intermittent no audio on Z87-GD65

[erikb]

I've had this board for about four months.  It's a replacement board after I had to RMA my original board.  Every now and then, the audio simply stops working.  It happened again today, after about a month of no problems. I tried speakers on the back panel line out port, I tried USB headphones on a front USB port, and I tried headphones with a 3.5mm plug in a front audio port.  None of it works, but when I try them on my backup computer (with a Sabertooth X58 mobo), they work fine.

In the Windows sound mixer window, I can see audio is coming through, but it's not reaching any of my audio devices.  I also have a related problem in the Firestorm OpenSimulator viewer software.  It suddenly today can't access either audio or media on the MSI, but works fine on the same account on the Sabertooth.

I use this computer for work creating OpenSimulator virtual worlds and need audio desperately.  Right now I'm back working on the Sabertooth.  It's frustrating having a newer, faster computer here that I can't use.

Does anyone have any ideas?

My system:

i7-4770
32GB Crucial Ballistix Tactical RAM
MSI GTX 970 GPU
Win 8.1
3dConnexion SpaceNavigator
WD 300GB Velociraptor boot disk
4 Intel 530 SSD's in RAID 5
external eSATA 3GB HGST drive
MaxPower eSATA  6G Pro adapter card
Inateck Superspeed  USB 3.0 adapter card
Intel Network card
Corsair TX-750 PSU

 

[erikb]

Now the audio is back.  I didn't touch a thing.  I just worked on the Sabertooth for a while and then tried audio on the MSI again.

However the Firestorm media and sound problem is still there.  It started at the same time as the audio problem.  It's definitely a problem on the MSI because it doesn't happen with the same software, same avatar, and same location on the Sabertooth.  However I'm completely mystified about what's causing it. I've never had the problem before, despite doing a lot of development recently using media and sound in that virtual world.

Any suggestions will be welcome!

 

[TZBC]

Are you using Z87-GD65 GAMING?
What's your BIOS and Realtek High Definition Audio Driver version?
Did you try update to the latest / reinstall the Audio Driver?

 

[erikb]

Yes, it's a Z87-GD65 GAMING.  I didn't think to add the GAMING because there isn't any other type.  I'll change the title of the original post if I can after posting this.

My BIOS is current and I downloaded and reinstalled all my drivers and utilities last month.

EDIT: I can't change the title of the original post, so I've changed this one.

 

[TZBC]

Are you using BIOS 1.B and Realtek High Definition Audio Driver 6.0.1.7293 ?
Did you try reinstall OS before?

The audio not working only happened with Firestorm OpenSimulator viewer?
Or when Firestorm opened, other device all have no sound?

 

[erikb]

Yes, I installed BIOS 1B and I thought I'd installed Realtek 6.0.1.7293. but when I read your reply, I checked MSI Command Center and showed the BIOS as V1.11 and the Realtek driver as 6.0.1.7245.  I'm puzzled about the Realtek version, because I downloaded the current one but apparently didn't install it.  I've now installed it.

The audio problem and Firestorm problem seem to be separate problems that just happened to occur the same morning.

As I mentioned in my first post, the audio problem cleared itself up a few hours later.  This is what always happens.  It's fine for a few weeks, and then the audio simply stops for a hours.  Right now the audio is fine. but I assume the problem will occur again.

The Firestorm problem is both audio and media.  It continues, but the problem doesn't happen when I use Singularity for OpenSim, so I have no idea yet what the problem is.  Two clean reinstalls of Firestorm haven't helped..

I can't simply reinstall the OS to test because I have a huge amount of software installed. and it takes me days to reinstall an OS.  Because the problem is intermittent, I can't simply do a basic install on a separate drive to test audio.  Audio works most of the time.

However i am installing Win 7 on a separate ssd as a long term test, to see whether either of the problems might be due to Win 8.1.  I've had a number of strange problems since installing this motherboard, but I installed Win 8 at the same time, so the problems might be Win 8 rather than the motherboard.  If the Win 7 ssd works for a month or so, then I'll keep using it in place of Win 8.  However it will take several days to install my software before I can even start testing it.

 

[Svet]

try >>Clear CMOS Guide<< with power cord removed

try with different speakers sets [excuse if you tried this already]

try with mainboard out of PC case placed over non conductive surface,
you may have some kind of shorting issue

 

[erikb]

I've just now cleared CMOS per your suggestion.  It didn't help with the Firestorm problem and because the audio problem is intermittent, I might not know for weeks whether I still have the problem.

Yes, I've tried several speakers and headphones, using both USB and 3.5mm front and back.

Quite frankly, with the number of annoying issues I've experienced since installing this mobo, if I have to remove it I'll probably just take it as a opportunity to replace it with an Asus Sabertooth - my four year old Sabertooth has been fantastic.  However I really like the MSI and want to make it work.  That's why I'm going to try Win 7 on it as soon as I finish loading all my software on the the Win 7 ssd.  The MSI has been my first experience with Win 8 and it's possible that my complaints are really with Win 8 and not with the MSI.

BTW, I didn't know about the clear CMOS button on the back panel until this morning.  That's another feature I love about this mobo.