[SOLVED] PC very noisy on some videos

business_kid · 05-10-2023, 02:30 PM

My newish AMD box gives a loud noise not unlike the worst vinyl records ever (on full volume) while playing some videos in vlc & mplayer. This continues 2-3 seconds after the video, & fades away then. If I play the exact same video in my humble RazPi, it's completely noise free

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Code:

bash-5.1$ sudo lspci   
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Root Complex
00:00.2 IOMMU: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse IOMMU
00:01.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:01.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge
00:02.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:03.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:03.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse GPP Bridge
00:04.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:05.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:07.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:07.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B]
00:08.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Host Bridge
00:08.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Internal PCIe GPP Bridge 0 to bus[E:B]
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH SMBus Controller (rev 61)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH LPC Bridge (rev 51)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 0
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 1
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 2
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 3
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 4
00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 5
00:18.6 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 6
00:18.7 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse/Vermeer Data Fabric: Device 18h; Function 7
02:00.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 500 Series Chipset USB 3.1 XHCI Controller
02:00.1 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 500 Series Chipset SATA Controller
02:00.2 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] 500 Series Chipset Switch Upstream Port
03:00.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 43ea
03:07.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 43ea
03:09.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Device 43ea
04:00.0 Non-Volatile memory controller: Intel Corporation SSD 660P Series (rev 03)
05:00.0 Network controller: Qualcomm Atheros AR9462 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
2a:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 15)
2b:00.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Navi 10 XL Upstream Port of PCI Express Switch (rev c1)
2c:00.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Navi 10 XL Downstream Port of PCI Express Switch
2d:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Navi 23 [Radeon RX 6600/6600 XT/6600M] (rev c1)
2d:00.1 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Navi 21/23 HDMI/DP Audio Controller
2e:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse PCIe Dummy Function
2f:00.0 Non-Essential Instrumentation [1300]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Reserved SPP
2f:00.1 Encryption controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse Cryptographic Coprocessor PSPCPP
2f:00.3 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Matisse USB 3.0 Host Controller
2f:00.4 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] Starship/Matisse HD Audio Controller

It's an MSI B550M motherboard, with an RX6600XT video card. The way sound is configured is as follows

The PCIE RX6600XT grabs the audio output very firmly. Unsurprisingly, I have given it the audio output. It shows in lspci as the Navi 21/23 stuff
The label 'Starship/Matisse' applies to the chipset audio controller which handles all inputs because the graphics audio has no input section.
The name 'Starship/Matisse' also applies apparently to all peripherals, and some things that haven't been invented yet or don't exist. If they were looking for a 'starship/matisse' boson in the LHC, it wouldn't faze me.

The noise takes a second or two to start, and remains a few seconds after the video. Pause the video, the noise pauses 2-3 seconds later; start the video, the noise comes in 1-2 seconds later. Kill the video, and the sound continues for 2-3 seconds, where you would expect child processes to die. It is also volume related - if there is 5 seconds of near silence, the noise abates or vanishes temporarily. I really haven't a clue where to look, The RazPi is also running a slackware port, which is clean. And RazPi hardware is not much above being given away in breakfast cereal packets

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Jan K. · 05-11-2023, 02:35 AM

My bet is a defect fan on the RX6600?

I don't know if Linux (KDE?) allows for fan speed/temp curves, where you define fan speeds at given temps? If so, try setting a higher temp threshold for fan kicking in...

But AMD fans should really be noiseless at all speeds...

Of course the RazPi is noiseless with it's no fans?

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

My newish AMD box gives a loud noise not unlike the worst vinyl records ever...

Worse than Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music? I find that impossible to believe...

business_kid · 05-11-2023, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jan K.

My bet is a defect fan on the RX6600?

I don't know if Linux (KDE?) allows for fan speed/temp curves, where you define fan speeds at given temps? If so, try setting a higher temp threshold for fan kicking in...

But AMD fans should really be noiseless at all speeds...

Of course the RazPi is noiseless with it's no fans?

Worse than Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music? I find that impossible to believe...

Thanks for the reply. I agree the RX6600 is suspect, but hardly the fan/fans as it's not worked hard with everyday stuff. I have XFCE, not kde. I have strong negative opinions about that. XFCE is (officially anyhow) a 'low cholesterol' window manager

I tried to get earphones going this morning, played yet again the video that reliably gave noise yesterday when I posted, and it remained quiet!

I was trying to play speaker & earphones. I didn't get earphones, but I had noiseless speakers. I know better than to chase a fault that isn't there, so I'll mark this solved.

My mind was working along the lines of a switching thing, providing random noise spikes. But I couldn't see a methodology.

FTR, over half of RazPi 4s do have fans The standard Amazon kit gives out a fan with no oil on brass bushes which made an increasingly huge racket within months until I replaced it with a Flirc case which sinks heat to the metal box and cools the little thing that way when it gets hot headed.

JZL240I-U · 05-11-2023, 07:13 AM

For what it is worth, I'd suggest "corectrl" (resides on GitHub) if you want to delve into Radeon internae.

Oh, by the way, Plasma / KDE is quite cholesterol-poor. The maintainers stripped its size down heavily and it reacts quite snappy. But each to his own devices

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business_kid · 05-11-2023, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JZL240I-U

For what it is worth, I'd suggest "corectrl" (resides on GitHub) if you want to delve into Radeon internae.

Oh, by the way, Plasma / KDE is quite cholesterol-poor. The maintainers stripped its size down heavily and it reacts quite snappy. But each to his own devices

.

I'm glad to hear it. I imagine there was a lot of stripping to do! I actually tried it on a RazPi recently, purely 5 minutes on whatever defaults they had set, and my reaction was that the speed was up but the GUI sucked intensely. I presume the RazPi had a stripped down version, but apparently not from what you say. In fact my general reaction to Cinnamon, Mate, KDE, and any other GUI I've tried is that they suck, but I've got used to XFCE and got lazy. I'll keep corectl in mind if I have to revisit this.

elcore · 05-12-2023, 06:11 AM

Assuming the fan's buzzing because of the temperature curve in GPU:
What I did was plug the GPU fan into the mobo and in BIOS there is a setting to customize the curve for each connector separately.
Mine is not really a curve, more like a flatline until 55C and above that there is a steep incline to 70C where the maximum RPM hits.

business_kid · 05-12-2023, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcore

Assuming the fan's buzzing because of the temperature curve in GPU:
What I did was plug the GPU fan into the mobo and in BIOS there is a setting to customize the curve for each connector separately.
Mine is not really a curve, more like a flatline until 55C and above that there is a steep incline to 70C where the maximum RPM hits.

I'm not assuming that. I would expect fan noise to be rhythmic or repeating. This noise was random, very much like silence on a vinyl LP or old 78 turned up full on some amplifier.

elcore · 05-12-2023, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

I'm not assuming that. I would expect fan noise to be rhythmic or repeating. This noise was random, very much like silence on a vinyl LP or old 78 turned up full on some amplifier.

Well, assuming it's not a fan:
Could be some unshielded cable touching another cable, only expensive ones are shielded and the cheap stuff is not.
In that case some kernel HDA powersaving might hit so it cuts off the power when you hit pause, and the cable becomes unpowered eliminating any noise.
Maybe faulty connector also, who knows. Not sure what you mean by old record, is it buzzing or cracling sound? Or more like amplifier humming?

business_kid · 05-13-2023, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcore

Well, assuming it's not a fan:
Could be some unshielded cable touching another cable, only expensive ones are shielded and the cheap stuff is not.
In that case some kernel HDA powersaving might hit so it cuts off the power when you hit pause, and the cable becomes unpowered eliminating any noise.
Maybe faulty connector also, who knows. Not sure what you mean by old record, is it buzzing or cracling sound? Or more like amplifier humming?

Let's start with an old 78: you put the needle down near the beginning of the 2-3 seconds of silence. As bits of dust and other item get passed over you hear clicks and a low hiss assembles itself from small noises. If you hit a scratch, that's a loud click 78 times a minute. Vinyl was decidedly quieter, but still noisy by today's standards.

The sound goes from video card directly via hdmi cable into the monitor. I think we can discount internal & external wiring. It's a pc in a box using the monitor speakers.

I wouldn't have asked if this was easy. I spent my working life as an Electronics techie in servicing, R&D & contract work and qualified as a hardware engineer. The last 17 years were spent working in Industrial Electronics, on unseen machinery with no pcb schematics, except once or twice when the pcb was a design disaster. And I'm asking, because I was stumped. What got me was the random nature of it all. I'll record it if it comes back and we can go from there.

elcore · 05-13-2023, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

The sound goes from video card directly via hdmi cable into the monitor. I think we can discount internal & external wiring. It's a pc in a box using the monitor speakers.

Didn't mention the monitor before. It's another source of possible issues since it has its own power supply. But if the noise doesn't come from the speakers/headphones then it's interference.
There's no way for me to help test this, I only got some realtek HDA going into amplifier with 3,5mm cable, using alsa-lib only, and haven't heard any random noise.
You could eliminate the possible hardware issues from the start, by testing and repeating it on another OS as it could easily be some software interference too.

business_kid · 05-13-2023, 02:21 PM

Nope. Everything works noiselessly except some videos sometimes. Stop looking for hardware to blame; I'd have got that. I marked this solved because it vanished as suddenly as it came. That problem was posted in a week where everything that couldn't go wrong did go wrong for no apparent reason.

Let it resurface, and then we can do battle. You can't fix a problem that isn't there. I feel like

Code:

Yesterday upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there;
He wasn't there again today,
I wish I wish he'd go away.

Thanks for trying to fix the problem that isn't there, though. I appreciate the effort. I'm thinking it may be library related.

elcore · 05-14-2023, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by business_kid

Stop looking for hardware to blame

So it doesn't happen on same hardware with another OS?
You know it wasn't me who blamed a PC in title, started off with 'AMD box gives a loud noise' and provided lspci output..
Only proof you have provided it's not a hardware issue was more or less 'works fine on RazPI' even though it's a different architecture with a different OS.

business_kid · 05-14-2023, 07:41 AM

It works fine on this AMD box too. The problem has vanished. Infuriating but true.

business_kid · 05-22-2023, 12:36 PM

I ran accross a video with the noise. While I was suffering a few seconds of it, I ran arecord and the results are Here. There's some automatic volume control going on. The loud clicks I get are lost completely. I hear an amplified version of that noise, complete with loud clicks. I'm no hi-fi buff and find my sample irritating but not annoying. The noise in some videos certainly is annoying. As I said, it's not unlike old vinyl or 78 records.