Sound cracking/popping

[snookle]

I have a Sound Blaster Audigy Gamer and I just installed a new motherboard (Abit AV8), processor (AMD FX-55), and video card (ATI X800 XT PE). Of course I had to format after doing so, but now I notice that my sound card makes a popping or zapping type noise when a sound is playing and the computer is used (switch windows, browse websites, etc.). I checked for wires touching both inside the computer and outside, but everything seems to be clear. What could be causing this? It's very annoying.

Drivers are current.

 

[Rike]

What type of speakers are you using? If they are old, wires may have broken inside the insulation and you'd never see it.

 

[snookle]

Headphones, actually, Sony MDR-V900. I don't just use them for my PC.

edit: I forgot to mention I've tried them on my TV and they're fine, so I don't think that's it.

 

[Rike]

That's funny. I use the exact same model headphones. But that dosen't help your problem. Are you sure you have the right port on the card?

New thought: did you disable the Abit AV8 on-board audio in the BIOS? If you didn't, that could certainly cause some conflits.

 

[snookle]

You know I've noticed something that might possibly be happening as well. It seems like my computer is unstable when dealing with audio. I've had it crash twice now, both times when dealing with audio.

Another thing is that when I was seeing how onboard audio sounded, it was VERY noisy and when I realized I had my headphones plugged into the wrong port, the computer rebooted when I took them out of the incorrect port to place it in the correct one.

This isn't a case of a motherboard shorting out is it? I can't say I've ever had that happen, so I don't really know what could cause such things. I've since deleted all the onboard audio things, but the sound card issues still remain.

 

[yhelothar]

IRQ conflicts. Go to system information in start/accessories/systemtools.

 

[snookle]

What should I do from here? There are some things on the same IRQ:

IRQ 21 shows the following:

OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller (x 4)
VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller

All say OK though.

 

[Rike]

The things you describe are a little strange. Double check and make sure the card is fully seated in the PCI slot. If that doesn?t work, try a different slot. Also, it's possible the card is dying; it's not a new card I assume. You could always try a new card and just use the on-board stuff for a while. In any case, I'd try a new sound card before I RMAed your mobo. Given the money you just dropped on this system, a new Audigy 2 would look cheap.

 

[yhelothar]

Your Audigy is on its own IRQ? Guess the problem lies deeper than IRQ conflicts then.

 

[snookle]

This isn't a new card by any means, and I have in the past had issues where I'd be playing a game and the audio would suddenly shoot me some static and reboot the computer, but nothing as annoying as this has become. It seems like when I'm not using any audio (like right now) everything runs smoothly, but if I turn on some music it becomes unstable.

I can't use onboard for the problems I mentioned earlier. The line noise was louder AND consistent, plus apparently unplugging my headphones caused huge problems.

I also did move it to a different PCI slot, so it's not that I suppose. I really don't want to return the motherboard, and it would seem like I'd be having many other problems if it was a motherboard problem wouldn't it?

 

[Rike]

Creative drivers are notoriously bad. A bad sound card with bad or old drivers could do exactly what you've described. Try this, disable all of your audio. Pull the card, uninstall the drivers, turn off the on-board audio. Then play any audio file. You won't hear anything, but if the problem is the sound card and/or its drivers, your system shouldn't become unstable.

 

[Cook1]

Wait, did you disable your onboard sound?

 

[snookle]

Okay well this could potentially end up being pretty hilarious guys. I decided to pop back in the BIOS and make sure the onboard was still disabled as I had done earlier.

I had disabled the onboard in my BIOS, but I forgot that I had loaded the BIOS defaults earlier in the day (which reenabled it apparently) so it was sitting there nice and enabled. So far everything seems fine again, and the static is gone. I'll be sure to test further, but I feel like a big dumb idiot (albeit very happy that the solution is this simple).

 

[Rike]

Doh! That's funny. Again. I'd make fun of you except that we all do something like that from time to time. I just hope it works now.