Windows 7 - Audio distorted, tinny, sounds like its underwater or..

is almost completely inaudible.

This applies to everything except for windows 7 operating system sounds, such as alerts, or the startup jingle, or when I am playing halflife2/counterstrike the ingame sounds work flawlessly.

A weird thing to mention is that although the ingame sounds work, I can BARELY hear anyone on their microphones talking, i can only make out their speech when I turn my volume way up, resulting in my ears bleeding from the gunshot sounds.

Mp3s, CDs, internet media (such as youtube) all experience the distorted, tinny, underwater sounding sound. I have been in contact with ASUS tech support - they are useless. I have installed the latest Windows 7 updates, I have the latest drivers for the onboard VIA VT1708S audio chipset, and I have all the latest codecs installed (used the CCCP pack). I have tried using MULTIPLE media players, VLC, winamp, windows media player, etc, all to no avail - which isnt the problem since in game microphone from other users doesnt run through a media player anyway. Ive made sure ANY environmental or EQ settings are disabled JUST incase those are causing an issue.

Ive tried multiple drivers, although I am 99.99999% sure it is NOT a driver issue, as the same issues arise with, or without drivers.

I have tried nearly everything I, and many others on the internet have thought of, and all I can think is that it is some sort of windows 7 software communication issue. Like I said I am in contact with ASUS tech support, but I dont think its any kind of hardware issue, and they treat me like a complete moron telling me to try things that I have already CLEARLY stated to them that I have tried (I told them exactly the driver I had installed, and that I got it directly from their website, and in the response mail I got I was told to install the same driver I had said I had installed..)

This is really, incredibly annoying, and I cannot seem to find any solutions searching the net, I have SCOURED google to no end. Ive come across people having similar issues, but no real answer was ever posted in any of the threads I came across; I guess those people gave up and put a bullet through their heads.

I dont really expect any answers,, but yeah, im hoping.

Thanks to anyone who reads.

Hello.

The likely cause is a cpu throttling function in the bios. Next likely is cpu throttling in software starting with Windows.

Check them both out. A common term for this is called Cool-N-Quiet or something like that.

If there is a setting for Plug and Play OS, set it to yes.

Thank you for the first response that I have gotten that sounds semi-logical.

I am running an AMD x3 and I do believe it does have the cool n quiet function - the cpu operates at 800mhz unless I am really using it.

Thank you again, I will report back once I tinker around in the bios.

Really, thank you, you glimmer of light you.

Haha, awesome. Yes, it has fixed the same issue for tons of people. Good luck.

Well, I did both of the things you mentioned, but still same problems..

my fingers were really crossed too

now I am without a doubt completely at a loss :/

but really, thanks anyway, youre really the first person to not be like "zomgZ!121 check your DriVerzz!!2" (that includes the asus tech support people)

I'm sure you have, but I have to ask anyhow: Did you disable the Cool 'N Quiet to test?

I went into the BIOS and disabled cool n quiet, as well as enabled the let os deal with the plug n play stuff.

Cpu was running at 800mhz idle normally and is now running at 3.0ghz all the time.

I guess I should mention that I have the x3 720 black edition and bumped the multiplier up one point, but i dont think that would cause the issue, but hey ill bump it back down just to be sure, but this cpu is known to push to 3.7ghz with a little vcore tweak and run completely stable, and I ran prime95 for 5 hours at 3.0ghz with 0 errors or anything.

I just noticed you mentioned some sort of OS throttling? If you meant the power options, ive picked my own custom settings so there is no throttling from there.

Very cool. You seem to know what you're doing and you're the kind of person I enjoy to help.

I really doubt I can do anything but I can try if you want. Type system information in the start menu search box. Use ctrl+s on the screen that opens. Zip or rar the saved file and attach to a post using the paperclip.

Maybe I'll see someting that stands out to me. Like I said, doubtful though.

Also, mute all inputs (recording devices.) See how this goes.

Thanks for the kind words and the help so far, youve been 10000% more helpful than anyone else so far. Like I said Ive been in contact with Asus tech support, but they seem to assume everyone is a complete moron even when you send them fairly detailed information, and jumping through their hoops could take a millenia.

I made sure to mute any other devices I could find, as well as any other settings I could possibly think of,

Here is an attachment of my system information and again, thank you for the speedy replies and logical thought out responses.

Did you rar the wrong file? That's an .exe and I even renamed it to .nfo to see if it would read, and it didn't.

It's actually msinfo.dll

You're welcome.