Low volume on PC

[acerinpa]

HI techies!

I have had an issue that seems to be slowly getting worse, but has been present ever since installing my current GPU - Gigabyte 290. I use a 50inch plasma as my monitor and truly use the PC as a multi-media center by watching TV via internet, gaming, listening to music, etc. . I run a HDMI out of my 290 GPU (Sandy-bridge CPU with win7 64 bit) to my Sony AV receiver - then HDMI out of the Sony to my Plasma TV. However, I have noticed that I have to turn up the volume on the Sony to near max to get decent volume out of the 5.0 speaker setup ( especially in some games such as FO4) and I have to use individual speaker setups to balance the left/right channels or the left channel is significantly louder than the right. So, I have to manually turn the left channel down in the advances setup area in audio in the PC. The speakers are not super great- but are not poor or inefficient either. The volume is fine ( like twice the volume and balanced ) when running HDMI signal from another source such as my Direct TV to the Sony. So, there is something going on with the signal from the PC to the SONY.

So what up?

1) Poor audio software = Catalyst version is one the newest whole suites.
2) Poor GPU= ?? Maybe
3) ??

Any ideas? would purchasing a Sound card take care of the issue?

 

[Dauntae]

Just for a test if you have another even a older GPU to try that has the HDMI and see if the sound has the issue, If it still remains then the GPU can be removed from the list, Had you updated the audio driver also. Maybe there is a conflict between the catylist control center and sound card. Could be a lot but just try and troubleshoot one at a time and eliminate the ones on the list of possible issues. Also if you have another HDMI cable try switching them out one at a time, Might even be a cable failing or a broken strand touching but not connected giving a weak signal for the sound.

 

[acerinpa]

Ahh..had not thought about the cable. Have older GPUs but not sure if the have a HDMI. Don't have a sound card currently. Audio driver for the mobo? Catalyst has its own audio doesn't it?

OK Back home - in the window 7 Device Manager I have:

- AMD high definition Audio device ( catalyst 15.7)
- C-Media USB Audio device ( Microsoft 7/12/2013)
- High definition Audio device (Micro 11/19/2010)
- Intel(R) Display Audio (6/19/2012)

Hmm... do I need all these? Checking now to find a different HDMI cable.