Computer Audio Question

[wardprobst]

Howdy,

After our computer audio has been on for a while it starts to pop, a little a first then a lot. Makes watching videos a real pain. Anyone have suggestions on how to determine whether it's the sound card or the audio system? It's a Dell about 3 years old, with monitor, sub woofer, and 4 speakers allegedly by Altec.
Thanks in advance for any advice,
DP

[pelligrini]

I doubt it's the speakers. Sounds more like a problem with the audio card. You might be able to check the output chanels with a pair of earphones, if it's analog. Do the speakers attach to the computer with multiple connections, or just one? If it's one connection it's digital.

Is it actually a card or onboard? Could be heat related. Make sure the case fans are clean. If it's a card, try to give it some room on the mobo.

I've also gone round and round with some troublesome c-media onboard devices.

[Ed62]

My wife had a problem like that. I found that she had been trying to play video that she had to turn the volume way up for. She could still hardly hear it. It turns out that she had the volume turned down, not on the speakers themselves (where it was very high), but from the program playing the video. Maybe your volume is set too high on the speakers.

Ed

[LinuxRandal]

Open up your volume control and play with the individual settings. Things like the CD volume buttons and analog/digital audio.

There can be as many as 5 things that can pump up the volume AND noise (been too long since Windows), but with my Linux systems, I have had as many as 3 sound cards in one pc (onboard that I didn't like, Creative card, and USB sound card).

[wardprobst]

Thanks all,

I should have mentioned that I have tried adjusting volumes. For a short while I could go into the control panel and change the selected configuration and it would stop but no longer. Also, it does seem to be thermal related, i.e. the longer the audio is on the longer and more frequent the popping.

Best,
DP

[dkerfoot]

Sounds like the audio card (probably not a card at all, but built into the motherboard) is dying a slow death.

Make sure you have a free PCI slot. If so, you should be able to pick up a decent low-end SoundBlaster card for $20 or so. Or, if you prefer, now might be the time to upgrade to a higher-end card if that makes sense for you.

[LinuxRandal]

Sounds like the audio card (probably not a card at all, but built into the motherboard) is dying a slow death.

Make sure you have a free PCI slot. If so, you should be able to pick up a decent low-end SoundBlaster card for $20 or so. Or, if you prefer, now might be the time to upgrade to a higher-end card if that makes sense for you.

If it IS a card, it could also have come loose in the slot (easy fix). As it heated up inside the pc, it may expand away from the motherboard (if not completely loose, aka no sound).

[wardprobst]

Thanks to all,

It appears to have been a build up of dust inside the case. I unhooked it, took it outside and blew a ton of Texas dust out.

Best,
DP

[sparkeyjames]

It is a good idea to regularly blow the dust out of your computer. Some may need it once a year others in more dust prone areas as much as once every 3 months. I can get by with once every 6 months. With the size of the components on a circuit board being very small these days dust can cause shorts if you let it build up. I may have recently had a video card go because of this very thing.