Audio cracks/distorts!! Please help!

[TheGreench]

Hey guys, new to the TH forums and I still consider myself new to the custom PC building and upgrading community as well. Been doing it for maybe 2 years now. Currently I have an audio issue that I have been suffering with for months but only now am I ready to really figure out what's wrong.

Currently I am running on board audio on the Asus P7H55 M-PRO mobo. Sometime ago I noticed during gameplay, the audio would start to crack and distort for a few minutes, then work again. So I bought new speakers recently, thought that solved my problem but it didn't. Okay, so I decided to try my brother's speakers ('Meh' brand, but it works flawlessly on his comp and has never had issues) and shortly after the speakers crackled and died again during gameplay.

So, my question is---can this be driver/software issue? Or is this purely hardware? I am assuming it's hardware. Is it that my on board audio is simply shot? =( Is a sound card the route to take? Honestly just like many of you, I simply want to find out if it's my mobo or a software issue so I can begin to even attempt to remedy my problem.

Here is a link to my mobo if it helps: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1156/P7H55M_PRO/#specifications

One last thing to point out, it SEEMS to only start up (the issue that is) when I am in the middle of gaming (Sims 3, Shogun 2, etc). However it could just be my mind playing tricks on me, though I'm pretty sure I haven't noticed this happen during, say youtube usage.

So is it hardware issues or CAN it possibly be software? If so, can I just buy a soundcard to remedy my problem?

Thank you in advance!

P.S. Hardware:

Windows 7 64 Home
i5 760 @2.8ghz
1TB Samsung Spinpoint HDD
EVGA GTX570
650PSU Antec Earthwatts
Asus P7H55 M-PRO mobo

 

[boiler1990]

Almost all sound/soundcard problems are software (i.e. driver) based. Are you running the most recent/updated drivers for the sound chip on the motherboard?

What game(s) specifically are you playing in the 2nd paragraph?


To be honest, sound drivers are some of the worst pieces of software ever written...

 

[TheGreench]

Hi, thanks for replying!

The games that I've run where audio fails have been: Total War: Shogun 2; The Sims 3; Starcraft 2; Rainbow Six Vegas 2...yeah I guess it isn't specific =( Just a ton of games it's happened on.

I REALLY hope it's driver specific, I would hate to have hardware issues. I am 99% sure I am running the most recent updated drivers, but if you would like, I would greatly appreciate you pointing a link my way with the mobo I linked in mind.

 

[boiler1990]

Do you know what driver you used? Did it come off the disc or off the internet?

Did you try the driver off of this page? Even so, you may want to uninstall, restart, install, and restart. My Omega Striker's driver didn't work for the first 3 or 4 times I used it, but one day it just randomly configured itself and worked perfectly.
http://support.asus.com/Download.aspx?SLanguage=en&m=P7H55-M+PRO&p=1&s=32