboard sound isn't doing the job it's supposed to. I have re-enabled enhancements since without them the sound output for games just isn't correct (you only get part of the sound so what's the point?). Happier now I know that Cyberpunk and Detroid: Become Human are known for having a sound bug that sounds like mine. The Sound Blaster issue is irritating but I am going to send it back to them to tell me nothing is structurally wrong with it. Makes me think of the Jam episode with the TV that's full of lizards.
ALSO I know I'm in the wrong place to say this but I am using the HDMI sound output from my GPU now anyway...I am not an audiophile but when a character in game says "he wanted to go out with a bang" and there was no bang, even my deaf ears knows something is wrong! Or when all I can hear is loud footsteps and no background traffic noise...Farcry 5 has saved my sanity with this one...I think I am reconciled to using HDMI (Nvidia driver) over my onboard sound because...what's the difference anyway!?
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This isn't correct, virtual surround sound doesn't add any extra details over stereo. It's the same sound which has been modified to make it sound like it's coming from a different direction, usually degrading the sound quality.
Whatever is going on, without "enhancements" the sound appears to be out. I have a very simple two speaker setup, set to stereo. I think games are trying to output to a 7.1 system without letting me set options to not do this. I am not sure if the "enhancements" are just processing that surround stream into one single stereo stream. Either way, without the enhancements on, I only get part of the picture.
. Nope.