Noice through headphones??

[Pentahedral]

To start out, I use only headphones, cheap sony ones, since I only play CS:S on my computer. When I boot up my computer I hear this faint noice from the headphones, also comes on when I use speakers. I use T3 internet and when I see the light come on, signafiying it's in use, I hear a noice, also when something accesses my HDD a faint noice starts.


What could this be? I have a built computer, course, so what could it be, could I change soemthing?

Thanks in advance.

 

[OTL]

It's just computer based EMI that's being picked up by your soundcard (I assume you have an internal soundcard). It's nothing to worry about, and the only way to be rid of it completely is to buy a soundcard that's better at rejecting internal PC noise. Most of these are professional devices that provide no support for accelerated game audio.

A few things you can do right now is check to see if your IDE cables are sheilded, and mute all unused source outputs in your soundcard's control panel. This should help a bit.

Regards.

 

[Pentahedral]

I have a Creative Audigy Platinum, run direnctly from the port in the back, so theres no cables that should be picking up stuff and transmitting it.

I should have full system specs in the sig soon, I just need some free time.

 

[OTL]

This is just the nature of having an internal soundcard. Noise is being picked up, and the power regulation section on the card isn't adequate enough to filter it all out. More expensive professional solutions have have very thorough onboard filtration, or even go so far as to move the analogue section outside the PC in the form of a breakout box.

This is why good quality CD players have metal boxes, or a metal sheild over the sensitive internal components. The metal acts as an inpenatrable barrier against EMI and RFI.

 

[Pentahedral]

So how could I maybe fix this problem? Since it's quite bothersoom, happens when I watch DVDs and so forth..

 

[Matrices]

This is not about "the nature of the internal soundcard." That is manifestly impossible. The proof is in the pudding: how many people actually hear noise from their sound output other than what they're supposed to hear? Unless this guy has some kind of super-hearing sensitivity, EMI is not the issue. Try moving the soundcard to another PCI slot.

 

[Talonz]

This is not about "the nature of the internal soundcard." That is manifestly impossible. The proof is in the pudding: how many people actually hear noise from their sound output other than what they're supposed to hear? Unless this guy has some kind of super-hearing sensitivity, EMI is not the issue. Try moving the soundcard to another PCI slot.

Seconded.

Hearing noises from your hard drive is the classic sign of shared resources.

 

[mustang_steve]

If you use that little "audio" cable that runs from your cd-rom to your soundcard, strongly consider getting rid of it. Since windows 2000, digital audio transfer over the IDE cable has been possible, and it's far cleaner sound, as well as removing a potential source for noise injection. Really that cable can rest in peace.

Also, if you are running any mains powered devices inside your case, are they shielded? Usually high powered fans and waterpumps fall in this category. I know power supplies are mains powered, but the chassis of the device works as a nice emi shield.

As others have said, jockey your card around a few slots to see how that helped as well.

Oh, and avoid the "shared" PCI slot...that thing has always been trouble.