Crackling/squealing Sound Under Load, Front and Back Audio, X570 Gaming Plus Ryzen 7 5800X

[kickasskingy]

Good Day All,

I have been having some issues with the onboard sound and I wanted to post here before taking it to MSI Support as they will likely request I send the mobo off.

I have unfortunately been having issues with crackling/squealing sounds on both onboard and rear I/O audio ports when the PC is under load. I can even hear the mouse move across the screen!

My system:
MSI MPG X570 Gaming Plus mobo (BIOS 7C37vAC3(Beta))
Ryzen 7 X5800
2x8G Corsair Vengence RGB PRO DDR4 3600 (CMW16GX4M2Z3600C18)
PNY 3060 Ti XLR8 Epic-X

I have googled this extensively and people are suggesting that it is an issue with BIOS rather than a faulty mobo. However, I tried everything and failed to find a solution thus far. I have tried:
- Unplugging the front audio header.
- Cleaning and reinstalling the audio drivers from the MSI website.
- Adjusting the VDDG voltages between 1-1.1V ( https://www.reddit.com/r/MSI_Gaming/comments/el6e8m )
- Downgrading the PCIe to Gen 3.0
- Removing XMP and defaulting RAM (few forum comments suggested it as a fix)

I am currently using the audio through my GFX card and monitor, but it means I cannot use my headset too well.

I am at a loss, has anyone else experienced these issues and had a fix?

All the best

 

[LuckyGuy]

I'm having a similar issue with my B450 Tomahawk but it's not related to the CPU... it's coming from the GPU! Are you sure yours isn't as well?
I just got a Gigabyte 3080 and as soon as I installed it and booted I started getting crackling and popping over my speakers, which are hooked up to the MB audio. Doesn't occur with my 1080, 1080Ti, 970 or my AMD 580. If I start up a game the sounds ends up going out completely and all I hear is the crackling and popping. The RF feedback ends up knocking the audio out completely. Do you have another video card you can test your rig with? I'm curious if this is an issue with the 3000 series cards, or a combination of these motherboards not being compatible with the RF feedback these cards generate anyway.

 

[kickasskingy]

I'm having a similar issue with my B450 Tomahawk but it's not related to the CPU... it's coming from the GPU! Are you sure yours isn't as well?
I just got a Gigabyte 3080 and as soon as I installed it and booted I started getting crackling and popping over my speakers, which are hooked up to the MB audio. Doesn't occur with my 1080, 1080Ti, 970 or my AMD 580. If I start up a game the sounds ends up going out completely and all I hear is the crackling and popping. The RF feedback ends up knocking the audio out completely. Do you have another video card you can test your rig with? I'm curious if this is an issue with the 3000 series cards, or a combination of these motherboards not being compatible with the RF feedback these cards generate anyway.

I think you might be right, I really notice the issue get far greater when the GPU is under load, there didn't seem to be an increase in the issue when running a CPU stress test. No idea how we would correct this other than buy a sound card. I've raised a ticket with the MSI support desk to see what they come back with.

I may have another video card I can use to test this theory, its an old 780Ti but should work. I will test tomorrow evening and let you know!

 

[Mattech]

Since you have X570, try changing PCIe speeds in BIOS from Auto or 4.0 to 3.0. That fixes audio and USB issues until a BIOS update fixes the real issue.

 

[kickasskingy]

Since you have X570, try changing PCIe speeds in BIOS from Auto or 4.0 to 3.0. That fixes audio and USB issues until a BIOS update fixes the real issue.

I also tried PCIe 2 and gen 1, none of which made any difference. I have just borrowed an older GTX660Ti, so will swap GFX cards and see if that makes a difference. Else I have also aquired a sound blaster card to try.

 

[kickasskingy]

Hi All,

So I did loads of tests tonight and the results aren't good for the mobo!
- I tried a 780Ti and the issue was still there.
- I tried using a dedicated Sound Blaster Card and the issue was still there through the card!
- I tried disabling the onboard sound and the issue was still there!!!
This video was recorded with the onboard sound disabled https://1drv.ms/v/s!AjmFW6qDuQpzgqRuD1bPk0QG9KueBA?e=4wu2HJ
At this point, it was obvious there was an issue beyond software or config... I did sound measures on the common ground and found that there was a bad voltage leak and the signal was coming from that Maybe a stray blob of solder etc.

I believe at this point the mobo has to go back.

 

[LuckyGuy]

In case others stumble on this thread later, I'll share my update. I just received a Sound Blaster Audigy Fx and disabled the onboard audio and it's fixed my issue. No more static and popping noises and my sound just works. I suspect the problem is my B450 Tomahawk isn't properly filtering certain RF frequencies and maybe the Gigabyte 3080 erroneously creating them. I mean, maybe it's solely the fault of Gigabyte - I'm not sure - but whatever the case disabling onboard audio and installing a separate sound card solved my issues.

 

[kickasskingy]

In case others stumble on this thread later, I'll share my update. I just received a Sound Blaster Audigy Fx and disabled the onboard audio and it's fixed my issue. No more static and popping noises and my sound just works. I suspect the problem is my B450 Tomahawk isn't properly filtering certain RF frequencies and maybe the Gigabyte 3080 erroneously creating them. I mean, maybe it's solely the fault of Gigabyte - I'm not sure - but whatever the case disabling onboard audio and installing a separate sound card solved my issues.

Sadly not for me, I had the mobo out today, and my multimeter was picking up a voltage on the case screw ground points