Audio and video issues during startup, but stable when playing games?
Audio and video issues during startup, but stable when playing games?
Hello! I've been experiencing significant stuttering in audio and video over the past few days. My PC was functioning perfectly for about two weeks until suddenly the issue started without warning. It mainly occurs in Desktop mode, especially during tasks like working, when usage is low or stress levels are high—I can't play music, videos, or streams without interruptions, but heavy games like Baldur's Gate 3 at ultra settings work smoothly. Occasionally it resolves briefly for a few minutes, but then it returns to stuttering. Whenever I turn on the PC, everything runs without problems, except when launching any program, which always causes the stuttering. I've even removed the GPU and used the Mobo HDMI port, yet the desktop still shows stuttering.
I've tried various solutions I found online:
- Fresh W11 installation
- MoBo BIOS update
- Disabling UPLS via Afterburner
- Setting GPU min clock speed 100 MHz lower than max speed
- Downgrading the GPU driver by two versions
- Clearing CMOS
- Physically checking connections; CPU pins appear intact
I also ran CPU and GPU benchmarks, and Cinebench loaded smoothly.
My current setup:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600
- OS: Windows 11 (64 bits)
- GPU: Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- Power Supply: Cooler Master MWE 750 BRONZE V2 80 PLUS
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR5, 5200MHz, 32GB (2x16)
- Motherboard: MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI
Run userbenchmark.com and Post the link of the result
Verify memory via memtest.org usb autoinstaller
Assess SSD/HDD using manufacturer's tool, Check for firmware updates
Memtest and SSD evaluations passed successfully, no issues detected.
Audio configuration is being checked—do you have HDMI or DP connections for audio? If yes, there should be an option to change to another device, including using inexpensive headphones that draw power from the motherboard temporarily. I experienced sound stuttering and cuts with AMD's audio driver and HDMI out, which disappeared after switching devices and turning off the AMD driver. Consider running LatencyMon in the background for a few hours, or try disabling the AMD driver to see if it improves things. If that doesn’t help, a budget USB DAC might be necessary.
Bios for the motherboard has been updated to version 7D75v1A and AMD chipset drivers have been refreshed.
I'm working with dual monitors, one using DP and the other HDMI. Both audio issues occur, but stuttering stops when I connect headphones to the front port of my case. Audio becomes almost free from stutter, while video remains mostly smooth. Running latencymon.
I bet if you get a cheap USB DAC and disable your existing sound devices this will go away. Very good chance it's a misbehaving sound driver. If it's Realtek try rolling back a version or two. Don't use AMD's GPU sound driver, it's dreadful. I got rid of literally all the issues I was having with audio and video playback since switching to a 7900 XTX by using an external DAC.