Sound Issue (Read inside for more info)

Shadow00Caster · 11-27-2008, 03:24 AM

Ok .. so in the spare time I have had lately with all the busy going on at work until the end of Dec .. I have splurged and built a new system.

First the specs:
Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 (up-to-date WSUS)

ASUS Rampage Formula (bios: 410 - latest)(latest intel chipset drivers)
GeIl DDR2-800 4x2GB (8GB)
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
ASUS ATi 3870 X2 (cat 8.11 vista x64 - latest)
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro (latest vista x64 drivers - latest)
Thermaltake 750w PSU

Ok so there's the specs .. latest drivers on everything... heres my issue, and yes I have done a good amount of my own trouble shooting and web surfing. Most know i'm more than computer literate, but I need to bounce ideas around with someone other than Ihmhi, who's locked in my closet.

Basically I get sound crackling/popping, or audio artifacts or audio latency issue .. all basically the same thing.

This does not occour at first boot, only happens after comp is burned in for a bit, about an hour, or when I start bombing my system like playing Supreme Commander or doing loads of shit on comp.

Mentionable, I *think* I may be having some video issue in games/3d apps. Hard to explain other than sudden drop of fps from like 200 to 40ish in FF .. and to me that's a NOTICEABLE change in fps and it affects my gaming. I was playing around with setting fps_max but didn't get far before I passed out. For people who are really into performance and gaming, you know what i'm talking about, it's like a drag in the game itself.

I have uninstalled and clean audio drivers, video drivers and installed audio then video, uninstalled nics and resintalled as nics can have a huge affect on system latency .. sound issue happens from local files and network files.

Any feedback with the slightest glimmer of intellectual capacity would be greatly appreciated.

thanks lovers.

*edit* oh also my vid card is in crossfire mode since it's 2 gpu's on 1 card .. I can disable it, haven't tried .. maybe pci bus getting flooded?

Shadow00Caster · 11-27-2008, 03:50 AM

I think Crossfire enabled was flooding my pci bus, that and apparently Creative cards eat an obscene amount of bus b/w .. so I think i'll be getting a nice receiver and going to digital.

Shadow00Caster · 11-27-2008, 04:46 AM

hmm .. still happening after some time .. I think though this is the issue is that the bus is getting butt-fucked and creative sucks arse.

**mervaka** · 11-27-2008, 01:02 PM

yeah, sounds like buffer underruns. a congested bus could cause that. you're using ATI crossfire? this is probably why NV use its own SLi bus

Shadow00Caster · 11-27-2008, 06:47 PM

Crossfire is actually better than SLI, do some research on it.

I figured out the problem, wasn't bus issue .. Crossfire uses it's own internal PCI bridge.

It was actually the version of Everest Ultimate I was running .. this board has a different configuration on the sensors and Everest polling of them was jacking up the stability of my system.

**mervaka** · 11-28-2008, 12:53 AM

it may be better in performance, but i bet it eats your PCI bus for breakfast.

Mooga · 11-28-2008, 03:42 AM

Could it be a bad sound card?
If you use the onboard sound do you still have issues?
How's your CPU/RAM usage?

EDIT: I also think creative cards has had bad x64 driver issues...

**mervaka** · 11-28-2008, 12:08 PM

he fixed it. it was some lame monitoring program polling everything under the sun.

Shadow00Caster · 11-28-2008, 11:44 PM

Creative cards in general suck .. im not arguing that, Mervakapants will agree. But I have no need to go and purchase another expensive analog card when I'm planning on getting a new receiver soon anyway and I can just go digital from comp to sound system.

Creative had bad x64 drivers, they have vastly improved, the latest release ones work and the latest beta ones are fabulous. Also the ALchemy program from Creative works well under vista for emulating the Direct3D which M$ has removed from Vista.

In any case, my issue had nothing to do with drivers or hardware, it was in fact a software monitoring program called Everest Ultimate .. I was running an older version and it was not compatible with the new chipset on this board so it was jacking things up. The latest version however, does not cause any issues.

I was running COD5 for about 3 hours today at 150+ fps highest settings at 1600x1200 .. and about 5 hours of Left 4 Dead at 200+ fps 1600x1200 .. no sound issues, no video lag .. no problems whatsoever.

**mervaka** · 11-29-2008, 01:24 AM

all i can say about creative is read this. the sooner creative have a serious rival, the better.

11-27-2008, 03:24 AM	#1
Shadow00Caster Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jul 2007 Class/Position: D Eng Gametype: Griefing/Spawn Camping Posts Rated Helpful 5 Times	Sound Issue (Read inside for more info) Ok .. so in the spare time I have had lately with all the busy going on at work until the end of Dec .. I have splurged and built a new system. First the specs: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 (up-to-date WSUS) ASUS Rampage Formula (bios: 410 - latest)(latest intel chipset drivers) GeIl DDR2-800 4x2GB (8GB) Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 ASUS ATi 3870 X2 (cat 8.11 vista x64 - latest) Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro (latest vista x64 drivers - latest) Thermaltake 750w PSU Ok so there's the specs .. latest drivers on everything... heres my issue, and yes I have done a good amount of my own trouble shooting and web surfing. Most know i'm more than computer literate, but I need to bounce ideas around with someone other than Ihmhi, who's locked in my closet. Basically I get sound crackling/popping, or audio artifacts or audio latency issue .. all basically the same thing. This does not occour at first boot, only happens after comp is burned in for a bit, about an hour, or when I start bombing my system like playing Supreme Commander or doing loads of shit on comp. Mentionable, I think I may be having some video issue in games/3d apps. Hard to explain other than sudden drop of fps from like 200 to 40ish in FF .. and to me that's a NOTICEABLE change in fps and it affects my gaming. I was playing around with setting fps_max but didn't get far before I passed out. For people who are really into performance and gaming, you know what i'm talking about, it's like a drag in the game itself. I have uninstalled and clean audio drivers, video drivers and installed audio then video, uninstalled nics and resintalled as nics can have a huge affect on system latency .. sound issue happens from local files and network files. Any feedback with the slightest glimmer of intellectual capacity would be greatly appreciated. thanks lovers. edit oh also my vid card is in crossfire mode since it's 2 gpu's on 1 card .. I can disable it, haven't tried .. maybe pci bus getting flooded?

11-28-2008, 03:42 AM	#7
Mooga Colorless FTW D&A Member Beta Tester Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: A Small Box Affiliations: SRCDS.com Posts Rated Helpful 1 Times	Could it be a bad sound card? If you use the onboard sound do you still have issues? How's your CPU/RAM usage? EDIT: I also think creative cards has had bad x64 driver issues... __________________ ~ Mooga ...w00t? SRCDS.com \| Twitter

11-27-2008, 03:50 AM	#2
Shadow00Caster Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jul 2007 Class/Position: D Eng Gametype: Griefing/Spawn Camping Posts Rated Helpful 5 Times	I think Crossfire enabled was flooding my pci bus, that and apparently Creative cards eat an obscene amount of bus b/w .. so I think i'll be getting a nice receiver and going to digital.

11-27-2008, 04:46 AM	#3
Shadow00Caster Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jul 2007 Class/Position: D Eng Gametype: Griefing/Spawn Camping Posts Rated Helpful 5 Times	hmm .. still happening after some time .. I think though this is the issue is that the bus is getting butt-fucked and creative sucks arse.

11-27-2008, 01:02 PM	#4
mervaka A Very Sound Guy! Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: May 2005 Location: UK Posts Rated Helpful 15 Times	yeah, sounds like buffer underruns. a congested bus could cause that. you're using ATI crossfire? this is probably why NV use its own SLi bus

11-27-2008, 06:47 PM	#5
Shadow00Caster Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jul 2007 Class/Position: D Eng Gametype: Griefing/Spawn Camping Posts Rated Helpful 5 Times	Crossfire is actually better than SLI, do some research on it. I figured out the problem, wasn't bus issue .. Crossfire uses it's own internal PCI bridge. It was actually the version of Everest Ultimate I was running .. this board has a different configuration on the sensors and Everest polling of them was jacking up the stability of my system.

11-28-2008, 12:53 AM	#6
mervaka A Very Sound Guy! Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: May 2005 Location: UK Posts Rated Helpful 15 Times	it may be better in performance, but i bet it eats your PCI bus for breakfast.

11-28-2008, 12:08 PM	#8
mervaka A Very Sound Guy! Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: May 2005 Location: UK Posts Rated Helpful 15 Times	he fixed it. it was some lame monitoring program polling everything under the sun.

11-28-2008, 11:44 PM	#9
Shadow00Caster Retired FF Staff Join Date: Jul 2007 Class/Position: D Eng Gametype: Griefing/Spawn Camping Posts Rated Helpful 5 Times	Creative cards in general suck .. im not arguing that, Mervakapants will agree. But I have no need to go and purchase another expensive analog card when I'm planning on getting a new receiver soon anyway and I can just go digital from comp to sound system. Creative had bad x64 drivers, they have vastly improved, the latest release ones work and the latest beta ones are fabulous. Also the ALchemy program from Creative works well under vista for emulating the Direct3D which M$ has removed from Vista. In any case, my issue had nothing to do with drivers or hardware, it was in fact a software monitoring program called Everest Ultimate .. I was running an older version and it was not compatible with the new chipset on this board so it was jacking things up. The latest version however, does not cause any issues. I was running COD5 for about 3 hours today at 150+ fps highest settings at 1600x1200 .. and about 5 hours of Left 4 Dead at 200+ fps 1600x1200 .. no sound issues, no video lag .. no problems whatsoever.

11-29-2008, 01:24 AM	#10
mervaka A Very Sound Guy! Fortress Forever Staff Join Date: May 2005 Location: UK Posts Rated Helpful 15 Times	all i can say about creative is read this. the sooner creative have a serious rival, the better.

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