Static w/ onboard audio

[Squigmont]

I recently assembled a system with an Asus A8V Deluxe running an Athlon 64
3200+ w/ 2GB dual-channel DDR400 and Win XP Pro SP2.

I've noticed that there is background static, especially when I turn up my
volume a little. It's not noticeable when I'm playing music or games because
of course the music or game sounds block it out, but when the volume is up
and I'm not doing anything but surfing and moving the mouse, I can hear
static noises coinciding. The static sounds are there all the time, but I
can hear additional sounds when I move the mouse or when the hard disks are
accessed.

I'm a little disappointed because I thought that onboard sound had gotten a
little better over the years. This motherboard has the Realtek ALC850 AC'97
audio, which I'm well aware is no Creative Labs X-Fi, but I was wondering
what I could try in order to minimize or eliminate the static. I'm not an
audiophile and my sound needs aren't that spectacular, but I don't
especially want craptacular sound either.

 

[JAD]

I recently assembled a system with an Asus A8V Deluxe running an Athlon 64
3200+ w/ 2GB dual-channel DDR400 and Win XP Pro SP2.

I've noticed that there is background static, especially when I turn up my
volume a little. It's not noticeable when I'm playing music or games
because of course the music or game sounds block it out, but when the
volume is up and I'm not doing anything but surfing and moving the mouse,
I can hear static noises coinciding. The static sounds are there all the
time, but I can hear additional sounds when I move the mouse or when the
hard disks are accessed.

You have nothing 'playing' over the sound board but you have the volume
turned up? Almost any sound device will transmit noise when the volume is up
with no source. Your mouse will definitely feedback.

 

[JAD]

P.S. one other MAJOR source of 'noise' in audio is Cheap PSU's

 

[jaster]

I recently assembled a system with an Asus A8V Deluxe running an Athlon 64
3200+ w/ 2GB dual-channel DDR400 and Win XP Pro SP2.

I've noticed that there is background static, especially when I turn up my
volume a little. It's not noticeable when I'm playing music or games
because of course the music or game sounds block it out, but when the
volume is up and I'm not doing anything but surfing and moving the mouse,
I can hear static noises coinciding. The static sounds are there all the
time, but I can hear additional sounds when I move the mouse or when the
hard disks are accessed.

I'm a little disappointed because I thought that onboard sound had gotten
a little better over the years. This motherboard has the Realtek ALC850
AC'97 audio, which I'm well aware is no Creative Labs X-Fi, but I was
wondering what I could try in order to minimize or eliminate the static.
I'm not an audiophile and my sound needs aren't that spectacular, but I
don't especially want craptacular sound either.

Did you turn off the mike? Or aux input?

 

[Squigmont]

You have nothing 'playing' over the sound board but you have the volume
turned up? Almost any sound device will transmit noise when the volume is
up with no source. Your mouse will definitely feedback.

By "turning up my volume a little," I mean that I turn it up just enough so
that I can hear something from the speakers. I don't mean that I "crank" it.

 

[Squigmont]

Did you turn off the mike? Or aux input?

Yes. Those didn't help much, I but I found that muting the "CD Player" helps
a geat deal. I wonder if the analog CD cables are acting like antennae and
picking up stray signals? Since it doesn't seem to be necessary to have
these cables connected nowadays, I may just yank them.

 

[John Doe]

...
I'm a little disappointed because I thought that onboard sound had
gotten a little better over the years. This motherboard has the
Realtek ALC850 AC'97 audio,

I'm glad that you apparently were given a solution. And yeah, I
would remove the audio cables. I haven't installed them in ages.

As far as better onboard audio, maybe there is a difference in
hardware versus CODEC (or CODEC only) onboard sound. Being able to
tell by the mainboard description might be difficult. I guess the
keyword is "hardware" or "chip".

 

[John Doe]

You have nothing 'playing' over the sound board but you have the
volume turned up? Almost any sound device will transmit noise when
the volume is up with no source. Your mouse will definitely
feedback.

Hopefully that is based on misunderstanding the original poster.

Turning the volume up should not produce audible noise from the
speakers unless there's something wrong.

 

[Hackworth]

P.S. one other MAJOR source of 'noise' in audio is Cheap PSU's

Well, I had thought of that too, but I have an Antec NeoPower 480W, not
exactly a junky PSU based on all the reviews I've read.

http://www.atacom.com/program/print...480773_67_186_0_251&Item_code=POWS_ANTE_TP_5G

 

[Toxic Boy]

The onboard sound has gotten great. I am using mine with an asus board and
love it. I just took out my creative soundcard so I could have an extra pci
slot. Mine was originally cracking and popping, so I had to move the video
card all the way down to the slot furtherst away from the sound chips.

Have you tried listening to your sound without your pci deviced installed?
It is alot of trouble, but you should rule that out. Do have expensive
HDD's? I used an old Western Digital from a long time ago (only 10gb) and it
caused alot of noise for me. Luckily I was only using it to boot up because
it had windows 98 on it. But that is another story altogether.

Do you have any cables unplugged on one end but the other end is going into
the computer somewhere?