Crackling sounds (tried almost everything)!

[firebugi]

I have a problem with my sound. I get a crackling/popping/sound lagging sounds from my speakers and headphones (which ever I have plugged in).

My computer specs:

creative PCI Express X-Fi Xtreme Audio
abit IP35 motherboard
nvidia 8800GT
4Gb 800mhz kingston ddr2
E8400 dual core intel processor boxed
antec neo HE500 power
3 self installed 120mm fans
1Tb hard drive
samsung syncmaster 959NF

This is what I've tried:
onboard sound card, no changes
taking off all my USBs
LCD monitor instead of the syncmaster
I changed motherboard from my abit IP35-e to abit IP35, no changes
routing my computer electricity to a different socket
taking off my ethernet cable from the onboard chip
disabling onboard audio chip
shutting all other electrical devices from the room
headphones and amplifier, both on back and front jacket, no difference at all
installing sound card drivers, updating sound card drivers, removing drivers


I read the google and a lot of people has had this same problem, but everyone for different reasons. Wasn't that much of a help. I read something about insulating the motherboard, is that what could make it?
My motherboard bends a little when I install my boxed CPU cooler, but it shouldn't hit the back of the case...

On other note, I have another computer on the same electric socket as my computer, and it is not making any weird noises.

Oh and I have a fresh installed windows 7 with newest windows update patches.
It was making the sound with previous windows 7 installation too.

I've come to a conclusion of mine, that the CPU load is making the sound or something, could that be possible?

 

[firebugi]

Okay, I was on other forums and they said the bent motherboard could be the cause, so I drove to a hardware shop and bought some sand paper. I made the CPU and the CPU cooler slimmer with the sand papaer plus I changed the PCI-e slot for the sound card, absolutely no change....

 

[diellur]

You sand-papered your CPU!? You're a brave, brave man!!

Have you tried getting a ground-loop isolator? It's probably interference from the power supply / components being picked up by the audio.

 

[boberex]

Did you find a solution yet? I am having same problem and I could use some tips how to fix it ;/

 

[gamerk316]

A Creative Sound card, popping? NEVER!!!

[/sarcasm]

Especially the Extreme Audio, which isn't even a proper X-fi card; its known to have a lot of driver problems...

My primary question: Does onboard audio work fine?

 

[boberex]

In my case, it was like this: I bought used x-fi music gold edition, which had cracking noises, once a few computer reboots, after i reinstalled vista it was fine for like a year, then crackling came back and eventualy card died (computer didnt see it any more), I used onboard audio for a while and installed win 7, bought extreme audio and problem came back, even on onboard sound card...(that is the most strange thing coz i thought its only x-fi card problem) Also tried different slots for x-fi, disabling, enablind onboard card. OC cpu or non OC cpu.
I dont know what is the problem anymore. I almost bought new mobo but some1 on other forum wrote that he changed mobo and it didnt help. I dont know what to do anymore. Any sound coming out of speakers is so anoying... i have to reboot computer once or even few times and then the sound is fine. Until i turn computer off.
I have no idea anymore how to fix it, if I knew for sure that changing 1 of components, mobo/gpu/cpu/x-fi would help, I would do it... but which one? Besides there has to be a way to fix it ..

 

[boberex]

I have reinstalled win7 64bit ultimate, clean install with sp1 built it, sound installed itself. I have downloaded new drivers from creative and crackling stated. So i used "restore system" and everything is fine now.
Just dont install new drivers use whatever windows gives after new system installation.
This worked for me. GL everyone.

 

[boberex]

OK everybody problem solved, and not by drivers like i wrote before. The problem realy lays in graphic card, just use other graphic card and u will see that cracking stops. As my 8800gt started to crash computer eventualy, displaying red dots/lines - I did a trick i have found in google - put card in an oven 190 celsius degree, for 8,5min, just take off cooling first and rubber cover for SLI connection. After the oven trick, graphic was fine again and ...sound repaired itself. I was fighting with sound problem for 2 years and I hope this tip will help someone, I know how frustrating that is... GL everyone, if this method will help you, write to let others know it works.

 

[diellur]

Thanks for letting us know.

 

[boberex]

I hope this will help some1 else too, if yes I would know for sure crackling noises wont come back to my speakers ;D

-> Ok sound is f$%d up again, any1 have a solution?