[Gatticus]

When I have my headphones on and no sounds playing through them I can hear my mouse when scrolling in my web browser. I can also hear the HDD when it is downloading a file. It is very faint but it is there and it bugs the hell out of me.
I'm using an X-Fi XtemeMusic soundcard but I'm thinking it may be caused by my cheap ass Asrock motherboard. What do you think it is caused by?

 

[HFat]

I'm mostly ignorant about this stuff but what you describe sounds like it's analog and therefore happening after the DAC. In any case, I have no idea why the price of your motherboard should have anything to do with it.

If that interference is indeed what I think it is, here are four possible solutions:
-get an external soundcard or DAC (I have an external soundcard that's noiseless so I know that works but I don't have any internal card with digital out to test the other solution)
-shield your soundcard (I've never done it myself but I've seen it done by manufacturers in laptops... I removed the shielding in a laptop once and it made a clear difference)
-turn all digital domain controls to the max and attenuate in the analog realm (if your soundcard doesn't allow this you'd have to use an amp or something to attenuate... this works well but of course it won't work if these controls are already turned up)
-get a higher-impedance headphone (this works well if you're plugging your headphones in the soundcard and the card's amp has voltage to spare... not sure if it would do anything to help with line out noise if you're using an amp)

 

[Gatticus]

Some good ideas there that I will have to experiment with, thanks. I'm getting an amp next week and I'm thinking about getting an external DAC too. How would I go about shielding the soundcard? I've heard of people using aluminum foil to shield PC TV Tuners.

 

[r0b]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFat /img/forum/go_quote.gif -shield your soundcard (I've never done it myself but I've seen it done by manufacturers in laptops... I removed the shielding in a laptop once and it made a clear difference)

How do you do this? What kind of material should I use?

I've always wondered how laptops got their sound somewhat cleaner than desktop PCs, and this is probably it...

-rob

 

[HFat]

Sorry guys... like I said, I've never done it myself. All I can tell you is that I've seen very thin sheets of metal formed to fit the parts in the laptop. I don't even know if the shielding needs to be grounded or not.
Aside from the obvious (asking a computer tweaker forum, using a search engine or taking apart laptops), you could download some service manuals as they sometimes show the various parts and how to put them together.
If you're going to experiment, be careful not to short anything.

 

[Gatticus]

I think I'll leave that experiment alone.

I still think it is the mb causing it anyway. The reason I think that is because I tried the onboard sound once and it was even worse then, lots of electrical interference. I've heard PSU's can cause this too but I have a pretty good PSU so don't think it is that - Seasonic S12-600.

 

[labrat]

Deleted.