Solved Static noises in front audio port

[pcfreak]

Since i had my PC build up i am experiencing noises when i connect any headphones or earphones into the front port of the PC. The specifications are:

GIGABYTE iSolo 210 Cabinet (has both HD and ac97 audio support, currently connected on HD audio)
GIGABYTE P55-USB3 Motherboard
nVidia GeForce GTX 460 (which is very close to audio port on mobo)
Intel i5 760 Processor
2GB Kingston RAM

Now, the wiring is pretty much good. No free wires lying around and extra wires are zip-tied and put in a corner. There is just 1 free wire that is the IEEE 1394 front port which has no header on the mobo, other than that all wires of the front ports are connected. I tried moving the wires around but no luck. I don't know what may be the reason for the noises but I can give a few details to help

- The noise starts when i watch movies
- At times there is no noise at all, i don't know but i suddenly goes off
- the noise increases when i scroll up or down a page using a mouse
- I have installed the latest drivers as well

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[speedgamer01]

Do you have a wireless mouse? I guess it is a microsoft make...

 

[pcfreak]

No. I have a PS2. I know very old fashioned but it helped me a lot when other USB things did not work with some of my old PCs.

 

[speedgamer01]

Go to controlpanel > sound > playback and rec tabs
Disable every devices that you don't use by right-clicking it and disable..
Particulary the stereo mixer, or digital outputs.

 

[pcfreak]

No success. BTW i connect my PC to TV at times and the digital output is necessary and i can't seem to find a way to bring it back after disabling. And yea one more thing
The noises only come when it is connected to the front port. I have speakers in the rear but no static noises in them.

Thanks for your quick replies.

 

[speedgamer01]

Sorry bout that go to sound then right-click and show disabled devices then enable what you wish.
This is some kind of interference or faulty cable, the front audio connectors are plugged into the bottom of the motherboard, unplug them, blow out the dust from there and then plug it back. The cable or the connector is the cause of the problem.

 

[pcfreak]

I think its some sort of magnetic interference from some component from which it seems to pick up the noises. I tried the ac97 cable as well. The noises become more in that case. The problem might be because of the VGA card as the port where it is connected is just below the card. I cant seem to help that but the noises are still there after cleaning up as well.

 

[Anthony]

Any speakers near your PC?

 

[pcfreak]

I have a 2.1 but the sub-woofer is at least 1 meter away from the PC and the 2 speakers cant seem to cause the problem. Anyway, it is still there when the speaker power is off.

 

[speedgamer01]

If it is caused by the speakers' magnets then it doesnt matter if it is turned off.
Move all of the speakers away for a try.

 

[pcfreak]

I removed the speakers and took it out. It didn't work. Also I did some cable management in the case. Nothing seems to work. Are these front port cables grounded to prevent any static interference. I did some research and found such problems in the Antec 300 series case.

Thanks again for your quick replies...

 

[Britton30]

It may be that the front case panel causes static, other cases have had issues with front USB ports. Ask Antec about that and see if they will send you a new one free.
Do you have your audio device set to disconnect your speakers when the front ports are plugged in?
If they are speakers for PC use, they will be shielded so as not to cause interference.

 

[pcfreak]

I accessed the front panel of the PC and it was screwed in place. I could not access the wires behind it where the connection was there. Well i know the ground loop problem with Antec cases but mine is a GIGABYTE and a pretty cheap one.
For the time being i am doing this:
- HD on-board audio always asks me about the device when anything is plugged in the audio ports so instead of selecting headphones from the options i selected Front Speakers. It reduces some static noises but not everything.
- It is crystal clear on the rear ports.
I can take it to the retailer but it would be too much trouble to go through for this small problem and i wish to solve it myself.

 

[pcfreak]

OK.
After a lot of research and googling i found a solution to this problem.
It seems there was some sort flux leakage inside the case which seemed to cause the problem. As nothing else could be moved. I thought of shielding the front panel audio wire. Audibly the sound is very negligible after shielding the wire and it seems to solve the problem. Here is how to do it:
How-To: Front Panel Audio Noise Reduction
It is a thorough and self explanatory guide.

For antec people experiencing this problem, it is the ground loop problem and the solution is pretty simple
inCrysis - Crysis Forums / Antec 300 Front Panel Audio Ground Loop

Also first try some cable management which seems to have solved the problems in many cases.