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Graphics card causing audio issues? (Radeon 6850)

Tags:
  • Audio
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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August 25, 2014 4:27:08 PM

I've been getting some issues with my audio. It began about two months ago when I noticed that whenever I rotate an image in Photoshop, my music would start stuttering a lot. That was the only place I would encounter this issue up until recently when I started getting insane amounts of stuttering when trying to watch 1080p HD videos (YouTube on both Firefox and Chrome, VLC, Netflix, and even 720p videos in some cases). I also noticed that I've been getting lower framerates in some games. CS:GO, for example, now runs at ~60 fps down from ~110. It's also worth pointing out that I get no audio issues when playing games in fullscreen. The issue only occurs when running programs that display a lot of graphics (Photoshop, Steam, Spotify) in separate windows. What I find most confusing is that it isn't a persistent issue. Some days, I encounter no stuttering whatsoever. It's as if every time I turn on my PC, there's an 80% chance that I will get audio stuttering.

My system specs are:
- CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 965
- GPU: Sapphire Radeon 6850
- Motherboard: Biostar A880G+
- RAM: Two 1666 MHz 4GB Corsair sticks, can't remember exact model
- PSU: 535w Again, can't remember exact model
- HDD: 500GB 7200rpm Seagate

I believe my graphics card is the reason for this, though I'm not entirely sure. Here are some things that could've caused this problem prior to the stuttering:
- I've been setting my PC to hibernate instead of shutting down.
- PSU was replaced about a year ago after failure. It now uses a $35 535w PSU from some third-party company.
- Weather has been getting hotter and my PC is generating more heat than usual, but hardware temperatures remain at average.
- Yesterday I disabled AMD Overdrive from the Catalyst Control Center and it seems to have alleviated the issue by a small amount.
- I replaced my CPU fan about 10 months ago.
- I've already tried updating both my graphics and sound drivers but the issue remains.
- I've done multiple virus scans with Microsoft Security Essentials and Malware Bytes all of which have turned up with nothing.
- CCleaner scans don't fix the issue.
- Restarting my PC won't fix the stuttering.

More about : graphics card causing audio issues radeon 6850

August 25, 2014 4:35:48 PM

It's not recommended to put your PC to Sleep/Hibernate. Always Shut Down your PC properly otherwise it can cause all sorts of issues. Your card could be getting too hot. What is the air flow like in your case? Have you tried uninstalling the drivers using AMDs driver uninstaller and then reinstalling the drivers?
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August 25, 2014 4:39:27 PM

The 535W no name PSU could also be causing problems, since shady PSUs like that always output less power than advertised. Your card may not be getting enough power in certain situations.
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