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Buzzing Interference Noise (Related to GPU Activity)

deadman_uk said:
Toslink
Click to expand...
because its optical...
if you have an old vga cable kicking around, it should have some filters on it, built in or clip on, that you could scavenge to try.

ps: just because i havent read every single word doesnt mean im not offering sound advice.... a simple "tried that" or "using headphone" would suffice and then nobodies panties would be in a bunch...
 
Breaking the electrical connection using toslink is the best approach. Ferrites take care of high frequency stuff (which turns into if you have a cell tower or substation next door or wifi access point next to your pc etc etc. They are also cheap to try. Make sure you loop the wire through one full time to fully utilize it.

Something that can help, if you don't have an oscilloscope, there are audio analyzer apps you can get that measure frequency of sound, let your phone hear that buzzing and the frequency of it can help you find what the problem source is.
 
Darunion said:
Breaking the electrical connection using toslink is the best approach. Ferrites take care of high frequency stuff (which turns into if you have a cell tower or substation next door or wifi access point next to your pc etc etc. They are also cheap to try. Make sure you loop the wire through one full time to fully utilize it.

Something that can help, if you don't have an oscilloscope, there are audio analyzer apps you can get that measure frequency of sound, let your phone hear that buzzing and the frequency of it can help you find what the problem source is.
Click to expand...
I downloaded an osciloscope app on my phone. Not sure really how to use it. When I put my phone close to the PC case, obviously the graph activity increases. Seems to increase more around to the rear of my PC. Can't really pinpoint anything specific. I'll experiment more later. I'll try get hold of some ferrites. I just put the single USB cable through it? That's the only cable that comes close to the PC now, a single USB cable. Everything else is at some distance.
 
Darunion said:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.intoorbit.spectrum&hl=en_US
Spectroid is what you are looking for

See how it shows the frequency of that peak. Then this also gives you a good tool to check differences as you tweak.

Unless you have apple, i cant remember the name of the one i used previously.
Click to expand...
Found the app. It measures audio levels? It gets louder as I get closer to my case fans but that's going to happen because my case fans are spinning. What am I looking for? My PC is audible to my hear.
 
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deadman_uk said:
Found the app. It measures audio levels? It gets louder as I get closer to my case fans but that's going to happen because my case fans are spinning. What am I looking for? My PC is audible to my hear.
Click to expand...
You are wanting it to hear the sound from your headphones. Without any audio playing, turn it up until the buzzing you hear is very clear, you want to learn what that frequency is because that will help decide what means to eliminate it.

I still would just stick with the optical link and move on with life to be honest.
 
RCA cables are notorious for noise and any cable run will act like an antenna,

This is why pro gear uses differential or XLR inputs/outputs. Common noise rejection is important.

Do not assume all digital is noise free, even your monitor going to sleep will emit noise in the GHz spectrum.

https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/Signal_Identification_Guide Listen to the various digital noise sources very good site.
 
stevenlee said:
I have a Denon AVR 4700h hooked up to a computer through HDMI (on a Geforce 3080), playing audio on a 7.1.2 system. Movies play extremely well and it's a pleasure to listen to concerts. The problem is when playing games and having the GPU under heavy load, there is a very annoying buzzing sounds coming out of the LCR speakers. Muting the speakers makes is easy to play with settings to try to get rid of the buzzing because then only the buzzing is audible, but, nothing works. The best I can do is put all graphic settings and resolution to very low and the buzzing decreases, but never goes away.
I've tried multiple Nvidia drivers, doesn't make a difference.
I've tried changing audio format to every option Windows 11 has, 16bit, 24bit, DTS, Stereo,... doesn't change a thing

Anyone has an idea to solve this?
Click to expand...
start your own thread, please
 
deadman_uk said:
Hi,

I've very recently purchased an Asgard 3 amp (no DAC) to replace my Magni 2 Uber amp, which I believe is no longer functioning. I’m very pleased with the Asgard 3’s sound quality - it's a noticeable improvement, and I have significantly more power at higher volume levels. However, I’m encountering an issue that I’d like your assistance with: I’m experiencing an electronic buzzing/interference noise that seems to correlate with GPU (video card) activity.

Here’s my setup:
  • Amp Connection: The Asgard 3 (previously the Magni 2 Uber) is connected to my Creative X-Fi Titanium HD PCI-E sound card via 1m shielded RCA cables.
  • GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4090 in the PCI-E slot furthest from the sound card.
  • Headphones: Audio Technica ATH R70x plugged into the amp’s headphone port.
  • Speakers: Razer Mako 2.1: Plugged in to the amp's pre-amp ports (Rarely used)
With the Magni 2 Uber, I never experienced interference noises, even at high gain and maximum volume. With the Asgard 3, an interference noise is present and appears to increase with GPU activity. For example:
  • On static screens (e.g., webpages), the noise is minimal or absent.
  • On my animated desktop wallpaper (via Wallpaper Engine), the GPU becomes more active, and the interference noise becomes significantly louder.
  • Moving my mouse pointer can introduce noticeable interference if the amp volume is medium/high.
  • The interference noise is most extreme during gaming when the GPU is at full load.
Observations:
  1. Volume Settings:
    • On low gain, interference is less noticeable, and at around 5 o'clock on the volume dial, it’s inaudible. However, the audio is too quiet for my preferences. At max volume (6 o'clock), the audio level is more satisfactory, but there’s no further headroom.
    • On high gain, interference becomes apparent at 12 o'clock and worsens progressively as the volume increases. A satisfactory audio level at this gain would be 2 or 3 o'clock.
  2. With RCA Cables Disconnected:
    • Unplugging the RCA cables at either the amp or sound card eliminates the interference entirely but then I (obviously) have no sound at all.
    • Unplugging the speakers from the pre-amp ports and using headphones only does not improve matters.
  3. Other Tests:
    • I’ve tried changing RCA cables, plugging the amp into a different electrical outlet, and moving the amp further from the PC. None resolved the issue.
The noise doesn’t occur in the BIOS/UEFI, but it begins faintly as Windows begins to boot up and becomes more pronounced once the desktop has loaded and GPU activity increases. During gaming or high GPU usage, the interference is extremely audible. I’ve read online that this issue has been reported with the Asgard 3, even when using its internal DAC (e.g., ES9028 or Multibit). Here is a post from someone with an Asgard 3 and the same sound card as myself experiencing similar issues. Switching to his internal DAC didn't help. I’d prefer though to continue using my sound card as the DAC due to its excellent quality and EAX features for gaming.

The only difference between my previous setup and the current one is the amp. One key observation:
  • The Magni 2 Uber used an external power adapter (with an aux/phono-style connector), while the Asgard 3 has an internal linear power supply (with a kettle-style plug, similar to a PC PSU). Could this internal supply be more prone to picking up interference from nearby components like GPUs or motherboards? The physical separation provided by the Magni’s external power supply might have prevented the interference.
I’ve also considered the possibility of a ground loop issue. However, I'm not knowledgeable with this, I understand they are difficult to diagnose and I’ve read that ground loop isolators can reduce sound quality, making them a less-than-ideal solution.

I’d greatly appreciate any advice or insights you can provide on resolving this issue.
Click to expand...
Can you post a recording of the noise so I can run it through my SDR for spectral analysis?
 
Darunion said:
You are wanting it to hear the sound from your headphones. Without any audio playing, turn it up until the buzzing you hear is very clear, you want to learn what that frequency is because that will help decide what means to eliminate it.

I still would just stick with the optical link and move on with life to be honest.
Click to expand...
drutman said:
RCA cables are notorious for noise and any cable run will act like an antenna,

This is why pro gear uses differential or XLR inputs/outputs. Common noise rejection is important.

Do not assume all digital is noise free, even your monitor going to sleep will emit noise in the GHz spectrum.

https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/Signal_Identification_Guide Listen to the various digital noise sources very good site.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies so far. I will check out the site. I am leaning towards just using optical and forgetting about it

drutman said:
Can you post a recording of the noise so I can run it through my SDR for spectral analysis?
Click to expand...

I asked ChatGPT to help as I have no idea how to do it but I connected an RCA to 3.5mm aux from my amp's preamp to my onboard sound line-in and used Windows Voice Recorder to try and record the interference sound, I think I done it right but it does sound a bit different to my ear than on the recording: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jsqs...ey=dwy97e8rjdbeev4nd52wey6s7&st=410kg2e3&dl=0

Schiit replied today saying:
Honestly I am stumped not sure why the Toslink works and the rest of the outputs do not unless the computer has a noise on the all the audio signals and the Toslink is not connected in anyway to the Nvidia card. I have never had this issue before where’s even connecting a Dac does not eliminate the issue. I really do not know where to go from here other than if you want to return the unit for a refund as its not doing what it intended in your setup.
Click to expand...
Another thing I noticed today is if I lower the refresh rate of my monitor (from 240hz to various lower values), I still get the interference but the sound changes slightly. Changing video settings which result in the graphics card driver temporarily pausing (and monitor turning black to apply the setting) stops the interference sound for a brief second then the noise resumes. Examples of this includes changing resolution, refresh rate, colour depth (NVIDIA Control Panel).
 
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@ drutman if you can look at the sound file I posted on Friday, that would be appreciated!

Here is my current setup: (Creative X-Fi Titanium HD sound card is not being used)

Topping D50 iii DAC (borrowed from Schiit) going into the Schiit Asgard 3 AMP via RCA.

When connecting this setup via USB to my PC, I get the interference buzzing sound during high volumes and with GPU activity. I don't get the buzzing via optical Toslink. Today, I decided to remove the PC out of the equation completely. I have the setup connected to my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone via USB-C. No interference buzzing at all, even at maximum volume.
 
deadman_uk said:
When connecting this setup via USB to my PC, I get the interference buzzing sound during high volumes and with GPU activity. I don't get the buzzing via optical Toslink. Today, I decided to remove the PC out of the equation completely. I have the setup connected to my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone via USB-C. No interference buzzing at all, even at maximum volume.
Click to expand...
Because your pc is the likely source of your noise problem, so connecting your audio setup to random things won't give any useful information.

You already ruled out the audio setup by using an optical link to the pc.

Not sure what you are trying to do now?
 
Darunion said:
Because your pc is the likely source of your noise problem, so connecting your audio setup to random things won't give any useful information.

You already ruled out the audio setup by using an optical link to the pc.

Not sure what you are trying to do now?
Click to expand...
I tried it just so I can say I've tried something new. It was mentioned that I should record the interference noise which I've done so I am hoping drutman can run it through SDR for spectral analysis (not sure what exactly that means but sounds interesting). So what am I trying to do now? well this Topping DAC is borrowed so I'm going to have to return that at some point. I’m looking to perhaps buy a Modi Multibit 2 DAC from Schiit, but they’re out of stock in black, and I don’t want silver since my Asgard 3 is black. I’ll probably end up using Toslink and forget about all this. I’ve also got a ferrite coming from Amazon, hopefully tomorrow, to try out. I tried turning my phone into a DAC and streaming music via USB-C to USB-C from my PC to my phone to see if the interference would transfer over, but couldn't get it to work. My phone doesn’t have an “Audio USB” option when it prompts me to choose what to use the USB connection for. There’s a paid app (USB Audio Player Pro) for £6.99 that supposedly does this, but I’m not paying for it just for testing. ChatGPT wasn’t able to help me get that idea to work either.

EDIT: Ferrite didn't help on the USB cable.
 
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stevenlee said:
I have a Denon AVR 4700h hooked up to a computer through HDMI (on a Geforce 3080), playing audio on a 7.1.2 system. Movies play extremely well and it's a pleasure to listen to concerts. The problem is when playing games and having the GPU under heavy load, there is a very annoying buzzing sounds coming out of the LCR speakers. Muting the speakers makes is easy to play with settings to try to get rid of the buzzing because then only the buzzing is audible, but, nothing works. The best I can do is put all graphic settings and resolution to very low and the buzzing decreases, but never goes away.
I've tried multiple Nvidia drivers, doesn't make a difference.
I've tried changing audio format to every option Windows 11 has, 16bit, 24bit, DTS, Stereo,... doesn't change a thing

Anyone has an idea to solve this?
Click to expand...


Is this you asking this a year ago, too?

https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/buzzing-sound-with-gpu-under-load.128236/

I don't know why in the world bots would invade Hardforums of all things, we're not exactly a crowded forum. All I can think of is crowdsourcing product research and/or troubleshooting in order to improve some AI model somewhere's responses.
 
typically if there is a quote they are responding to it. no quote its for the op or just a general statement.
 
I must admit I run my rig off a lot of filtering. The system goes through three filters before it even goes into the PC. Roxburgh PMF6 (got mone from some retired video conferencing units) from the mains (they were rebadged as Chord Clearway Hi-Fi filters till I let it be known what they really were on a forum) then a APC surge strip into a Hi-Fi filtered mains strip. The mains cables for the PC and monitor are 'Hi-Fi grade' braided ones too.

I have ferrite clamps on the CPU, 24pin and GPU PSU cables internally too. The PC itself sits on a Mission Isoplat that was used for CD players. Now I have all this junk cos I used to be massivly into Hi-Fi back in the day. I since got into other things and I just decided to use as much of the fluff as possible for my PC. Now I know that a lot of it does nothing really. Mains filters are mostly "mains duplicators" but...I dont arrange any cables outside the PC neatly at all and I run USB to my DAC into my Audio Techinica headphones and I do not hear a hint of hiss or crackle...ever, even at full volume.

https://uk.farnell.com/roxburgh/pmf6/filter-in-line-6a/dp/1101097
https://www.amazon.co.uk/APC-Surge-Arrest-Essential-Protection/dp/B01566LQRI
https://www.analogueseduction.net/mains-blocks/ms-hd-power-ms-1080p-v3-6-way-distribution-block.html
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferrite-Cores/b?ie=UTF8&node=10256426031

It's just something to do.
 
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Since moving to an Aune S17 Pro Evo amp, I no longer experience any interference noise. I would say it was the Schiit Asgard 3 that was the reason (although using the Topping Centaurus DAC instead of my sound card helped reduce the interference noise a lot)
 
deadman_uk said:
Since moving to an Aune S17 Pro Evo amp, I no longer experience any interference noise. I would say it was the Schiit Asgard 3 that was the reason (although using the Topping Centaurus DAC instead of my sound card helped reduce the interference noise a lot)
Click to expand...
with the amp, it was input termination circuit. Which is the difference between electrical balanced and fully fixed balanced inputs. The audiophile dacs only have filtering on the usb. But the signal from the USB is still distorted which causes internal conversion errors that the circuit tries to repair, but its not 100% because it had to repair the jitter distortion on the USB signal. Now these days, instead of using a audio mod shop like black lion audio you can purchase the circuit they copy and use from the patent holder ifi audio with their product called the ipurifier3. It also fixes the electrical issues of USB audio in their USB version. I also have their firewire version that I got from them years ago that works really well with computer setups that had firewire issues. Some people thought you had to buy an apple, but the reason why a lot of apple firewire worked better was their build quality on their power supply. I even tried this once wiring a mac pro power supply into a PC just to see if this was the issue.
 
cyberblogger said:
with the amp, it was input termination circuit. Which is the difference between electrical balanced and fully fixed balanced inputs. The audiophile dacs only have filtering on the usb. But the signal from the USB is still distorted which causes internal conversion errors that the circuit tries to repair, but its not 100% because it had to repair the jitter distortion on the USB signal. Now these days, instead of using a audio mod shop like black lion audio you can purchase the circuit they copy and use from the patent holder ifi audio with their product called the ipurifier3. It also fixes the electrical issues of USB audio in their USB version. I also have their firewire version that I got from them years ago that works really well with computer setups that had firewire issues. Some people thought you had to buy an apple, but the reason why a lot of apple firewire worked better was their build quality on their power supply. I even tried this once wiring a mac pro power supply into a PC just to see if this was the issue.
Click to expand...
The Schiit Asgard 3 (My previous amp where I experienced the issue) does not have USB. I was connected via RCA. When connecting the Aune to my Creative soundcard via RCA, I also hear the interference. Definitely coming from GPU but it's not an issue now since I have the Topping Centuaurus DAC.
 
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