AUDIO CRACKLING, POPPING, STUTTERING

[andmail]

Dear HP Support Team!

There are many discussions on this issue... Of course, some of them are solved!

BUT, I'm sure, that a lot of people are experiencing the same problem as me..., namely, each time the GPU throttles (observed with GPU-Z and/or EVEREST and/or GPU Observer – Sidebar Gadget), it causes a DPC latency spike (~ 60k as in my case, measured with DPC Latency Checker) which causes sound glitches (audio crackling, popping, stuttering), when I listen to a music, browsing the Internet (for example)!!!

You can be sure, I'm not alone!

So, my question is: why there is still no solution to this problem?! excepting the disable powermizer (for those, who use nVidia graphic card) or disabling Windows Aero!

I have this problem more than two years since I bought my HP Compaq 8710p (GC102EA) with Windows Vista preinstalled, and now with Windows 7 Ultimate!

Please, reply!!!

Thx.

P.S.:

Here're some discussions to this subject:

1. dv6-2064ca sound crackling once every 5 minutes
2. Crackling Noise
3. dv6853cl Crackling sound playing mutimedia with speakers or headphones
4. Sound distorts, pops while surfing internet on dv9730us
5. DV5-1050ei - popping and crackling sound while playing any music
   

You can find more by searching to the forums "Notebook PC Sound and Audio"  and using the tags: "CRACKLING", "POPPING", "STUTTERING"...

[youngcaesar8]

I have the same problem, only mine only does it on start-up and shutdown.  Brand new dv7 3174 right out of the box and it's got deffects.  Does HP not turn these on and test them before putting them on shelves???  This is ridiculous it's gone on this long and HP has offered no solution.  Also i spoke to HP on the phone today and they state that there is no record of this being an issue.......... yet all one has to do is google the issue to find out that most if not all of there customers are experiencing these same issues.  I personally would not buy HP again after this, the sales guy tried to talk me into buying a different name brand at the store and I didn't listen cause I liked the DV7, so maybe I brought this on myself.  SHAME ON HP FOR THERE TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT ALONG WITH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

[professorbac]

I purchased dv7-3188cl at Sam's club.   The speakers popped when I turned computer on and turned it off.    The one on floor did not pop.  I bought a replacement ( the same model).  The speakers on it also pops.  Has HP provided a real solution.  I hate to keep a  $ 900 computer that has problems out of the box!  It other wise seems ok.

[hchavezlopez]

Hi andmail. You are certainly right.  I have the same bug in my Slimline s5330la with Win7.  It started as soon as I took it out of the box.  Any media file sounds distorted with a very annoying intermitent "buzz".  Updating the BIOS (to V5.07) and reinstalling the Realtek HD Audio driver didn't help.  

HP support changed the machine (it was 2 days old) and sent me a brand new one........with the SAME problem!!!!!!  I just installed it and it has the same distortion.  I've been on the phone with HP support and they have no clue on what is happening (or they are aware of the problem but do not have a solution!!)

I agree with you that this doesn't seems as a "sound" problem since when a song is being played with the HP MediaSmart program and the title of the song appears on the screen, the name of the song "jumps" and "freezes" at the same time as the distortion appears as if the machine got some kind of interference (like the one you get when a cellphone is near a speaker).

I think your "dpc latency" diagnosis is correct.  I hear the distortion when the red bar of the DPC Latency Checker goes off the charts!

It seems that many HP's have this problem since I've found a lot of threads with this issue, unfortunately with no real  solution.  

I have 3 HPs at home, but after this glitch, this is certainly the last one I will ever buy.

[hchavezlopez]

I thought I had a sound problem but after following your advice and checking the latency of my PC (brand new slimline s5330la) I realized that the problem was not the sound driver but the wireless driver.  

Disabiling the 802.11n Wireless PCI Express Card Lan Adapter "corrects" the problem.  This is not a solution given what without that driver you are off-line! However, at least it is more clear what the problem is.  

The pc came with the version 3.0.1.0 (19/05/2009) of the driver by Ralink Technology.  

HP has no updated driver for that component on their website but you can download the 3.1.0.0 version fromwww.ralinktech.com.   Install it and the problem is solved.

Good luck.

[andmail]

The new nVidia display driver solved my problem with huge DPC Latency!

Official NVIDIA 257.15 Display Driver

[wes_notebooks]

For dv7-3xxx users, download and install the appropriate BIOS update.

For notebooks with an Intel processor:

Softpaq Description	Information	Download
Intel Turbo Boost Technology Driver VERSION: 1.1.1.1007 REV: A	SP48507 Instructions/Information	SP48507 File Download
IDT High-Definition Audio CODEC Driver VERSION: 6.10.6276.0 REV: B	SP48668 Instructions/Information	SP48668 File Download

For notebooks with an AMD processor:

Softpaq Description	Information	Download
WinFlash for HP Notebook System BIOS (for Notebooks with AMD Processors) - Microsoft Windows Based VERSION: F.15	SP48896 Instructions/Information	SP48896 File Download
IDT High-Definition Audio CODEC Driver VERSION: 6.10.6276.0 REV: B	SP48668 Instructions/Information	SP48668 File Download

[phillip75]

Yes, downloaded the update bios firmware and new audio driver and audio problems gone. thank you.

[Darkpsycho]

It didn't solve my problem. This stupid crackling and popping then stuttering just started happening last week.. wtf causes this? Sometimes it happens randomly other times it will never happen. However I can make it happen just by turning on DrJava which is a required program for one of my college courses.

It even effects when I put earphones in too. I have the dv7t select edition.

[nicknml]

It's not an HP problem, it appears to be an issue with WIndows 7. Both my Toshiba laptop and my HP desktop (not as bad though) has this issue (and they have different versions of the Realtek audio chip.)  I have noticed that this tends to happen when there is considerable hard drive read/write activity.

UPDATE: I've been doing some research on the issue and apparently built-in pci-e WiFi cards can cause spikes.  I disabled my onboard wireless card (through device manager) and according to the DPC latency checker the spikes have disappeared.

I'll give another update to see if it works out.