Audio Distortion. Again

[vlkn´]

in games where your cpu is used much, it won´t have enough processing power for the audio data.

Maybe you should think of an external or internal soundcard

[TDP_Equinox]

in games where your cpu is used much, it won´t have enough processing power for the audio data.

Maybe you should think of an external or internal soundcard

My FX-8350 at stock could handle the exact same load that i am throwing at it now; it is not that. 

This is an issue many people are having and it seems to come from the windows kernel not being efficient enough; moreso in windows 8. 

[vlkn´]

lowering the bitrate to 24bit 48khz lowers the cpu usage about 2-3% :,) 

 

hmm, never thought of windows, I´m only experiencing this problem if my gpu is under @99% load and my cpu about 70%-80% load. Overclocking did help. But I set it to stock again and disabled dsr.

[TDP_Equinox]

lowering the bitrate to 24bit 48khz lowers the cpu usage about 2-3% :,) 

 

hmm, never thought of windows, I´m only experiencing this problem if my gpu is under @99% load and my cpu about 70%-80% load. Overclocking did help. But I set it to stock again and disabled dsr.

I am determined to find a fix for this that does not involve lowering my quality. 

It is set to stock; it should be able to handle it. 

[BuntzenB]

UPDATE:

So today i went to the shop, cleared a third of the bench so i could work on it, and tore apart my system. 

I tore it to shreds. 

And i managed to determine it was not hardware.

First; i tested it inside the case as it was when i boxed it up and moved it; to make sure it wasn't the way i had it setup at home. It had the same issue as expected. 

So i tore it apart and put it on a mobo box and tested again. 

I tested the system as it was except out of the case and the same issue was there. 

So my next step was to remove the GPUs and see if the issue was still there: it was. 

Then i grabbed some Kingstone HyperX RAM and tried that in every slot config i could; the same issue was there. 

I left the RAM in, and grabbed a random AMD GPU and installed that; Same issue. 

I removed that GPU, incase it was a PCIe slot causing issues, and swapped the CPU with an i5 4440 and the issue was still there. 

So i grabbed another MSI Gaming 7 that was going to be used in a customers build, and threw together this system:

i5 4440, 8 GB of Kingston HyperX, integrated graphics, and my cooler master V850 PSU. 

I also used my same boot drive with the same install of windows. 

That also tanked. 

So i grabbed a Samsung 500 GB 840 EVO and installed windows 7 HP 64 bit on it.

The issue was GREATLY reduced. 

Rather than DPC latency checker showing a yellow line, and LatencyMon showing 1000us, it was showing a green line that was much farther down the scale, and latency mon showed 60-160us. 

By now we have ruled out my motherboard as being bad (unless by some BS stroke of bad luck, we got a board with the EXACT same issue, which i doubt.), we have ruled out the CPU, RAM , and GPU. 

In each case of testing i fired up BF4 and messed around in the area for a bit while listening to music through WMP or Clementine and the distortion was present in most, but the latency checkers were off the charts in all. So i have replaced EVERY part of my system, and the issue is still present through several installs of windows. 

Now, the issue was far worse in windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit, and when testing under windows 7 HP 64 bit, the latency was almost at the top of the charts, but the popping, and distortion was not present. 

Now my head hurts, and i just want to throw my system in the trash and buy all new parts all together, but that is not an option. 

I am going to be looking around for some external sound cards online, for -$10 including shipping that wont take 6 months to arrive. 

If i HAVE to, i will get a PCIe sound card, but lets consider that a last ditch effort.

From my findings, we can say that it is software. Now i spent roughly 2 hours reading online about others with this issue, and it seems to be a windows 8 issue. 

Now despite this being common, NO ONE has been able to find a fix for it. 

Most people just give up and deal with it, which i will not do. 

Sadly, in the process of testing, my data drive went and failed on me. 

So i stabbed it with a screwdriver and smashed the platters, and bought a new one. 

Unfortunately, the drive simply would not power on the motor (the head was moving but the disc would not spin). 

Fortunately, the entire drive was backed up to dropbox, so it is simply a matter of downloading 300 gigs (off lan) to the new hard drive i had to buy. 

I saw this drive failing a mile ahead, and filled my 500 GB toshiba drive with the non dropbox data from the 750 GB one. 

SO. My head hurts, and the only progress i made in the last ~10 hours was figuring out that it is 99% surely not hardware.

And i re did my cable management. 

Any ideas?

EDIT: Holy balls that is a wall of text. 

This needs a TL;DR...

TL;DR I got nowhere. 

 

Oh gosh... this is not good

So yeah it seems like an external sound would help because it will take the load off of CPU and stuff, but as you said its a last ditch resort so

this is really annoying... Maybe switching to windows 7 (or windows 10) would help?

[TDP_Equinox]

Oh gosh... this is not good

So yeah it seems like an external sound would help because it will take the load off of CPU and stuff, but as you said its a last ditch resort so

this is really annoying... Maybe switching to windows 7 (or windows 10) would help?

I ordered a cheapo usb sound card and it should be here in 17-26 days (no option to hurry it up unfortunately).

I have not tried windows 10 yet, so i may have to do that soon here; But the latency is through the roof on windows 7, however i did not hear any distortion. 

This may sound crazy, but i actually want to stay on windows 8. I have grown sick of 7, seeing it every day for X hours a day you really get sick of that low res start button...

[BuntzenB]

I ordered a cheapo usb sound card and it should be here in 17-26 days (no option to hurry it up unfortunately).

I have not tried windows 10 yet, so i may have to do that soon here; But the latency is through the roof on windows 7, however i did not hear any distortion. 

This may sound crazy, but i actually want to stay on windows 8. I have grown sick of 7, seeing it every day for X hours a day you really get sick of that low res start button...

Okay. Personaly I like win seven even two-thirds I have been using it for like for our app years plus another couple using Vista. Also" my laptop I'm using Windows ten ( I put windows seven on my desktop because I thought my laptop broke right as I needed an OS for my desktop but then I repaired my laptop ad's had Linux on it until win ten became free. I like it and everyone in my clad I school thinks I'm like employed by Microsoft. Lol.) Also I hope either ten or the soundcard fixes your system!

[TDP_Equinox]

Okay. Personaly I like win seven even two-thirds I have been using it for like for our app years plus another couple using Vista. Also" my laptop I'm using Windows ten ( I put windows seven on my desktop because I thought my laptop broke right as I needed an OS for my desktop but then I repaired my laptop ad's had Linux on it until win ten became free. I like it and everyone in my clad I school thinks I'm like employed by Microsoft. Lol.) Also I hope either ten or the soundcard fixes your system!

I used to like windows 7,  

If i have to go back, i suppose i will.

But i use the metro interface in windows 8 to hide all my program icons that i don't use very often, but don't want to search for.

I need to have a clean desktop

[BuntzenB]

I used to like windows 7,  

If i have to go back, i suppose i will.

But i use the metro interface in windows 8 to hide all my program icons that i don't use very often, but don't want to search for.

I need to have a clean desktop

 

Lol im also a clean desktop freak (just recycle bin currently)

[TDP_Equinox]

Lol im also a clean desktop freak (just recycle bin currently)

My computer, Downloads, and recycle bin.

 

[TDP_Equinox]

I am going to try this http://www.sysnative.com/forums/bsod-crashes-kernel-debugging/29-driver-verifier-blue-screen-of-death-related-windows-10-8-1-8-7-and-windows-vista.html
Wish me luck...

[BuntzenB]

I am going to try this http://www.sysnative.com/forums/bsod-crashes-kernel-debugging/29-driver-verifier-blue-screen-of-death-related-windows-10-8-1-8-7-and-windows-vista.html

Wish me luck...

Good luck to you sir!

[vlkn´]

good luck

[TDP_Equinox]

Good luck to you sir!

 

good luck

Thanks. Now i get to sit in agony waiting for a BSOD...

That should hopefully tell me if it is a driver that is causing it, and potentially what one. 

24 hours minimum...

[TDP_Equinox]

Well, 24 hours and no bluescreens.
I do have a log that i don't know how to read and i'll post that at the end.
One odd thing i noticed was that during the scan, if i played BF4, my FPS would tank (expected) but the audio distortion was gone.
I have not yet tested if the distortion is back after the scan was done ( i will shortly ) but since nothing changed i don't see how it would be fixed.
LatencyMon is showing Kernel timer latency spikes of ( at highest, and usually within a few hundred of this) 1020.155038us, and it turns out the DPC latency checker is programmed for windows 7, and reacts insanely when used in windows 8+, showing high latency for everyone (confirmed by testing my media PC upstairs, which i know to be good). 
More and more it is looking like software, but i just can't think of anything. 

Storms in my area have stopped me from testing anything that could cause data loss or corruption but they should pass in about another week.

Does anyone have ideas? 
I might actually have to go back to windows 7 (have not tested 10, but it is nearing release and will soon cost me money to use) if i cannot get this resolved, though i really don't want to. MSI Support is full of morons "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" "Go ahead and wipe all your data lol it fixed everything heuheu" and i had one person legit tell me that "this is more of a specialty thing and we really don't deal with this so there is nothing i can do to help".

I'm so done with MSI i just want to go to their office and take a massive dump on their doorstep ( much the same way i wanted to dump on 343 industries doorstep for screwing up Halo) and buy a freaking ASUS board. 


LOG FILE https://www.dropbox.com/s/354twbpdnl0qanh/SysnativeFileCollectionApp.zip?dl=0

[TDP_Equinox]

Turn of events...
It's fixed?
I just played some BF4 while listening to Lack of a better name and i noticed no distortion in the audio at all. 

Which is weird because the driver verify i did was not meant to fix anything, just to point out what (if anything) was wrong. 

I will continue to do some tests, but i really hope it sticks...

[TDP_Equinox]

Updated OP and bumping to top of the board. 
Screenshots: 
http://gyazo.com/f680d033162ebb756af87b955adbdf68

http://gyazo.com/129c8219215928b000becea24072afad

http://gyazo.com/91c32943759206d2401b3a4cf6798e3d

http://gyazo.com/763b6030b85a6b918aec2d2b0b2d5266

[vlkn´]

If you have time, try this:

 

Computer->Systemproperties->expanded systemproperties->"expanded" tab->Performance-Settings->"expanded" tab->"Customize optimal performance for: "background services"

 

Also set the energyoptions to "most performance" 

[TDP_Equinox]

If you have time, try this:

 

Computer->Systemproperties->expanded systemproperties->"expanded" tab->Performance-Settings->"expanded" tab->"Customize optimal performance for: "background services"

 

Also set the energyoptions to "most performance" 

Okay so i set it to have best performance of background services and nothing changed.

Power options have been set to high performance for some time now.

[BuntzenB]

Updated OP and bumping to top of the board. 

Screenshots: 

http://gyazo.com/f680d033162ebb756af87b955adbdf68

http://gyazo.com/129c8219215928b000becea24072afad

http://gyazo.com/91c32943759206d2401b3a4cf6798e3d

http://gyazo.com/763b6030b85a6b918aec2d2b0b2d5266

 

Gulp. Not again.

Do you hear the bad stutterin though?

[TDP_Equinox]

Gulp. Not again.

Do you hear the bad stutterin though?

I did hear it. it was worse. 

in this http://gyazo.com/763b6030b85a6b918aec2d2b0b2d5266 screenshot all i was doing was watching youtube and it was stuttering

[BuntzenB]

Hmm.

Sorry. Im really not sure what the cause is....

[TDP_Equinox]

Hmm.

Sorry. Im really not sure what the cause is....

I just want to trash this thing and build a new one. 

[vlkn´]

Ok somehow I found out that your "killer e network card" can be the problem, I have read somewhere that someone else has the same problem with a killer network card and audio distortion.

 

-Disable it in the bios, test offline with a cpu heavy game (that proofs if the lan chip is the problem)

-Update the newest driver from msi or qualcomm

-Play in the Killer network settings, look if theres an option to "reduce" ping or something else and disable it.

 

I hope this finally shows what the problem is.

[TDP_Equinox]

Ok somehow I found out that your "killer e network card" can be the problem, I have read somewhere that someone else has the same problem with a killer network card and audio distortion.

 

-Disable it in the bios, test offline with a cpu heavy game (that proofs if the lan chip is the problem)

-Update the newest driver from msi or qualcomm

-Play in the Killer network settings, look if theres an option to "reduce" ping or something else and disable it.

 

I hope this finally shows what the problem is.

I will have to try this tomorrow as i am heading to be for work (not sure how i selected Italic but okay). 

This is something i have not looked at, but i will now. 

The motherboard i transplanted for this one was identical, and using a killer nic.