[StarMatt]

Hello,
Not long ago I bought the Xonar Xense bundle, and I'm quite happy with it. The only problem is very tiring though: with the headset PC350 or with any other headset (I also tried with my Earsonics SM2), there is a slight buzz in the left monitor when I'm playing video games (it does the same buzz sound with TF2, Portal 2 or Diablo 3). But I have NO issues with music or movies/videos. When I'm playing and cut the sound, the buzz sound is still there... So I guess the problem comes from the sound card. But why would it only do it when I'm playing (it does it right when the game starts and it stops right when I quit the game) ?
I'm pretty noob to all this, so any help is most welcolme!
 
Thanks everyone!

 

[deathzero34]

well, if you have no problem when you play music then the sound card is probably fine. Have you tried tweaking the setting inside your games? Sometime they have setting that can help. Like make sure the sound is set up to come from your card, make sure you select headphone etc. Dz34

 

[StarMatt]

Thanks for answering
Yeah, I spent hours trying every combinations of settings I could do!
Well, now I think the problem comes from the GPU. I think it somehow disrupts the sound card because it seems that it does that buzz sound only when the GPU is "working" (in games, and I also tried with the windows test system that gives your computer a mark).
The sound card and the graphic card are very close together in my computer case, they almost touch (I can't really do anything about it, the GPU obstructs my 2nd PCIe port and even if I could put the sound card there, the two cards would still be pretty close...)
Also at some point, I was playing and I ALT TAB'd to the desktop to my and suddenly no more buzz! But when I went back to the game, I had like 20-25FPS and a perfect sound!
So I restarted the computer, and the good ole buzz was there again.
 
I tried reinstalling the sound card drivers, nothing changed. I'm gonna try reinstall the GPU drivers but I doubt it'll do something...
 
So, I guess I'm pretty screwed, uh? Anyone has an idea?
Still, thanks for your help

 

[deathzero34]

try uninstalling or disabling the onboard audio. that could help. Making sure there is no conflict between both.

 

[StarMatt]

It didn't work...
Thanks though.
Reinstalling GPU drivers didn't work either, but I guess it was a vain attempt from the beginning.
 
If you get any more ideas, I'm right there

 

[deathzero34]

well, at this point I would say to try an other PSU if possible. The PSU got bigger capacitor and can create a lot of interference if its a cheap brand. You could to be 100% sure also switch to an other GPU just to test it and make sure that is the problem. If you feel like being experimental you could : buy a ferrite bead and put it on the cord of your headset or try to isolate the sound card with magnetic insulation material.

 

[StarMatt]

Well, my PSU is a Fortron Hexa 500W, I think it's enough right? I'm pretty positive it's the GPU though, I mean how could it not be But I'll do the test with another one just to see, out of boredom  
I guess I'll just wait till I have enough money to buy a new motherboard... I'm pretty pissed of at myself for buying a 220€ sound card I can't even fully use But it's a least very good for music and movies, so I guess it's ok.
Thanks for all your help anyway!
Love.

 

[weez82]

its interference. Im assuming you have the sound card installed in the pci-e slot right above the video card and they're touching of very close to touching? Try a different pci-e slot if you have one free. Anyways, thats my guess. Good luck

 

[bcschmerker4]

Quote:

Well, my PSU is a Fortron Hexa 500W, I think it's enough right? I'm pretty positive it's the GPU though, I mean how could it not be But I'll do the test with another one just to see, out of boredom  
I guess I'll just wait till I have enough money to buy a new motherboard... I'm pretty pissed of at myself for buying a 220€ sound card I can't even fully use But it's a least very good for music and movies, so I guess it's ok.
Thanks for all your help anyway!
Love.

Before springing for a new mobo, I found an issue with power that could very well explain the noise.  The Fortron® power supply in your system is far from optimum for a gaming rig; I suspect that it has too few +12VDC rails, and possibly undersize filter caps on said +12VDC rails, for your system.  I use an Asus® CM1630-06 with EAH6850 DirectCU® video and XONAR® Essence™ STX audio for online activities, and the EAH6850 and XONAR® are in adjacent slots due to a design limitation of the stock Asus® M4A78-EM mobo; on the power supply side, I use an Antec® TruePower™ 750 Blue, which packs independent +12VDC rails for the CPU and video; the stock Advance Micro Devices® Athlon X2 220 (mobo) and upgrade RV970 Pro GPU (EAH6850) therefore have independent supply rails from the balance of the rig, reducing supply-side interference.  So far, the EAH6850's noise contribution to the XONAR® has been negligible.
 
Antec® manufactures other "four-rail" power supplies for a variety of requirements, some of the newest being the Earthwatts™ 650 and High Current Pro™ 750 and 850.

 

[Xonar staff]

Quote:

Hello,
Not long ago I bought the Xonar Xense bundle, and I'm quite happy with it. The only problem is very tiring though: with the headset PC350 or with any other headset (I also tried with my Earsonics SM2), there is a slight buzz in the left monitor when I'm playing video games (it does the same buzz sound with TF2, Portal 2 or Diablo 3). But I have NO issues with music or movies/videos. When I'm playing and cut the sound, the buzz sound is still there... So I guess the problem comes from the sound card. But why would it only do it when I'm playing (it does it right when the game starts and it stops right when I quit the game) ?
I'm pretty noob to all this, so any help is most welcolme!
 
Thanks everyone!

 
StarMatt,
 
Can you check the GX audio engine icon from your Xonar Audio Center user interface? If the GX is enabled when playing non-EAX supporting games, the issue you had might happen.
 
Hope this helps, thanks!

 

[1audioz]

I get buzzing from time to time with my Essence STX catching "interference" from the "shaking" inductors present on the HD 6990. 
 
If I let the PC cool down after a bit, the buzzing goes away.

 

[StarMatt]

Thanks everyone for your answers!
 
bcschmerker4: If the noise only appears when the GPU is "working", what would be the link with the PSU? I mean, if it was a problem with the PSU, wouldn't it make the noise not only when I'm playing?
 
Xonar staff : I checked that already, it doesn't change anything which setting I use with the Xonar Audio Center, I think I tried every combination possible! But that's good to know  though.