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Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

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  • Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

    Problem:
    I am having issues with the on-board audio, where there is intermittent static, that seems to be only present while playing any audio while in Windows - event sounds or WMP, but disappears when using other applications either gaming, or streaming video, like YouTube. As an observation it seems to increase when using peripherals, mouse, keyboard, inputs while in Windows, but that could be subjective. Moreover the static is present both in speakers or when using a headset.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Computer Specifications
    Audio Device - ALC889
    Speakers - Logitech Z3200

    Processor: Intel Core i7-950 @ 4.0 GHz
    Video Card: Palit GeForce GTX 460 2GB (SLI 4GB)
    Memory: A-Data 12GB (2GBX3) DDR3/1600 MHz
    Motherboard: GigaByte GA-X58A-UD3R
    PSU: Corsair HX1000W
    Hard Drives: 1X1TB SATA III 6.0Gb/s (WD1002FAEX) and 2X1TB SATA II 3.0Gb/s (WD1001FALS)
    Case: Azza Hurrican 2000 Full Tower
    CPU Cooling: Asetek 570LX Liquid Cooling System w/ 240mm Radiator Push-Pull Configuration
    Optical Drive: Lite-On 24x DVD Burner
    OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit

    Attempted Solutions:
    (1) Updated BIOS - FC1
    (2) Fresh Install of Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit
    (2) Updated Realtek ALC889 Driver - High Definition Audio Codec R2.53
    (3) Installed Third Party Codec (Cole2k or K-Lite)
    (4) Uninstalled All Audio Drivers/Codecs and Reinstalled (Tried w/ and w/out Third Party Codecs)
    (5) Ran DPC Latency Diagnostic Program and Shows No Significant Drops (DPC Latency Checker)

  • #2
    Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

    best to look in advanced cpu features in the bios and disable c1e,then look in Control Panel\System and Security\Power Options,and select balanced profile,if that doesnt stop it then disable eist and see if it solves it but remeber that cpu wont throttle speed or voltages if you disable eist,try and direct the front panel audio cable away from your gpu aswell,this helps reduce it when your using headphones

    if your using dynamic energy software or easytune its best close these programs if your listening to music

    update the inf intel chipset drivers and lan drivers to the latest ones
    Gigabyte z77x UP4-TH F11c Modded Bios
    Intel i7 3770k 24/[email protected] 1.38v Turbo llc +0.165v dvid multithreading enabled
    Samsung Green(MV-3V4G3D/US) 8GB @2133mhz 9-10-10-21-1t 1.55v
    Thermalright Silver Arrow Cpu Cooler
    1xSamsung 840 pro 256 Gb SSD windows 8.1 pro 64bit
    1xSamsung f4 HD204UI 2tb hard drive Storage
    Powercolor 7970 3gb V3 @1150mhz core/1700mhz mem,1.150v Accelero aftermarket air cooler 55c max
    Razer Lycosa Keyboard
    Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
    Lite-On iHAS124-19 24x Sata DVDRW
    K-World Hybrid DVB-T 210SE Digital T.V Card
    L.G E2260V L.E.D 1920x1080 Monitor
    Xfx Pro 750w silver rated Psu 80+
    Fractal Arc Midi Case

    http://i38.tinypic.com/14myvfa.jpg x58 ud5 <=3.8ghz + 4.2ghz Overclock Template!!
    http://www.youtube.com/user/warren304#p/u Visit Me On Youtube

    Lots Of Gaming Videos With X58 Ud5 System And Gpu On My Youtube Channel!!
    Just Uploaded New Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

      best to look in advanced cpu features in the bios and disable c1e,then look in Control Panel\System and Security\Power Options,and select balanced profile,if that doesnt stop it then disable eist and see if it solves it but remeber that cpu wont throttle speed or voltages if you disable eist,try and direct the front panel audio cable away from your gpu aswell,this helps reduce it when your using headphones

      if your using dynamic energy software or easytune its best close these programs if your listening to music

      update the inf intel chipset drivers and lan drivers to the latest ones
      Thanks for the suggestions, however the intermittent static is still present.

      Summary of Attempted Solutions:
      (1) Updated BIOS - FC1
      (2) Fresh Install of Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit
      (2) Updated Realtek ALC889 Driver - High Definition Audio Codec R2.53
      (3) Installed Third Party Codec (Cole2k or K-Lite)
      (4) Uninstalled All Audio Drivers/Codecs and Reinstalled (Tried w/ and w/out Third Party Codecs)
      (5) Ran DPC Latency Diagnostic Program and Shows No Significant Drops (DPC Latency Checker)
      (6)Disable C1E, Select Balanced Profile (Windows Power Options), Disabled EIST
      (7) Disconnected, Redirect or Examine Shielding of Front Panel Audio Cable
      (8)Disable Dynamic Energy Software (EasyTune, RivaTurner, etc.)
      (9)Update INF Chipset and LAN Driver

      I still do need to check for proper ground and visually I did not see any metal-to-metal contact on I/O Rear Panel Shield. And I could also try a sound card opposed to on-board audio, to isolate the issue between software or hardware, but the fact that the static is only present in Windows, but doesn't appear during game play or streaming video online, makes me believe it is some driver or codec conflict.

      Any other ideas?
      Last edited by MingtheMerciless; 10-13-2010, 08:56 AM.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

        i get very slight static when im using headphones,it can be emi leakage from psu or gpu or hdd's that cause it,when listening through speakers i get nothing,also in crysis game menu i get it,

        if you have dynamic energy saver software installed then you might need to fully un-install it
        Gigabyte z77x UP4-TH F11c Modded Bios
        Intel i7 3770k 24/[email protected] 1.38v Turbo llc +0.165v dvid multithreading enabled
        Samsung Green(MV-3V4G3D/US) 8GB @2133mhz 9-10-10-21-1t 1.55v
        Thermalright Silver Arrow Cpu Cooler
        1xSamsung 840 pro 256 Gb SSD windows 8.1 pro 64bit
        1xSamsung f4 HD204UI 2tb hard drive Storage
        Powercolor 7970 3gb V3 @1150mhz core/1700mhz mem,1.150v Accelero aftermarket air cooler 55c max
        Razer Lycosa Keyboard
        Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
        Lite-On iHAS124-19 24x Sata DVDRW
        K-World Hybrid DVB-T 210SE Digital T.V Card
        L.G E2260V L.E.D 1920x1080 Monitor
        Xfx Pro 750w silver rated Psu 80+
        Fractal Arc Midi Case

        http://i38.tinypic.com/14myvfa.jpg x58 ud5 <=3.8ghz + 4.2ghz Overclock Template!!
        http://www.youtube.com/user/warren304#p/u Visit Me On Youtube

        Lots Of Gaming Videos With X58 Ud5 System And Gpu On My Youtube Channel!!
        Just Uploaded New Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

          Originally posted by wazza300 View Post
          i get very slight static when im using headphones,it can be emi leakage from psu or gpu or hdd's that cause it,when listening through speakers i get nothing,also in crysis game menu i get it,

          if you have dynamic energy saver software installed then you might need to fully un-install it
          If there was some electrical-mechanical source for the interference shouldn't that result in a oscillating/reoccurring static in all applications, but the fact that it seems to be isolated to Windows, and not during game play or executing other audio applications implies its some software conflict. As for uninstalling the dynamic energy software, yes when I mean disabled, I meant the applications were uninstalled.

          Then again, I did notice a slightly less pronounced static, cannot measure signal to noise ratio when the static does appear, when pugging the speakers to the front panel than rear panel, which would suggest hardware - with EMI interference. So this problem maybe a combination of software and hardware. I might just go and bite-the-bullet on a high-def sound card, to see if it is hardware. Will report back on progress when or if any is made.

          Thanks!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

            i find the gigabyte audio drivers terrible in sound quality and to use,i have to choose 7.1 audio and disable side speakers and select headphones for the rear output to get 5.1 sound,i prefer the bog standard microsoft drivers that come with windows7,much better quality sound and propper 5.1 audio,the only drawback is you cant enable stereo mix to record onboard sound, i managed to pick up a cheap xonar dx card today so ill let you know if it improves things when it arrives
            Gigabyte z77x UP4-TH F11c Modded Bios
            Intel i7 3770k 24/[email protected] 1.38v Turbo llc +0.165v dvid multithreading enabled
            Samsung Green(MV-3V4G3D/US) 8GB @2133mhz 9-10-10-21-1t 1.55v
            Thermalright Silver Arrow Cpu Cooler
            1xSamsung 840 pro 256 Gb SSD windows 8.1 pro 64bit
            1xSamsung f4 HD204UI 2tb hard drive Storage
            Powercolor 7970 3gb V3 @1150mhz core/1700mhz mem,1.150v Accelero aftermarket air cooler 55c max
            Razer Lycosa Keyboard
            Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
            Lite-On iHAS124-19 24x Sata DVDRW
            K-World Hybrid DVB-T 210SE Digital T.V Card
            L.G E2260V L.E.D 1920x1080 Monitor
            Xfx Pro 750w silver rated Psu 80+
            Fractal Arc Midi Case

            http://i38.tinypic.com/14myvfa.jpg x58 ud5 <=3.8ghz + 4.2ghz Overclock Template!!
            http://www.youtube.com/user/warren304#p/u Visit Me On Youtube

            Lots Of Gaming Videos With X58 Ud5 System And Gpu On My Youtube Channel!!
            Just Uploaded New Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

              Originally posted by MingtheMerciless View Post
              Thanks for the suggestions, however the intermittent static is still present.

              Summary of Attempted Solutions:
              (1) Updated BIOS - FC1
              (2) Fresh Install of Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit
              (2) Updated Realtek ALC889 Driver - High Definition Audio Codec R2.53
              (3) Installed Third Party Codec (Cole2k or K-Lite)
              (4) Uninstalled All Audio Drivers/Codecs and Reinstalled (Tried w/ and w/out Third Party Codecs)
              (5) Ran DPC Latency Diagnostic Program and Shows No Significant Drops (DPC Latency Checker)
              (6)Disable C1E, Select Balanced Profile (Windows Power Options), Disabled EIST
              (7) Disconnected, Redirect or Examine Shielding of Front Panel Audio Cable
              (8)Disable Dynamic Energy Software (EasyTune, RivaTurner, etc.)
              (9)Update INF Chipset and LAN Driver

              I still do need to check for proper ground and visually I did not see any metal-to-metal contact on I/O Rear Panel Shield. And I could also try a sound card opposed to on-board audio, to isolate the issue between software or hardware, but the fact that the static is only present in Windows, but doesn't appear during game play or streaming video online, makes me believe it is some driver or codec conflict.

              Any other ideas?
              In DPC Latency Checker you need to look for spikes, not drops. Where you getting spikes? Can you post an image please.

              Also, you can test CPU Spread Spectrum Disabled/Enabled in the BIOS. On the MAIN page hit Control + F1, then the screen will flash.

              Then go into the MIT section and then into the Advanced Freq. settings page (Second one) and you should see Spread Spectrum. Disabled may help.

              This also happens plenty with faulty PSU's and yes, I've seen it with your expensive PSU - even someone that RMA that exact one several times to try to get them to send him a proper quiet PSU.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

                What I meant to say, referring to drops in latency, were spikes, there were a couple of rises, but nothing that passed the 1000 micro second threshold, that would be an indicator of an issue turning yellow or red on the real-time chart. However, when checking what devices might contribute to rises in latency, I do get a single momentary spikes when enabling or disabling devises, such as the LAN. But I assume this is natural, as the device becomes reenabled. Thanks for the suggestion with the CPU spread spectrum, I'll check this out over the weekend. As for the PSU, not sure how to run diagnostics, other than hooking it up to an oscilloscope - which I don't have.

                As an update as well, see below.

                Summary of Attempted Solutions:
                (1) Updated BIOS - FC1
                (2) Fresh Install of Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit
                (2) Updated Realtek ALC889 Driver - High Definition Audio Codec R2.53
                (3) Installed Third Party Codec (Cole2k or K-Lite)
                (4) Uninstalled All Audio Drivers/Codecs and Reinstalled (Tried w/ and w/out Third Party Codecs)
                (5) Ran DPC Latency Diagnostic Program and Shows No Significant Spikes (DPC Latency Checker)
                (6) Disable C1E, Select Balanced Profile (Windows Power Options), Disabled EIST
                (7) Disconnected, Redirect or Examine Shielding of Front Panel Audio Cable
                (8) Disable Dynamic Energy Software (EasyTune, RivaTurner, etc.)
                (9) Update INF Chipset and LAN Driver

                Update 10/15/2010
                (10) Swapped USB Peripherals with PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse
                (11) Toggled Off WMP Enhancements and On-Board Audio Enhancements
                (12) Tried Various Audio Settings, Sound Quality 16 bit to 24 bit, Various Frequencies, and Enabling/Disabling/Muting Devices
                (13) Installed Discrete Sound Card (Creative Lab Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium)
                (14) Disabled On-Board Audio, Updated Discrete Sound Card Driver

                I installed a discrete sound card yesterday evening, hoping to narrow down if it was a hardware or software issue. The card is a Creative Lab Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium, and the sound quality seems on par if not better than the on-board audio. Unfortunately, after installation, the static still persisted, however, after disabling the on-board audio, updating device drivers, and finishing the configuration, the intermittent static seems to be mostly resolved. But I believe it is definitely some software issue at this point as the static is present in both devices, so the Gigabyte X58A-UD3R, is good-to-go. There is an occasional static, which occurs for instance when web browsing with WMP minimized, but the noise is considerably less pronounced and smaller intervals than running with the on-board Realtek ALC889. Hopefully this weekend I can troubleshoot some more, and find exactly what driver/device/codec is causing this issue. And I am not alone, apparently there are many people having this issue, and seems to be a Windows at fault.

                http://www.sevenforums.com/sound-aud...c-popping.html

                Thanks for the help guys!
                Last edited by MingtheMerciless; 10-15-2010, 08:49 AM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

                  just got my xonar dx and for me its stopped the slight static when using headphones and listening to music and browsinf web,slight noise in some game menus but no more than before and no noise at all in the game itself so i can say that the onboard sound chip does suffer from emi or poor drivers as a seperate sound card is much better
                  Gigabyte z77x UP4-TH F11c Modded Bios
                  Intel i7 3770k 24/[email protected] 1.38v Turbo llc +0.165v dvid multithreading enabled
                  Samsung Green(MV-3V4G3D/US) 8GB @2133mhz 9-10-10-21-1t 1.55v
                  Thermalright Silver Arrow Cpu Cooler
                  1xSamsung 840 pro 256 Gb SSD windows 8.1 pro 64bit
                  1xSamsung f4 HD204UI 2tb hard drive Storage
                  Powercolor 7970 3gb V3 @1150mhz core/1700mhz mem,1.150v Accelero aftermarket air cooler 55c max
                  Razer Lycosa Keyboard
                  Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
                  Lite-On iHAS124-19 24x Sata DVDRW
                  K-World Hybrid DVB-T 210SE Digital T.V Card
                  L.G E2260V L.E.D 1920x1080 Monitor
                  Xfx Pro 750w silver rated Psu 80+
                  Fractal Arc Midi Case

                  http://i38.tinypic.com/14myvfa.jpg x58 ud5 <=3.8ghz + 4.2ghz Overclock Template!!
                  http://www.youtube.com/user/warren304#p/u Visit Me On Youtube

                  Lots Of Gaming Videos With X58 Ud5 System And Gpu On My Youtube Channel!!
                  Just Uploaded New Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

                    This is definitely interferance form other hardware in the machine. I've had this kind of thing on every single system I've owned with integrated sound, on many brands of board.

                    The problem is, the amount of EMI shielding that the onboard sound has is exactly zero. The reason that the interferance is different or even not present in some situations is down to the fact that each application will cause the system to draw/use differing amounts of power, access other MOBO systems in different patterns etc, meaning that the EMI is forever changing in its main sorce and intensity. Even shielded cards suffer to some extent, as you have seen with the X-Fi.

                    It could be a dodgy PSU or GPU etc, but I doubt it. It's just par for the course when it comes to cheap onboard solutions. Some cards like ASUS's XONAR range (the top spec cards that is) do offer much more robust shielding both in the form of metal casings around components to physically shield them and in the form of more/higher quality capacitors to smooth and buffer any distortion.

                    Also worth noting that you should always use the sound card's hard wired phono ports if possible. Your front case jacks are connected by a cable that also has relatively poor shielding and this may even sometimes need to be run over the board to reach the output on it, introducing even more noise to the signal.
                    Coolermaster CM 690 II advance Case
                    Corsair HX750 (CWT, 91%(80+ Gold rated @230V) single 62A 12V rail
                    P55A-UD4 v2.0 @ F14
                    Core i5 760 @ 20 x 201, 4.02GHz
                    TRUE Black with a single Noctua NF-P12 pumping out 55 CFM @ 19db .
                    2 x 2GB Mushkin Ridgeback (996902), @ 7-10-8-27, 2010-DDR, 1.66v
                    2 x Gigabyte GTX 460 1024MB in SLI (Pre OC'd to 715MHz core and 1800MHz VRAM) @ 850 Core / 4100 Mem.
                    Intel X25-M Boot Drive (OS and Programs) 200MB/s Read & 90MB/s Write
                    Corsair X32 200MB/s Read & 100MB/s Write
                    WD Caviar Blue 640GB C (Steam, Games, Storage, Temp Files & Folders, etc)
                    Samsung F3 500GB Backup/Images
                    Noctua 1300RPM 19dB case fan (rear extraction)
                    3 x 140 MM Coolermaster LED fans (one front intake, one top extraction, one side intake)
                    Dell Ultra Sharp 2209WAf E-IPS @ 1680x1050

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

                      i still have an old asus mb based pentium 4,and its 100% silent and static free,but it does only have one core and runs at just 2.93mhz, i think the more high frequency components you have installed the more noise you gonna get,as for where you plug in the hd/front panel plug on the mb,they could have picked a worse place,why didnt they put it at the edge towards the front of the case? save having to stretch it across the full length of the mb

                      ive seen some sticky back emi shielding tape on ebay i wonder how good it is?
                      Gigabyte z77x UP4-TH F11c Modded Bios
                      Intel i7 3770k 24/[email protected] 1.38v Turbo llc +0.165v dvid multithreading enabled
                      Samsung Green(MV-3V4G3D/US) 8GB @2133mhz 9-10-10-21-1t 1.55v
                      Thermalright Silver Arrow Cpu Cooler
                      1xSamsung 840 pro 256 Gb SSD windows 8.1 pro 64bit
                      1xSamsung f4 HD204UI 2tb hard drive Storage
                      Powercolor 7970 3gb V3 @1150mhz core/1700mhz mem,1.150v Accelero aftermarket air cooler 55c max
                      Razer Lycosa Keyboard
                      Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers
                      Lite-On iHAS124-19 24x Sata DVDRW
                      K-World Hybrid DVB-T 210SE Digital T.V Card
                      L.G E2260V L.E.D 1920x1080 Monitor
                      Xfx Pro 750w silver rated Psu 80+
                      Fractal Arc Midi Case

                      http://i38.tinypic.com/14myvfa.jpg x58 ud5 <=3.8ghz + 4.2ghz Overclock Template!!
                      http://www.youtube.com/user/warren304#p/u Visit Me On Youtube

                      Lots Of Gaming Videos With X58 Ud5 System And Gpu On My Youtube Channel!!
                      Just Uploaded New Battlefield 4 Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

                        Do you have a PCI or older/smaller PCIE card you could test with to rule out the GFX card side of things?

                        Also, could you test on a clean install with no drivers/programs loaded, or have you? Does it happen then still as well?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue [SOLVED]

                          Summary of Attempted Solutions:
                          (1) Updated BIOS - FC1
                          (2) Fresh Install of Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit
                          (2) Updated Realtek ALC889 Driver - High Definition Audio Codec R2.53
                          (3) Installed Third Party Codec (Cole2k or K-Lite)
                          (4) Uninstalled All Audio Drivers/Codecs and Reinstalled (Tried w/ and w/out Third Party Codecs)
                          (5) Ran DPC Latency Diagnostic Program and Shows No Significant Spikes (DPC Latency Checker)
                          (6) Disable C1E, Select Balanced Profile (Windows Power Options), Disabled EIST
                          (7) Disconnected, Redirect or Examine Shielding of Front Panel Audio Cable
                          (8) Disable Dynamic Energy Software (EasyTune, RivaTurner, etc.)
                          (9) Update INF Chipset and LAN Driver
                          (10) Swapped USB Peripherals with PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse
                          (11) Toggled Off WMP Enhancements and On-Board Audio Enhancements
                          (12) Tried Various Audio Settings, Sound Quality 16 bit to 24 bit, Various Frequencies, and Enabling/Disabling/Muting Devices
                          (13) Installed Discrete Sound Card (Creative Lab Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium)
                          (14) Disabled On-Board Audio, Updated Discrete Sound Card Driver

                          RESOLVED 10/16/2010:
                          (15) Disabled SLI

                          Source for idea:

                          Creative Worldwide Support
                          Some causes of crackling and popping during sound playback are particular PC settings or a particular way a PC is setup. Please try the following suggestions as they apply to the PC, the audio card is installed in.

                          A game's audio samples may have levels, or DC biases, that are unusually high. These samples can overload the X-Fi audio enhancement algorithms which result in output streams that clip, or exceed, the allowable output signal swing.

                          Try reducing the game's audio level. Where this is not possible, try reducing the master volume level in Windows.
                          Very lengthy handling of Interrupt Service Routines (ISR) and Deferred Procedure Calls (DPC) by the graphics driver on nForce motherboards (Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte are some motherboard vendors that use this chipset), particularly when nVidia SLI graphics are used. One game where this problem has been observed is the game Far Cry, though other games may be affected as well. These times have been observed to be as long as 100 milliseconds and causes the audio data buffers handed to the sound card driver by the application to become stale.

                          A third party tool called nHancer (available at nHancer - Advanced Control Panel for nVidia Cards) has been found to make it possible to mitigate this problem by retuning the graphics driver. We recommend setting the AFR (Alternate Frame Rendering) mode in nHancer to reduce the maximum interrupt deferral times (called DPC) to the 10-25 millisecond range. This problem is not unique to the X-Fi; it causes crackling/distortion with a number of other audio products tested.

                          Note: nHancer is a 3rd party application. As such, Creative Labs cannot support, warranty or guarantee the functionality, usability or accuracy of nHancer. Please direct any and all questions or concerns to the makers of nHancer.



                          X-Fi requests for PCI bus service are being "retried", or deferred, an extraordinary number of times, presumably while the graphics system is using system memory when playing Battlefield 2 during complex graphic scenes. It may also occur in other games, and is associated most often with nVidia nForce chipsets with SLI graphics. The Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card can withstand up to about 450 bus retries on occasion, but in some cases there are over 8,000 bus retries for a single request, for a total deferral time of up to 2 milliseconds (240 nanoseconds per retry). These deferrals can cause audio defects in non-Creative PCI sound cards as well.

                          Please try the following to lower the number of bus retries per request:
                          Invoke dual-channel memory mode on the motherboard. Systems that are not configured in dual-channel mode can experience crackling during games. For more information about invoking dual-channel mode, please refer to your motherboard manufacturer.
                          Flashing the BIOS or changing the CMOS can cause the memory and PCI performance to improve. Occasionally, this can cause performance to degrade. For more information about specific versions or for information about updates, please contact your motherboard manufacturer.
                          Ensure that the SATA hard drive is not conflicting with PCI memory resources. Changing to a different controller may help.
                          Sometimes removing one SLI graphics card, rebooting with the X-Fi, then shutting down and reinstalling the second graphics card fixes the problem.


                          In a small number of cases, the game crackling issues were found to be caused by the X-Fi driver related implementation.

                          Download and install the latest drivers from the Creative website which can resolve crackling in some PCs.

                          Note: In some cases, the latest drivers are Beta drivers which may help correct this issue. Please be aware that Technical Support cannot assist with troubleshooting Beta drivers. Install any Beta drivers or software at your own risk. For instructions to uninstall Beta drivers, please click here.



                          Overclocking of nVidia based graphics cards can cause crackling issues in Battlefield 2 and other gaming titles. It has been found that the card's Memory Clock Speed most directly affects the intensity and frequency of the crackling in Battlefield 2.

                          Try installing the nTune application from nVidia's website to give individual controls for memory clock speed and GPU clock speed.

                          Note: nTune is a 3rd party application. As such, Creative Labs cannot support, warranty or guarantee the functionality, usability or accuracy of nTune. Please direct any and all questions or concerns to nVidia.


                          The slower the Memory Clock Speed, the fewer and more subtle the crackles. When turning the Memory Clock Speed down as far as the application permits, crackling can disappear entirely. It is recommended that any overclocking be reduced and, if necessary, underclock the graphics card no more than necessary to resolve any audio crackling issues.
                          Modifying the clock settings on an nVidia GeForce SLI graphics card (for other brands of graphics cards, please consult the documentation for that card or contact the manufacturer):
                          Right click the Desktop.
                          From the context menu, choose Properties. The Display Properties window appears.
                          Click the Settings tab.
                          Click the Advanced button.
                          In the new window, click the nVidia tab (the one with the nVidia logo).
                          In the list that appears, click Clock Frequency Settings.
                          Select the Manual radio button.
                          In the Settings drop-down menu, choose "Performance (3D)".
                          Adjust the Memory Clock Speed to your specifications.
                          Click Test Changes.
                          Click Apply.
                          Note: Changing the default clock speed on a graphics card can have unexpected results. Please consult your graphics card documentation for further details.

                          Feedback on User Escalations

                          Further to the reported cases of crackling issues reported by owners of Sound Blaster X-Fi cards, we have extensively tested both Creative and non-Creative audio cards on motherboards where the issues were reported in an effort to isolate the root cause.
                          The findings indicate that circumstances causing these audio glitches only arise on nVidia's nForce 4 range of motherboards.

                          The Sound Blaster X-Fi card was designed to meet PCI bus standards and tolerances and this is the only range of motherboards that operate in this manner.
                          A full technical description is detailed below, but in brief, the PCI bus data requests are not being serviced leading to "gaps" in the audio, resulting in sudden dropouts to no audio and back again which gives rise to what is perceived as crackling.

                          As we have identified the resolution of this issue to be beyond our control, we would advise customers experiencing this issue to escalate their concerns to nVidia in an effor to seek a possible solution.

                          Technical Details

                          We have observed through direct observation of the PCI bus on the nVidia nForce 4 motherboards that when the crackle symptoms are occuring, the Sound Blaster X-Fi card PCI bus master memory requests for audio data are being held off (not serviced) for very long intervals.

                          We have observed peak holdoffs of up to 2 milliseconds in some cases. This is unusual chipset behavior that is beyond the ability of a hardware audio accelerator to compensate for in its internal buffering. The Sound Blaster X-Fi tolerance for these PCI holdoffs is approximately 120 microseconds peak holdoff, with a 1 microsecond average holdoff.

                          These design tolerances are based on observation of real PCI bus behavior on leading motherboards over a period of many motheboard hardware generations.

                          The nForce 4 motherboard is the first motherboard on which these extremely long PCI service holdoffs have been observed by Creative, where another PCI device in the system was not causing the holdoff.
                          After spending many hours starting with a fresh install of Windows, installing drivers, codecs, rolling them back, trying alternative permutations, checking for grounding, checking latency, front audio shielding, purchasing a discrete sound card, I have finally found the issue, the SLI. Simply disabling it, will resolve the intermittment static and cracking while playing audio in Windows, unbelievable. As a temporary fix, I'll be sure to disable SLI when working with my productivity software, until some new driver is released. Lastly, thanks for all the help, input, and suggestions. Hopefully having gone through this, maybe this thread will help other people in the future as well.
                          Last edited by MingtheMerciless; 10-16-2010, 01:23 AM.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

                            Very nice find, and glad to see you were finally able to resolve this!!!

                            I wonder if that also would help at all anytime for crossfire as well? I'll have to keep it in mind, thanks!

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                            • #15
                              Re: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R (Rev. 2.0) - Realtek ALC889 Static and Noise Issue

                              How do I disable SLI/Xfire in the BIOS?? I only have one video card though..?

                              I know this an old thread but i had the exact problems with my Logitech Z5500- popping and static

                              Just updated to this driver and its SLIGHTLY better but cracking/popping/static is not as bad as before - http://download.gigabyte.asia/FileLi...tek_azalia.exe

                              Will report back in few days if the problem re-occurs.

                              The popping was so annoying I stopped playing music on my PC for a while. Grrr!!

                              Should I get a decent sound card like Xonar or Asus Essence ?

                              EDIT - Disabled EIST and it sort of improvied

                              Specs
                              i7 920
                              Gigabyte UD3R Rev2.0 Bios FA
                              Corsair 620 HX
                              Gigabyte 5870
                              Megahalems
                              Last edited by chiggah; 07-26-2011, 06:19 AM.

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