Darkje's GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 build - HDMI Audo Issue

[Darkje]

Hi everyone,

I got this board few weeks ago, and in the process of setting things up I made some observations I would like to discuss and also some questions came up, that I plan to ask along the way.

First the hardware used:
- Z68X-UD3H-B3(rev 1.3), bios F11j
- I5-2500K, cooled by scythe mugen2 rev.b with 1500rpm pwm-fan on cpufan header.
- 8G(2x4G) Corsair Vengeance LP CML8GX3M2A1600C9W,Low profile/Low voltage, DDR1600/C9-1.35v. Slots 1&2.
- Seasonic M12D SS850-EM , 850W Semi-Modular PSU with 80A at 12V.
- 2x EVGA GeForce GTX285-1GB in SLi, 4x 6pin power and bridge connected.[PCIEX_16 and PCIEX_8]
- Hauppauge HVR2200 PCIE 1x tv-tuner card.[PCIEX1_3]
- Intel controller in raid mode.
- 2x WD 500G blacks in raid0 on intel port 0-1.
- 1x WD 1000G black on intel port 2.
- 1x OCZ Vertex2 (32nm) on intel port 3.
- 1x Optiarc DVDRW on intel port 4.
- 1x Samsung 500G on marvell port 0.
- 24" LCD monitor @ Geforce 0, lower HDMI port.
- 17" LCD monitor @ Geforce 0, upper HDMI port.
- 19" LCD TV @ intel/onboard HDMI.
- 4ch analoge speakers, cambridge dtt set.
- internal spdif header connected to Geforce 0.
- front usb connected.
- front ac97 connected.
- front cardreader (usb) connected.
- rear 4x usb bracket.
- ms media keyboard, ms comfort mouse. usb, wired.

I installed it my usual way:
- Load bios defaults, save and exit.
Enter bios and set:
- memory to xmp1, enhance cpu=n
- disable boot logo
- disable orom splash
- enable intel raid
- disable com
- enable hpet 64
- set fan slope to 2.50
- set fan control to pwm
- save and exit
Enter bios and save this profile as my defaults.

- boot w7(raid0)
- ready an usbstick with w7sp1 image
- remove the current partion from the ssd
- secure erase the ssd
- partition and quick format ssd

switch off pc and disconnect the power to all harddisks, other than the one installing to.
- boot with the usbstick, f12 to select it to boot from.
- install windows7 as normal and when done reboot.
- let w7 settle for a few minutes
- disable system restore and remove any backups
- uac off
- remove hybernation file, w. admin cmdprompt 'powercfg -h off'
- run wei
- reboot

now it's time to get rid of any unknown devices, so install some drivers:
- install from mobo cd:
INF Update Utility Version:9.2.0.1021 reboot
Etron USB driver Version:1.00.0000.0104
Intel(R) Management Engine Software Version:7.0.0.1118
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for Vista X64 / Win7 X64 Version:8.15.10.2418 reboot
Realtek 8111/8168 LAN Driver for gigabit(Windows 7) Version:7.046.0531.2011

- run windows update
install critical updates, reboot
install critical updates, reboot
install critical updates
check for more updates
install critical updates, reboot
install critical updates

- install nvidia driver 295.51, enable SLi

- switch off and reconnect power to other the harddisks.
power-on and enter bios to set boot sequence.
start windows, detects hdd's, needs reboot.
use diskmanager to get the drive letters arranged like I was used to, reboot.
- install av
- install acronis
- install office
- install firefox
- run windows update again, reboot
- create baseline image with acronis

after that I installed some more drivers:
- iRST 10.8 and updated intel media drivers (8.15.10.2559)
and to conclude the setup, some other minor software I had to install.
--------------------------------------------------------------------


So far so good, but now come the issues I bumped in to:
- nic, no driver for it in standard w7 install, meaning you have to have access to the mobocd or other pc+internet+usbstick to get lan going.
- bootloops, sometimes the system reboots several times before actually starting, clicking from the casespeaker, spinning and stopping fans. https://www.google.com/search?q=z68+bootloops
- boot beep often not heared.
- sometimes 'waiting for ME ready' - reboot. https://www.google.com/search?q=waiting+for+me+ready
- when coldbooting w7 with sli enabled sometimes desktop appears in low res, both geforces have a code 43. restaring again solves it, but it is anoying. It seems somehow this is caused by the network drivers, for me it's just intermittend, no mater what driver it sometimes happens. https://www.google.com/search?q=cold+boot+code+43+sli
- audio analogue out, in quad speaker config the black output is not tied to rear, had to put the black plug in orange hole. No audio out rear panel - Gigabyte GA-Z68-UD3H-B3 - Sound-Cards - CPU-Components
- audio no sound to tv over onboard hdmi, no playback device for intel display audio controller. https://www.google.com/search?q=z68+no+audio+over+hdmi . I know the tv and wiring are okay, because I can get it going when connected to the geforce0 with the spdif cable. When connected to the onboard hdmi, viewing the edid of the tv with entech/moninfo it does expose it's speaker capabilities, so I don't understand why no playback device appears in the playback device list. I've tried several intel display audio drivers, but to no avial. Could it be some drm issue, ie. hdcp not okay with the tv or adding the audio packets?
- multiloadline does very little and mainly just overvolts way over the set level, vcore not steady at any level. I tested this with a set vcore of 1.25v, all powersavings off and fixed speed of 33x100, trying all levels and monitoring the vcore with bios and software(I know, inaccurate, but usually it does indicate) while doing some linx rounds. At level 10 it overvolted the 1.25v setting to 1.45v with even higher spikes. In the pictures it seems like levels 4-5 are most steady, but as soon as frequency goes higher this changes to more spikey. Photo Album - Imgur notice the deviation from the set 1.25v and how I had to change the scale up in level 9&10 pics.

I'll update and expand wherever it's needed, but for now I feel this should be enough for the start-post.

Ofcourse, I googled ... it seems on many of those issues I'm not alone, but still I'd like to attempt fixing where possible. So if anyone knows about these issues and if it is even possible to adress them, please let me know.

Darkje

[Lsdmeasap]

Hi my fellow audio junkies, if there are any out there reading this!

Wonder if you could help the above user with his HDMI audio issue, you can read his initial thread with more info and some of our suggestions and other things he's already tried, over here
Darkje's GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 build.

Hope someone can suggest that magical fix - Thanks!

[boondocks]

My understanding is you're not getting audio out of either the analog jacks or HDMI?
I've never used the onboard HDMI so I can't help with that.
I've had various problems with the newer Gigabyte flavored Realtek drivers especially dealing with the Dolby crap, although none caused total loss of sound.
I backed up to an earlier version of Realtek drivers, don't remember which right now, that I had saved from the Realtek download site, but earlier ones are available if you look around.

So...the first question is which sound driver are you using currently, and which have you tried?
Have you went into the Realtek sound manager and set Speakers as default device?

[Darkje]

The last thing I tried was, and I'm quoting from my other thread:

I was testing the audio issue again, this time I removed both vga cards, switched off/pulled any devices not needed, and did a fresh install of w7 on the ssd with only the tv connected to the onboard hdmi. At first I had onboard azalia disabled, but then no audio at all got detected, so then I reenabled it. Windows installed the default HDMI audio driver for the realtek and the intel display audio. Now I can see the HDMI audio device in the playback list, but it is listed as not connected, so I guess that is the issue.

With the intel driver it does not show up at all, but it must be because it's in 'non conected' state.

So now I'm wandering ... if it's supposed to work this way, if it is wired on the board, and if anyone did manage audio over onboard hdmi with this board?

So I connected minimal hardware in an attempt to isolate the issue and it appears to be there with nothing but the standard w7 drivers installed. Installing the (latest intel graphic/display audio) drivers won't help, then the device doesn't show up in the plyback device list at all, like I said, probably because it's in disconected state. the tv is plugged in ofcourse, and it's working when using a vga card with hdmi, but not with the onboard one, and I was hoping to use that.

[boondocks]

Yeah. I have more experience working with the Realtek/Gigabyte drivers for sound. Your main thing seems to be to enable HDMI audio from the mobo and I can't help with that. What I use in my HTPC setup is an ATI card and HDMI and I use both the Realtek HD & the Realtek ATI HDMI drivers for that.
Since you said you had no sound at all I was thinking you might want to try to get the analog audio working and go from there. These boards usually support jack detection, which means you can open up the Realtek sound manager and plug in your speaker jacks one at a time and you should get a popup window where you can check off which speakers you plugged in, one jack at a time.
For the onboard Intel stuff for your HDMI all I can suggest is start with the vga drivers for your mobo from Gigabyte. Lot's of people supposedly use the Intel onboard audio in their HTPC rigs over HDMI so you might want to check the HTPC forum over at AVSForums.

[Darkje]

I concluded it must have been caused by the cable I used: (pc)hdmi-->display port(tv)

Never tried hdmi->hdmi bc I shelved the board after getting sick of the eufi probs and moved on to m5g, but I feel that must be it... If I feel like it this winter I will dust it off and try.