Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (
More info?)
"Paul" <nospam@needed.com> wrote in message
news:nospam-2304050856230001@192.168.1.178...
> In article <426a3db4$0$6340$9a6e19ea@unlimited.newshosting.com>, "Rich"
> <madeyoulook@dot.com> wrote:
>
>> I have these strange stuttering sounds while listening to MP3's. I have
>> DMA
>> enabled in windows and I have updated drivers and firmware for my hard
>> drive
>> and CD/DVD drives so these are all the latest but still I have these
>> sounds
>> at random times. Does anyone have any ideas what I can check next to get
>> rid
>> of these sounds?
>>
>> It seems to have started happening when I added a new Plextor 8X DVD
>> burner
>> PX-716 ATAPI.
>>
>> Thanks for any help in tracking this down, Rich
>
> Delayed Transaction [Enabled] ? That improves PCI bus
> efficiency.
>
> There is also "PCI Latency Timer" [32], but 32 is a pretty
> good setting to use anyway. The only other value you might
> try is 16, but if you go much lower than that, you'll notice
> the desktop might update more slowly, and the computer will
> not be much fun to use. Lowering the setting will make a
> difference to disk benchmarks, for example.
>
> Some sound problems are actually caused by the player used
> for the sound material. Since I don't listen to music on
> the computer, I don't have a collection of these tools or
> the experience that goes with them.
>
> If there is no disc in the Plextor, there is no particular reason
> for that device to affect other stuff. (Just the occasional
> check, I suppose, for media in the drive.) If you were using the
> Plextor at the same time as you were playing MP3's, then there
> would be something to investigate. Basically, you want to make
> sure that each storage device, whether ODD or HDD, is using the
> highest transfer rate you can manage. The one to avoid, is
> polled I/O mode, where DMA (a.k.a Bus Mastering) is disabled
> or is not being used.
>
> PIO transfer keeps the processor pretty busy, and typically
> results in drive benchmarks of about 4MB/sec.
>
> I see "Ultra DMA Mode" [Disabled] is the default in your
> manual, and selecting a higher rate might allow Windows to
> select a higher rate as well. Cables with 80 wires, versus
> the cables with 40 wires, can make a difference as well.
> Apparently, according to the ATA/ATAPI spec, it is possible
> for software to sense whether a 40 or 80 wire cable is being
> used, so that might have an impact on the performance level
> of your storage devices. In any case, a quick check with
> one of those Windows utils, like Sandra or Everest, might
> tell you what mode is being used for your IDE devices.
>
> Recent Windows OSes also have a feature, where if the OS detects
> CRC errors on a drive, it may "turn down" the transfer rate
> from a drive. It doesn't take too serious an error rate problem,
> before Windows will be using PIO mode for transfers.
>
> (See "Workaround" near bottom of page)
>
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;817472
>
> I hope that gives you a few ideas.
>
> If you post back, perhaps if you suggest what applications you
> are using for playing MP3's , some more experienced posters can
> suggest versions of your application(s) which may work better.
> A Google search will likely turn up version numbers known to
> have performance problems, as well.
>
> And, to make you feel better, there are a few motherboards,
> where sound playback can never be fixed, at least reliably.
> These tend to be the motherboards, where the PCI bus is created
> at the Northbridge, and the PCI bus services the Southbridge
> and other onboard devices equally. Modern motherboards use much
> faster private hub busses running from Northbridge to Southbridge,
> which helps a bit, and they also use slightly different bridging
> solutions inside the Northbridge. I had one lousy board, where
> AGP transfers tended to mess up the PCI bus - just one of those
> old architectures.
>
> When Windows boots, and you get that startup sound when the
> Windows desktop appears, in my experience that is the most
> sensitive test for proper sound operation. There is a lot of
> disk activity, while the startup sound is playing, ahd if
> there is a "Delayed Transaction" or "PCI Latency Timer" issue,
> that is when you'll hear it.
>
> Good luck,
> Paul
Thanks for the help, I tried several of your suggestions over the last
couple of days and today I might have hit on one solution that wasn't
mentioned. I last upped the USB 2.0 voltage from medium to high and I
haven't had a problem since. I don't know what this does but it was worth a
try and so far so good. (The manual just says settings low, medium, high and
max big help telling you what this does!).
Thanks again for the help, Rich
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