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Computer audio troubleshooting help

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DeusExAcumine

n00b
Joined
Sep 19, 2011
Messages
2
Hi all,

I am at my wit's end. After moving apartments about 3 months ago, my computer's audio began glitching periodically. It occurs in all audio sources I've tried (mp3, flac, flash, video game audio) and it changes from instance to instance, sometimes more of a skip (slightly distorted audio, then silence, then resumed audio all in the span of ~1/2rd of a second) and sometime more of a "grinding" sound (still for ~1/2 a second). During this brief period, it sounds like the audio is halting, rather than continuing but not (eg, when it happens in the middle of a lyric, the first half of the word will play, then it will glitch, then the second half of the word will play). For instance, if a

Before I go into what I've done to troubleshoot it, here is my set up:

CPU: Intel i7-930 @ 2.8 ghz
Motherboard: Asus P6X58D-E (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Memory: 2x 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1600
Sound Card: Creative X-Fi Titanium
Video Card: XFX HD 5850
Primary (OS) drive: OCZ Vertex 2 60GB
Storage drive: Haitachi SATA II 2TB HDD 7200RPM
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Speakers: Logitech Z-5500
Headphones: ATH M50

Here is what I've done to troubleshoot (in chronological order):

- Tried various Realtek High Definition Audio drivers (R2.65, R2.42, R2.22) The latest drivers caused the glitch to occur less frequently, but it still happened.
- Full reformat of OS drive
- RMA motherboard
- Tried various Realtek High Definition Audio drivers again
- Tried new memory (Crucial 2GB DDR3 1066)
- Installed discrete sound card (Creative X-Fi Titanium)

Unfortunately, none of this solved the issue. I have also verified that it isn't a problem with my Z-5500s or my ATH M50s by reproducing the problem on both and by playing hours of music on both out of an ipod and -never- hearing the glitch.

There are really only two other things that I can think of:

- There is something wrong with one of my hard drives. I am disinclined to believe this as audio glitches are the only symptom. Video and games play perfectly (other than the audio for video and games which glitches and skips). I also used HD Tune Pro and watched the I/O from my storage drive as I played music and there didn't seem to be anything special about those moments when it was glitching.
- There is something wrong with my CPU. I have no idea what could possibly be wrong with it that it would do everything else fine but not audio, but it is the only part of my PC that I haven't swapped out yet (I tried and Intel made it such an impossible hassle to RMA that I gave up for the time being)

I really can't think of anything else that it could be.

The only remaining shred of information I have is that it (very anecdotally) seems to happen slightly more often when my computer is "doing something" (opening a new program, moving between tabs in a browser, etc.). That said, it also happens when I'm not doing anything else at all and it does not correlate to high CPU use (I've never seen CPU usage higher than 50% when it happens).

If you can think of -anything- that could be causing this, even if its a 1 in a million chance, please please please let me know. I'm completely desperate at this point as I listen to music most of my waking hours. The glitch happens 15-200 times an hour and it is slowly driving me completely and totally insane.

Thanks for the help!

DeusExAcumine
 
It sounds like issue with your pc Power supply and noisy power line:
I'd get filtering power strip (belkin has 50% same btw) or even better UPS - monoprice has one for $180

What is your power supply?

option b) try to eliminate the power noise issue I'd try usb sound card like Behringer UCA202 - I got mine for $28
 
Damn... I hadn't thought about the PSU going bad... I have a cooler master gx series 750w psu. If it had really gone bad, wouldn't I notice it in other things besides just audio?

Thanks for the recommendations!
 
Off the top:

1. How close is the subwoofer to your computer case- maybe magnetic interference if you altered spacial location after moving.
2. Maybe you have a bad electrical socket. Maybe have the lanlord come and put a socket tester on the one you are using or get an extension cord and try plugging the computer into different outlets around the apartment and see what happens.
3. What else is plugged into that socket besides the computer? I don't think 750 watts even at full bore would suck down that much juice but maybe you are starving it for power if you have other things plugged in as well (or maybe some crosstalk going on interfering with the audio)? (I have lived in older apartments and sometimes the electrical systems are not up to snuff).
 
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