P4S8X-X, onboard sound noise

[Unforgiven]

I have a P4S8X-X, and I've known from the beginning that the onboard
soundcard is noisy. Things like hard drive access, moving the mouse, CD
drive spinning up, resizing windows (no, I'm not kidding) would all produce
noise. However, when the 'Phone' input is muted from the Windows mixer, this
is reduced significantly. Reduced enough, that it is not noticable at normal
volume levels. Only when playing DVDs, whose overall volume level is much
lower so I need to set the speaker volume much higher, this is sometimes
noticable, but it was never a problem. Also, a slight buzz is audible
whenever any sound whatsoever is played, but not when there is no sound
playing (DAC chip deactivated perhaps?). I'm also getting a slight 'pop'
every so often ever since I got these new speakers, but I think that's the
driver's fault (see below).

Today I got a 5.1 speaker set, so I of course wanted to try it out, but I
found that when the rear speakers are otherwise silent during DVD playback
(for instance if there is a scene with only centered conversation), the
aforementioned 'slight buzz' is quite annoying. So I need to get rid of it.

I was considering just buying a soundcard, like a SoundBlaster Live Value!
5.1 (those are pretty cheap yet decent). I'm quite certain this will solve
most of the background noise, the only thing I'm not so certain about is
this playback buzz. Could this be caused by something else, or can I rest
assured that a PCI soundcard will solve my troubles?

For the record, I'm running Windows XP Professional SP1 and are using the
drivers that came on the CD with the motherboard, which is version
5.12.1.3533. I know there are newer drivers on the Asus site, but I couldn't
get 5.1 sound working with those drivers at all. I did use those newer
drivers before (with 2.1 speakers), and I believe those don't have the 'pop'
sound I mentioned above. The SiS7012 drivers (which also work) under both
Windows and Linux will also not give surround (but stereo over the rear(!)
speakers) but exhibit the same troubles.

The speakers I use are the Creative Labs SoundBlaster Inspire P580 5.1
speakers.

Thanks in advance for any reply.

 

[HPLeft]

I have a P4S8X-X, and I've known from the beginning that the onboard
soundcard is noisy. Things like hard drive access, moving the mouse, CD
drive spinning up, resizing windows (no, I'm not kidding) would all produce
noise. However, when the 'Phone' input is muted from the Windows mixer, this
is reduced significantly. Reduced enough, that it is not noticable at normal
volume levels. Only when playing DVDs, whose overall volume level is much
lower so I need to set the speaker volume much higher, this is sometimes
noticable, but it was never a problem. Also, a slight buzz is audible
whenever any sound whatsoever is played, but not when there is no sound
playing (DAC chip deactivated perhaps?). I'm also getting a slight 'pop'
every so often ever since I got these new speakers, but I think that's the
driver's fault (see below).

Don't have an answer, but I'm getting the same problem with an Asus A7V8X-X
board. However, I haven't been able to find a "phone" input to mute in the
Soundmax/Windows volume control (which is what I assume that you're
describing).

Matt

 

[Unforgiven]

Don't have an answer, but I'm getting the same problem with an Asus
A7V8X-X board. However, I haven't been able to find a "phone" input
to mute in the Soundmax/Windows volume control (which is what I
assume that you're describing).

This is where I found it: open the Windows volume control. Select
'Options/Properties'. Make sure playback is selected, and then look for
'Phone' under 'Show the following volume controls'. Check it, click OK, and
now you should be able to mute it. If it's not there, I don't know what else
you can do. Try muting everything that seems unnecessary, such as Microphone
and CD Audio (this is the analog connection between the soundcard and the CD
drive, which is not used by most CD player applications, since they will use
digital audio extraction). Muting CD audio can also help in reducing the
CD-spin noise.

For the record, I bought a Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy2 today, which
solved all my problems.

 

[HPLeft]

This is where I found it: open the Windows volume control. Select
'Options/Properties'. Make sure playback is selected, and then look for
'Phone' under 'Show the following volume controls'. Check it, click OK, and
now you should be able to mute it. If it's not there, I don't know what else
you can do. Try muting everything that seems unnecessary, such as Microphone
and CD Audio (this is the analog connection between the soundcard and the CD
drive, which is not used by most CD player applications, since they will use
digital audio extraction). Muting CD audio can also help in reducing the
CD-spin noise.

For the record, I bought a Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy2 today, which
solved all my problems.

Found it. Thanks.

Matt