Every graphics driver released in 2024 for the AMD Ryzen 5500U causes audio popping

[TrantaLocked1]

I've been experiencing audio popping caused by graphics drivers for over a year. I do use HP's provided drivers for my model but also experimented with AMD's drivers in case they would fix the problem. Yes I have tested for other driver issues including chipset, realtek audio, etc, and none of them have an effect. I also tried running DDU for multiple recent driver versions with no difference. My notebook model is the HP Pavilion 15 EF-2126WM with an AMD 5500U CPU for which I've selected in the HP driver support page for graphics drivers.

The last known good HP provided  driver is 31.0.12044.3 Rev.D from May, 2023. The last good AMD provided driver that I've tried is 31.0.14037.1007 (23.3.1) from March, 2023. ALL AMD AND HP provided drivers I've ever tried from 2024 cause audio popping (yes, including the two 31.0.2191X.XXXX releases from HP!); some of them cause constant and egregious audio popping and others only cause one or two pops every couple minutes, but still enough to be annoying.

The graphics drivers from early 2023 and before never experience audio popping, even during extended sessions. This issue with newer graphics drivers causing audio popping has been NEGLECTED by AMD and HP for OVER A YEAR. And it affects all programs with audio including audio players and browsers.

I also want to mention that LatencyMon reports the network driver ndis.sys with the Realtek RTL8821CE installed and connected over Wi-Fi has extremely high interrupt times compared to the numbers  I've seen for ndis.sys on my other systems with Wi-Fi cards. There is clearly something wrong with the drivers for the Realtek Wi-Fi chipset but I've tried multiple driver versions including the latest with no change. I suspect it contributes to the problem, but the graphics drivers are still the main culprit!

Please AMD and HP can you fix this problem?

[Lachs]

The AMD graphics driver package also has drivers for the AMD Audio CoProcessor.

This looks like a driver conflict between Realtek Audio and the AMD Audio CoProcessor.

Which driver version (Driver) and hardware ID (Details) does the AMD Audio CoProcessor have? Can be found in the Device Manager > System devices > AMD Audio CoProcessor > (see above).

If hardware ID:

PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_15E2&SUBSYS_(can be different)&REV_00

or

PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_15E2&SUBSYS_(can be different)&REV_01

then the driver version should be 2.xx.x.xx, version 6.x.x.xx causes these problems.

The correct driver can be found in the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Install:

Uninstall AMD Audio CoProcessor from Device Manager (remove with software) > Restart > Windows reinstalls a version 2.x driver

You can upgrade this to a higher version:
Download the driver > Unpack it into a folder with an unpacker like 7-Zip > in the Device Manager > Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers > Browse button and select the folder with extracted files from the CAB file > OK > Next > Close

or

In the folder with the unpacked driver files > Right-click amdacpbus.inf > Install > Restart

Right-click on the loudspeaker symbol in the systray at the bottom right > surround sound > click on deactivate (even if a check mark has already been set) should also eliminate the noise, but only temporarily.

[TrantaLocked1]

With the AMD provided 23.3.1 driver (no popping, the driver I've primarily used since it released in 2023) it is 6.0.0.64 and PCI\VEN_1022&DEV_15E2&SUBSYS887A103C&REV_01. For the latest HP driver it is 6.0.0.92.

I installed the latest HP driver then changed coprocessor to 2.x but audio doesn't work with it installed.

I am going to see if I can just go with the method of not even installing any of the AMD audio components. I pointed to the display driver on its own without installing audio. I have known for a while that YouTube videos can play without ever stalling when AMD coprocessor is disabled, but I never opted for this config because speaker mode was forced at full volume. However, in my current config with no AMD or extra Realtek drivers installed, speaker volume does actually work, so I will test this out. I have not heard any pops yet.

Actually, I haven't had a good experience with any non-Microsoft generic or Realtek audio drivers in years. The same problem happened with the OEM driver for my HT Omega Fenix PCIe card and it resolved by just changing to Microsoft's generic driver. I also started experiencing popping over Nvidia HDMI out to my TV, after which I switched to the coax spdif out direct to my speakers. No more popping and less latency. So it's kind of crazy to consider that all of my devices experience popping if they aren't using a generic Microsoft or Realtek driver. AMD, C-media and Nvidia, all trash audio drivers these days.

I would prefer it if AMD and HP released properly working drivers so I can just install what HP provides and not have them cause problems. Specifically, AMD's audio software (particularly the coprocessor) is awful. It really only causes problems.

[Lachs]

I have never had the sound not work with 2x drivers for the AMD Audio CoProcessor. Microsoft's generic drivers do not include audio enhancements that are normally important for laptop speakers.

Many cooks spoil the broth... Internal speakers and headphones powered by Realtek, APU from AMD, advanced graphics from Nvidia and best of all Bluetooth from Intel. That's what freedom is like if you don't want to be imprisoned by Appel.

[TrantaLocked1]

I think I've figured out the solution for YouTube stalling when changing audio outputs. I used AMD Cleanup Utility and DDU for both Realtek audio and AMD graphics, then only installed the HP graphics driver package without installing the HP Realtek audio driver package, and now I can reset my headphone jack without stalling. Maybe it was something else that I did at some point, not sure.

I was able to finally get 2.x to work with audio, still testing for what configs don't cause popping.

[TrantaLocked1]

Steps: Run AMD Cleanup Tool, run DDU for Realtek Audio and AMD Graphics with "remove the driver/filter" and "remove AMD audio bus" also checked which are disabled by default, restart in normal mode, install HP provided "AMD High-Definition Graphics Driver" 31.0.21914.5002 Rev.E from Aug 22, 2024, restart. Sound devices set to 24-bit/48KHz but this probably doesn't matter. "Disable all enhancements" checked in audio properties, but again, I'm not sure if that matters.

NO other audio or graphics drivers installed. It does seem best to avoid the HP "Realtek High-Definition (HD) Audio Driver" as the one built into Windows is more stable. The AMD Audio CoProcessor in the HP provided graphics driver package version 31.0.21914.5002 Rev.E is version 6.0.0.92.

Edit: I have heard pops with the above steps now. Very few but they still happen. I will be testing above steps but with 2.89.0.86 installed for the AMD Audio CoProcessor from the Microsoft Update Catalog. If that doesn't go well I will try 6.0.0.78 which is technically the most recent release for 6.x on the update catalog. If none of that works I will just revert back to using AMD provided 23.3.1.

Edit 2: Above steps but replacing AMD Audio CoProcessor with 2.89.0.86 is not stable either, still get pops. It seems they start happening at a certain point then happen a lot once that point hits. Back to AMD 23.3.1 again I guess. Waiting for AMD or HP to actually do something and make their latest drivers not cause audio glitching.

[TrantaLocked]

I will be trying out a WiFi card swap to the Intel AX210 from the stock Realtek RTL8821CE. I've noticed the primary factory for my high average interrupt to process times is having the Realtek WiFi adapter enabled. I don't see the same problem on my desktop so the Realtek could just have poor driver design.

I believe what I ordered is the non v-pro version MM# 999M85 and should work in my 15 ef, but may need a second antenna for bluetooth according to existing threads. HP has a driver bundle for Intel WiFi adapters including the AX210 in the download section for my laptop model.

[TrantaLocked]

After further investigation I am 100% CERTAIN THE PROBLEM IS THE GRAPHICS DRIVER AND NOT THE COPROCESSOR OR ANYTHING ELSE. It is most audible when playing Spotify with a newer (2024) graphics driver, and in LatencyMon there will be interrupt to process spikes WELL OVER 2000us. Most likely caused by ACPI driver latency for which behavior changes drastically depending on the graphics driver installed. It is usually fine spiking above 2000us under DPC latency, but if it's doing that under interrupt latency, it seems very likely to cause audio stuttering. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM ON PRE-2024 GRAPHICS DRIVERS. It has NOTHING TO DO with the Audio CoProcessor driver or any other driver in device manager.

The safe graphics driver I use is 31.0.14037.1007 from the AMD 23.3.1 package. 31.0.14076.3 from Windows Update Catalog also seems safe. That is the newest 31.0.14xxx driver from Update Catalog. It seems anything 31.0.21xxx or newer causes popping. The graphics driver from 2024 I test for popping is the HP 31.0.21914.5002 for my model laptop. It may not start immediately after installing but have a browser open and play some white noise in Spotify and you will eventually hear pops. I also tried 31.0.21910.4002 from HP and from the Update Catalog and heard popping.

I was able to get network interrupt latency down with the RTL8821CE WiFi adapter by uninstalling the device in device manager and scanning for hardware until it fell back to the stock Microsoft driver from 2019, 2024.0.8.108. It doesn't seem installable if downloaded from the update catalog so I couldn't figure out how to get a newer version of that driver era to install. This driver allows DPC latency to average below 200us interrupt to process, whereas on newer drivers it hovers above 400us. This, however, is not the main culprit for audio hitching. Whether or not the extra 200us is added by the newer inferior network drivers, the interrupt latency being caused by the newer GRAPHICS DRIVERS will ALWAYS CAUSE audio glitching.

WHO IS WRITING THESE DRIVERS???????????

[TrantaLocked]

The AX210 does not work properly in my ef2126wm with 5500U. I tried the antenna in both #1 and #2 ports but it didn't change that only bluetooth would show in device manager. I have read that the AX200 is likely to work but for now I will continue with the Realtek RTL8821CE because the 2019 driver I discovered has lower latency.

[TrantaLocked]

The Intel AX200 worked immediately in my ef2126wm. WiFi and Bluetooth work fine even with the single antenna, but I will be adding a second soon. Added interrupt latency is minimal; maybe slightly lower than the Realtek RTL8821CE with 2019 driver and much lower than the modern drivers.