noise on onboard audio chips

[Nate_Cam]

Just built a new system. It is a gaming rig that i use as a MCPC as well. very very very happy... all bar the onboard audio. I am getting severe noise feedback, drives me crazy. It starts off as loud pulsing static that gets louder when i open applications. It changes to high pitched squeels and an electircal hum. I cant get rid of it by muting all audio channels, and it doesnt get louder as i turn up the volume. It is a 7 channel device, i am only using stereo speakers (usually high end headphones)

It is on gigabytes socket 939 nForce4 chipset with dual sata2 and dual SLi. I borrowed an old soudblaster live! 5.1 card in and i am getting great sound quality. anyone find a fix or suggest anything that may work?

[headkaze]

Sorry no fix, but I can say that I've experienced a similar issue in MCE. I notice it in quiet shows like Enough Rope where there is enough silence to hear a constant high pitched beep. It is very annoying. The only thing I can do to stop it is to exit MCE, and restart it. It goes away after that.

[aeon]

Originally Posted by Nate_Cam

It is on gigabytes socket 939 nForce4 chipset with dual sata2 and dual SLi. I borrowed an old soudblaster live! 5.1 card in and i am getting great sound quality. anyone find a fix or suggest anything that may work?

The only solution is the one you are using. If they are decent headphones and you are looking for the best out of them and external USB DAC and headphone amp is the way to go, or just a decent sound card if you also want to use it with speakers.

[Bryce]

Originally Posted by Nate_Cam

I borrowed an old soudblaster live! 5.1 card in and i am getting great sound quality. anyone find a fix or suggest anything that may work?

Hi Nate_Cam
Some suggestions:
Sometimes older type Sound Blaster cards pick up noise or interference when set next to internal PCI modem. humming buzzing
Move Blaster card away from modem.

If there is an on board sound chip on your motherboard go into your BIOS and check
the setting is set to Disabled.
Then
If you are using SoundBlaster card make sure the on board sound chip drivers on the motherboard are NOT installed.
(Some motherboard installation disks install without prompting.)
To check for this. Go to Start, Control Panel, Add Or Remove Programmes.
Look for the driver for that chip and uninstall. then reboot.

Run SounBlaster diagnostic test to check interupt settings:
Also go to Blaster Web site http://au.creative.com/support/downloads/welcome.asp
and doublecheck you have the correct drivers for your card or update to a more current driver.

And one last one.
Check the sound cable from CD/DVD is in the correct input on the sound card.

[Nate_Cam]

It is purely hardware, no matter what i do i get the annoying noise. I am getting great quality from the soundblaster live! card, so it is just the onboard audio that is poor.

Sounds like a pretty common problem and because it is all integrated its to hard to try to fix. I think i will just buy a soundcard.

Thanks for your help

[headkaze]

Without buying a new soundcard, the only advice I could give is to go to the website of your motherboard manufaturer, and download the latest driver for the onboard audio chip.

[Nate_Cam]

Yeah already tried that headkaze. nVidia have updated the audio drivers for all the nForce boards, but it didnt help in this case. I think it is electrical interference rather than a software fixable problem.