Asus Maximus Formula SE X38 - Living Review.

[nick_000000]

Sounds like a bad driver have you made sure you have the latest drivers for everything? If you have then try the beta drivers see if that helps? Maybe overheating do you get any artifacts on the graphics thats always an overhating giveaway. Try removing the PCI bracket on the slot next to the GFX card and blowing a 120mm fan ovet the GT. If it is still "stuttering" then you could try clearing cmos and just setting the required settings (hard drives, V dimm, v core). If you are running with an overclock try it without see if that fixes the problem.

Also you could try running memtest to see if there are any memory errors, and if all else fails you could try a reinstall of the OS and see if that fixes the problem.

[Clunk]

Originally Posted by DMight

First, Clunk, thanks so much for this thread...it's helped me piece together my new system. Great info.

So, in brief, it seems I'm getting a driver conflict with the SupremeFXII (AD1988B) audio onboard the Maximus Formula, thought I don't know with what. I believe I've narrowed the problem down to the onboard audio because when I remove the drivers or simply turn HD Audio off in the BIOS my problem goes away.

System specs:

Intel Q6600 G0 (16hrs prime stable on MFSE @ 400 FSB)
Asus Maximus Formula SE 701 bios
G.Skill PC2-8000 (2x2gb)
Thermaltake Tough Power 700W PSU
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme w/ Scythe SSF21F
Coolermaster Centurion 5 Case
BFG 8800GT OC
Windows XP Pro x64

The problem is this. When playing a 3D game, I get "stuttering" that is to say the game pauses for a few seconds while the audio (whatever sound was playing at the time) loops until the pause is done.

This problem is present in any BIOS revision (started with 505 and I currently have 701 installed), it is present with two different PCIE cards (a PNY 7900GS and BFG 8800GT), it is also present regardless of whether I am overclocking or running at stock speeds.

The stuttering goes away when I disable the HD Audio in the BIOS, or when I uninstall the drivers. I can then play Crysis at HIGH settings with no problem whatsoever, runs great...just no audio. The audio problem also presents itself during playback of video. I downloaded an HD trailer from the Quicktime website and the same thing occurs, the audio loops for a few seconds and the video pauses until the audio returns.

Um...lessee, what else. I am using the JMicron PATA controller on the motherboard to use my IDE DVD Drive. I've seen the JMicron controller referred to as "the dreaded JMicron controller" so I don't know if that's a red flag or if that might be causing the conflict.

I'm next going to change the settings in the BIOS from HD Audio to AC'97 and see if maybe that addresses the problem.

Can anyone offer advice/troubleshooting steps? Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by DMight

Here's a quick update on my driver conflict issue.

I changed the BIOS setting from HD Audio to AC'97...same problem.

I disabled the JMicron controller to see if that might be conflicting...same problem.

I'm running out of ideas of things I might try. Anyone else running XP 64-bit?

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by DMight

Here are the next steps that I tried. Interesting things happening.

I switched my 8800GT to the 2nd PCIE slot. That seemed to run OK for a bit until I got a good old fashioned freeze...my first with this system so far. The 8800GT was very hot so I suspect that putting the card in the 2nd PCIE slot didn't allow enough ventilation.

I moved the card back to the 1st PCIE slot and rebooted, and started up Crysis. I played for ~45 minutes without incident. I quit out of the game then started it up again and, sure enough, there was the stuttering audio/video.

So, are the drivers not resetting themselves properly or something? The above replicates my first experience using the 7900GS. It played fine for a good long while, but as soon as I exited the game and tried to use another graphics function I get the stuttering. And by graphics function I mean something as simple as opening the NVIDIA Control Panel. In the NVIDIA Control Panel, the spinning logo will cause this stuttering to occur...but again, only if I have installed the AD1988B audio drivers.

Really frustrating. I'm tempted to try and find one of the new PCIE X-Fi cards and try it out...though everything I read suggests that Creative Labs' drivers are terrible too.

Right now, I'm hoping for some miraculous driver update from ASUS since I can't find AD1988B drivers anywhere else.

Originally Posted by DMight

OK...the system began to exhibit the "stuttering" behavior with the HD Audio disabled in the BIOS. Now I'm unsure what could be causing this. Is this a bad motherboard?

I've reset to stock speeds again and enabled the HD Audio, reinstalled the drivers and the problem is immediately apparent when opening the NVIDIA Control Panel...again, the spinning NVIDIA logo "stutters". What in the world could be causing this?

Thanks again, any and all suggestions are welcome.

Welcome to the forums

Sorry for the delay in replying, my tinternet has been down for 12 hours.

This, to me, sounds like it could be an IRQ conflict. Open device manager and check to see if there are any IRQ problems reported.


Are you on vista x64?

[DMight]

Thank You for the reply Clunk.

I am running XP Pro x64, not Vista x64.

It sure does sound like an IRQ conflict doesn't it? I looked at Device Manager, however, and it reports no IRQ conflicts. When I select View>Resources by Connection, it shows me that my graphics card is on IRQ 16, which is shared by:
ICH9 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 2937
Intel X38 Express Chipset PCI Express Root Port - 29E1
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller

With those resources shared on IRQ 16 it indicated no conflict. Interestingly, it appears that there is no IRQ assigned to the SoundMax driver for the onboard audio, instead on IRQ 22 is Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio.

I remember this driver for High Definition Audio being part of a windows update which I ran. Is is possible that there is a problem with this Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio? I wonder if I can get rid of that and see if my sound still works properly. As I recall, the sound was working fine before Windows Update suggested that High Definition driver. Hmmm...how can I uninstall a Windows Update...it doesn't show in add/remove programs?

Another thought/question. Since this "stuttering" behavior is sporadic, that is I can play a game for a good while sometimes free of incident, is that behavior consistent with an IRQ conflict? If there were an IRQ conflict wouldn't it be present all the time?

Thanks again for brainstorming this with me.

[DMight]

Hurm...interesting. I believe the Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio was, in fact, installed as a driver and not an update. I guess that would follow wouldn't it? It's not listed in the Add/Remove Programs list when I click Show Updates.

I've got to step away from my computer ATM, but when I return I intend to remove the Microsoft HD Audio driver and see if I still get sound.

Interestingly, the Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio is listed in Device Manager under system devices, while the Sound MAX Integrated Digital HD Audio is listed under Sound, Video and game controllers.

[nick_000000]

Originally Posted by DMight

Windows XP Pro x64

[nick_000000]

Originally Posted by DMight

Hmmm...how can I uninstall a Windows Update...it doesn't show in add/remove programs?

Device Manager or System Restore

[Clunk]

XP64 isnt an O/S I'm too familiar with, so I'll only be speculating really.

In fact, it might be worth trying the failsafe of.....DISABLE LEGACY USB

If in doubt, and its something weird, try that, it often works


Regarding the IRQ conflict, I would try and see if you can do a fresh install on another drive and see if that fixes the problem. Or clone your existing partition, and then do a fresh install on that drive.

[DMight]

Originally Posted by nick_000000

Nick, is this to say that you're running XP Pro x64 without problems? Do you recall having installed the Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio driver through Windows Update? Thanks.

[DMight]

Originally Posted by Clunk

XP64 isnt an O/S I'm too familiar with, so I'll only be speculating really.

In fact, it might be worth trying the failsafe of.....DISABLE LEGACY USB

Is this a BIOS option?

[nick_000000]

No I am running Vista Ultimate x64 wouldn't mind finding a copy of XP x64 though to see what it's like. I was just reffering to clunk asking what OS you were on but I didn't see you had already said so on the next page . LEGACY USB is a BIOS option yes and disabling it is clunks answer to everything . Only joking Clunk