**Official** Asrock Z68 Extreme4 thread. Share your experiences, OCs & tech issues!

[Anusha]

Latest: 2.63

I haven't installed the audio driver for my video card. but it worked fine when i had it installed too.

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[Puff Daddy]

Thanks. I tried it with the latest Realtek version and no success. I tried disabling the ATI HDMI Audio in Device Manager too. This is brutal.

[Anusha]

you shouldn't have to do any of that. lemme check eufi settings and post back. hold on.

OK back. There are the settings.

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[Puff Daddy]

Yep, that's how I have it set in the BIOS except for Onboard HD Audio = Enabled.

Can I ask how you have your South Bridge Configured for the IGD?

Not sure if this means anything, but I hear quite a bit of static through the Front analog out and the frequency fluctuates with motheboard activity. Maybe the Realtek is fubar on my board

[Anusha]

you mean Northbridge page? i.e. the graphics settings?

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Not sure if this means anything, but I hear quite a bit of static through the Front analog out and the frequency fluctuates with motheboard activity. Maybe the Realtek is fubar on my board

well, first of all, you should mute all the inputs that you don't use. see if that does it.

[Puff Daddy]

you mean Northbridge page? i.e. the graphics settings?

well, first of all, you should mute all the inputs that you don't use. see if that does it.

Yeah, sorry the Northbridge. I have Render standby and IGD Multi-Monitor both disabled, which I believe is how to disable the onboard video.

All inputs are muted.

[Ket]

Obvious, but I take it you have made sure your speakers aren't duff? Also try setting your audio via the playback tab in windows sound properties.

[Puff Daddy]

ha! i yes speakers work fine. i'm definitely at my wits end - might just get an external USB SB X-Fi if I can't this figured this out.

[MacClipper]

Thanks. I tried it with the latest Realtek version and no success. I tried disabling the ATI HDMI Audio in Device Manager too. This is brutal.

Just making sure that this is already done, speakers chosen as the default device here and not something else?

[Ket]

ha! i yes speakers work fine. i'm definitely at my wits end - might just get an external USB SB X-Fi if I can't this figured this out.

If there is one thing I can say about Windows its that HDMI audio still doesn't work properly. Its better than it was in Vista but still not really fixed. Some stuff will vary a bit as I'm on the laptop ATM but I'll try to give a step by step pictorial to make sure theres not something you need to be setting thats been missed.

Finally, make sure the device you want to get audio through is the default device.

[piquadrat]

I have a big problem with my new Z68 Extreme4 board.
I cannot make Extreme4 to boot when my intel 320 SSD drive is connected to any of the motherboard sata ports except Marvel's ones.
The board locks itself with endless boots loop, each time it comes to B3 state, then reboots and so on.
When I disconnect intel ssd drive all goes to normal.
I've tried: updating bios to 1.4, changing controller mode (AHCI, IDE etc.) to no avail.
The crytical thing is that my ssd is hardware encrypted with ATA security password set.
When I stipped off the ATA password all is working OK, no boot loop. But disabling ATA password effectively switching off internal encryption so no more security.
I cannot afford that. It seems the board (intel ATA controller to be more precise) has problems with ATA secured hard drives
I'm scratching my head now. I can return the board and pick something else. But have no guarantee that the problem is not the chipset fault so buying Asus or something else will give me nothing.

Did you manage to get this get fixed?

Sorry for such a late but I missed your post. I didn't even notice that this issue bothers someone else.
No good news. Board returned. Picked Asus P8Z68-V Pro instead. With Asus different set of problems but it boots ok with an encrypted drive present.
These whole P67/Z68 boards are beta products. Expensive, second grade electronics. That's my opinion.

[Puff Daddy]

Just making sure that this is already done, speakers chosen as the default device here and not something else?

Yep the Playback is set to speakers. The Sound meter registers as if audio is playing but don't hear anything out of the speakers.

[Ket]

You sure the speakers are connected to the right jacks? Doesn't seem like theres a problem with the CODEC as the drivers install ok and everything looks like it should. Maybe a wire with a break in it?

[Puff Daddy]

You sure the speakers are connected to the right jacks? Doesn't seem like theres a problem with the CODEC as the drivers install ok and everything looks like it should. Maybe a wire with a break in it?

Yep, I've tried the rear and front analog line outs. The only thing I can think of is that the analog outs are malfunctioning on my board. In my original post, the rear analog out can never be selected...only the front analog if enabled in the BIOS. I originally had a discrete soundcard that worked fine but removed it when I went to Crossfire. I'd try the digital out but don't have a digital to analog converter handy to plug into my Klipsch ProMedia 2.1s.

I appreciate everyone offering their suggestions. Maybe I should clear my CMOS?

[Ket]

I can't comment on FP audio, never used it, probably never will. My Logitech X540 speakers have a 3.5mm jack for headphones on a little control hub that sits on my desk, thats all I need I will say though even with Equalizer adjustments to get the very best sound out of a on-board Realtek audio CODEC, its still no substitute for a real audio card. I have a Xonar DX 7.1, tiny lil thing, sits in the top PCI-E slot. Perfect companion. /hugs Xonar/

[Puff Daddy]

Originally, I had a Creative X-Fi Xtreme in the PCI slot but it was a full height card. This severely blocked the airflow into the top 6870 and GPU temps were almost 10C higher. So it wasn't something I wanted long term.

I looked at getting a half-height discrete sound card like the Xonar DX to fit in that first PCI-E slot. But the Asus DirectCu's backplate heatsink sticks out further than most and this meant any card in the slot would also block the rising heat. So I thought I would try out the onboard audio as a last resort. I agree with you, I prefer discrete solutions.

At any rate, I've given up trying to figure out that Realtek and just got an external Creative X-Fi 5.1 USB. Plugged it in and instant sound...hellz yeah.

Asrock really needs to figure out why in my case the drivers did not enable the Rear Analog out or not output through the Front Analog either. Not entirely satisfied about this but there are bigger things in life to worry about.

[Ket]

I think in this case its probably just your board. I'm sure theres plenty of people who would of complained about the issue in this thread by now if it was a design problem

[Puff Daddy]

Yeah possibly but there are a few threads out on the net with users having the same issue as mine, and a few reviews at NewEgg as well.

[Ket]

Probably a iffy batch, sadly, its something thats not completely unavoidable If it bugs you a lot best thing would be to buy another Z68 E4 to avoid any downtime, verify the audio chip is working and then return your current board for a refund.

[Puff Daddy]

Good point, I can live with it though. Everything else on the board is working great and this thread went a long way to helping me setup the new build. Overclocking is effortless and I'm pretty happy with how the install turned out.

[Ket]

As long as you are happy all is well Personally, it would bug me knowing something didn't work Kinda how it bugs me manufacturers persist in using crappy thermal pads on VRMs and have awful surface finishes on stock heatsinks. Best way to prevent something from being messed around with by the user is to do a proper job in the first place, and just charge a bit more to cover higher quality manufacturing costs if necessary.

[EzyRyder]

Hi Ket,

Any ideas if anything has been done for the eSATA bug? I have tried the 1.60 bios and the new Intel RST drivers but no joy still!

cheers

[Ket]

Check your PMs! I sent you a PM about a week ago asking if you could check a few things so R&D would have a better idea where to look for the problem, you haven't replied to that PM yet

[EzyRyder]

Check your PMs! I sent you a PM about a week ago asking if you could check a few things so R&D would have a better idea where to look for the problem, you haven't replied to that PM yet

Sorry mate, I hadn't seen it! Done that now

[Ket]

You have PM EZ