Hi developers,
I'm trying to fix an annoying noise i get from my D945GCLF2D Intel Motherboard, but only from Surround/clfe outputs, not from Front jack. Since i'm running out of ideas i thought people here might be able to suggest some pointers.
The problem is: whenever I change from 2ch to 6ch Channel Mode in mixer I get the background noise in my speakers. In 2ch mode there is no noise but that doesn't help at all since I want that pin as output.
I fail to admit Intel or Realtek would do such a horrible engineering job (Intel is happy to say in their datasheet the motherboard has 95dB S/N ratio). It's more like we did connect something wrong is our driver, or failed to change some required settings, i don't know.
What I've tried so far:
1) I removed the cable to front case connectors guessing noise might be coming from there. Nothing.
2) The motherboard/ALC662 assembly is obviously 3stack kind. I double-checked all settings in patch_realtek.c against ALC662 datasheet. Changing NID 0x1A from input to output, unmuting and connecting it to idx 0x01 (surround) seems like the right thing to me, afterall, I do get sound as expected from this port.
3) To eliminate the possibility that the noise was coming from the ALC662 itself (but from a different port) I changed NID 0x0d (surround) to mute idx 01, which is the connection from NID 0x0b (that big mixer with Mic, Line, Beeper, CD etc). The leaves just DAC PCM-2 connected and the noise is still there.
4) Muting/lowering volume for Surround (DAC PCM-2 / NID 0x03) also has no effect on noise.
5) Thinking that some external amplifier on motherboard might need to be disabled I've played with EAPD and GPIOs 0,1. I can clearly see at least GPIO 1 is routed on the motherboard, although no idea if it is just ends in a testpoint pad or that could be a via to some internal layer. Different settings of EAPD/GPIOs pins made no difference to noise.
So that is pretty much the point i'm now. I'm starting to consider soldering another jack to unused Port-A (surround) pins... but that would be kind of rude, don't you think so? :-)
Any ideas are very welcomed...
regards,
Miguel