# Weird sound when moving mouse



## Octopuss (Jan 15, 2016)

I have recently noticed there is a barely audible sound coming from the speakers when I move the mouse around. When I turn the volume control on the amplifier all the way, it's pretty clear high-pitched... something.
It must be an interference of some sort, but I thought these things were too 90's and don't happen nowadays.
Could someone give me some ideas what to do or what to look for? I am clueless. (I also know fuck all about physics and electricity )
My PC's specs are in my profile I think.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jan 15, 2016)

Try using the integrated HD audio to determine if it is the speakers or not.  If it is the card, throw away/sell/refund that card and buy an USB DAC or receiver.


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## RCoon (Jan 15, 2016)

Bizarrely I had the exact same issue a few months ago. The interference was loudest when using a scrollbar in Chrome. I actually ended up buying the Creative Sound Blaster Z and my problems went away. I used the front inputs on my PC case for my headphones and cabled them into the sound card instead of the motherboard.

It is worth noting I use a PowerLine adapter for network connection, so that may have added to my interference.

Since then I've changed my PSU, GPU and my headphones, so I couldn't honestly say what was causing it.


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## Mussels (Jan 15, 2016)

its electrical noise in your PC messing with the soundcard.

Quite often not much you can do about it, but random solutions can help (front vs read audio jacks, different soundcard, grounding the case, etc etc)


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## 95Viper (Jan 15, 2016)

Gigabyte has a beta bios F20e (make sure you get the correct one for your MB revision) that addresses some sound/audio issues... Are you using that?

Have you tried moving the mouse to a different port?
Move Audio/Speaker system to different power outlet?
Check for loose audio/speaker connections.


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## Octopuss (Jan 15, 2016)

I don't think BIOS has anything to do with this (and yes I use that already).
Plugging the mouse elsewhere doesn't change anything.
The damn sound card is shielded by default and about 3 slots away from the graphic card (they say this is often a source of such interference).

I don't think there's much I can do. Guess I'll pretend I never heard it and will wait until Skylake upgrade to see if it persists. But damn I hate stuff you cannot unsee/unhear.


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## rtwjunkie (Jan 15, 2016)

Octopuss said:


> The damn sound card is shielded by default and about 3 slots away from the graphic card (they say this is often a source of such interference).



So that puts it near the PSU? Are you able to move it one slot away from the PSU, or does that screw with the lane usage?


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## Octopuss (Jan 15, 2016)

Hmm, I'll try that.


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## rhino (Jan 15, 2016)

Sometimes the proximity of the cabling inside the case causes audio interference.
If they're too close to the G-card and so on.
The solution "in the 90s" was to isolate the cables with tin foil. Obviously, one needs to pay attention if you want to do this as you don't want it to touch anything on the mobo.
These days, you can run the cable around the back of case for example.
I also used a fibre optic DAC converter for a while.


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## Frick (Jan 15, 2016)

Was gonna say reseat it. I have intermittent problems with my sound card, a reseat solves most of them (unless unplugging/replugging the sound cable doesnt work).


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 15, 2016)

Octopuss said:


> but I thought these things were too 90's and don't happen nowadays.


Actually, as more and more devices are going wireless, interference (or rather suppressing it) is a bigger problem than it used to be.

You say you plugged your mouse into a different port, do you actually mean the mouse cable, or is that a wireless mouse's wireless dongle? If you move your mouse as far away from your computer and speakers as possible, is the sound the same?

If you listen through headphones, can you still hear it?

Are you sure your case and speakers are properly grounded and all speaker wires and connectors are in good repair? Is your wall outlet properly grounded? Is your computer and your speakers powered through the same wall outlet?

Every home and computer user should have access to a *AC Outlet Tester* to ensure your outlet is properly wired and grounded. I recommend one with a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) indicator as it can be used to test bathroom and kitchen outlets too. These testers can be found for your type and voltage outlet, foreign or domestic, at most home improvement stores, or even the electrical department at Walmart. And if a fault is shown, have it fixed by a qualified electrician.

And lastly, how are routing audio to your speakers? If through your graphics card to your monitor via HDMI, then out to your speakers, the problem could be in your monitor.


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## Batou1986 (Jan 15, 2016)

Its shitty onboard sound picking up interference from the USB, attaching shielding to the board does nothing if the interference is coming from the board.
The only thing you can do is stop using onboard or
Didn't read

 try changing the polling rate of the mouse.


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## 95Viper (Jan 15, 2016)

Batou1986 said:


> Its shitty onboard sound picking up interference from the USB





Octopuss said:


> The damn sound card is shielded by default



From his profile...Sound Blaster ZxR.  I don't believe Octopuss is using on board sound.

@Octopuss
What speaker setup are you using?
If they are powered speakers... did you move them to a different power source?  Same thing if you are using a receiver/amp.
If the speakers are near your PC... try moving them to see if the noise changes or diminishes.

Also, try a different mouse, if you haven't.

Here is a decent article on PC audio noise:  Solving Computer Audio Problems


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 15, 2016)

You cannot "attach shielding" to a board. Shielding against EMI/RFI is called "shielding" because that is what it does, it "shields" - that is, it totally covers or encases the device that needs protection from EMI/RFI or it totally covers the device that is emitting the EMI/RFI (or both). You see EMI/RFI shields as metal cans around devices, or a braid of metal surrounding all the wires in a cable. There are even specially designed sprays that totally encase circuit cards or entire devices.

You can "attach" a ground to a board - but boards should already be grounded in several places, including through the mounting bracket and screw, the slot and through attached cables.

The user has decent motherboard, so even if using on-board, it would not be caused by the integrated sound (assuming no physical damage). But as he is using a Sound Blaster expansion card, that would eliminate the integrated sound anyway. And since that is a decent card, it would not be due to poor design of the card either.

So we are back to ensuring there is no physical damage to any of the cables or connectors. That all cables are securely connected. That the card is secured tight in the slot and to the case with the screw. And finally, that the computer and speakers are all properly grounded to the same wall outlet and the wall outlet is properly grounded to Earth ground.

Oh, I would make sure there are not other EMI/RFI emitting devices in the area too. These include TVs, home theater equipment, microwave ovens, microwave or cell towers, radios, etc.

One last thought. That piece of metal that comes with every motherboard and is inserted into the rear I/O panel of your case is a called an I/O "shield" for a reason. It has dozens of tiny tensioned tines that encompass every connector in that panel area to ensure proper shielding for each connector (connectors are a common source of EMI/RFI). This shield must be securely inserted into the case to ensure it is properly grounded to the case and proper contact to each connected cable thus ensuring optimal suppression and/or isolation of any EMI/RFI in the area.


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## Octopuss (Jan 15, 2016)

Batou1986 said:


> Its shitty onboard sound picking up interference from the USB, attaching shielding to the board does nothing if the interference is coming from the board.
> The only thing you can do is stop using onboard or try changing the polling rate of the mouse.


I don't even... Why do you waste your time replying?



95Viper said:


> From his profile...Sound Blaster ZxR.  I don't believe Octopuss is using on board sound.
> 
> @Octopuss
> What speaker setup are you using?
> ...


The speakers are not active, I said I used an amplifier. It's simple stereo speakers connected to Denon PMA-720AE, which connects to the sound card (decent kind of shielded - at least it looks that way - cable).
Swapping the card into another slot didn't help, btw.
Different mouse and different ports made no difference either.
Btw, it seems like keyboard causes something similar, only barely audible.


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## Ferrum Master (Jan 15, 2016)

Remove the OC. And see if it is the same. Mine does it then.

Why it happens? Mouse and keyboard has a highest low level irq interrupt so it causes fluctations.

Poll rate is from 125 to khz. So the problem is in audio spectrum... usually only the motherboard swap helps. Try disabling speed step too.


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## 95Viper (Jan 15, 2016)

Octopuss said:


> The speakers are not active, I said I used an amplifier. It's simple stereo speakers connected to Denon PMA-720AE, which connects to the sound card (decent kind of shielded - at least it looks that way - cable).




That is why I asked your setup... when you stated amplifier, even powered speakers have an amp.

Are you plugged into the AC different from the PC?
If you are using a power strip or surge protector... separate them to test.

Sounds like you have ground loop problems...

Fix ground loop noise on computer


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## Octopuss (Jan 15, 2016)

It goes like this: wall socket → UPS → surge protection outlet A → power strip → amplifier, and UPS → surge protection outlet B → PC. The amplifier is not grounded (two wires plug).


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## Octopuss (Jan 15, 2016)

Plugging stuff directly in, bypassing the UPS made no difference, and running stock frequencies neither.
That's about as much time as I was willing to invest into this, so I'll wait how my next PC will behave.
Thanks everyone for ideas.


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## Bill_Bright (Jan 15, 2016)

Octopuss said:


> The speakers are not active, I said I used an amplifier.


Is the amplifier connected to the same wall outlet as the computer? If not, I would run a ground wire from the back of the amp to a screw in the bare metal of the computer case and see what happens. In fact, even if connected to the same wall outlet, I would try the ground wire. This ensures the computer and the amp have the same common ground.

You might also try different gain (volume) settings. Turning down the gain of the sound card and turning up the gain of the amp, for example.


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## Octopuss (Jul 26, 2016)

It turned out it very well might be the PSU. I was so sure it was speakers, and then yesterday I switched the amplifier off, and the freaking buzzing continued! I have to try again with someone moving the mouse for me so I can fit my head inside the case, but I am getting sure it's the PSU. I wouldn't have thought so, because it's Seasonic SSR-550RM 550W (and not even 3 years old), so no junk by any means.


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## Mussels (Jul 26, 2016)

Octopuss said:


> It turned out it very well might be the PSU. I was so sure it was speakers, and then yesterday I switched the amplifier off, and the freaking buzzing continued! I have to try again with someone moving the mouse for me so I can fit my head inside the case, but I am getting sure it's the PSU. I wouldn't have thought so, because it's Seasonic SSR-550RM 550W (and not even 3 years old), so no junk by any means.




could be motherboard too, i've had friends/ex-housemates systems do that. on the mobo side, disabling all power management in the BIOS fixed theirs, but thats not a great solution.


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## Octopuss (Jul 26, 2016)

I have my old PSU stashed away somewhere, so I guess I'll have to start some testing.
The PSU has 5 years warranty, so I guess I am fine. On the other hand, I doubt a RMA would be accepted for this reason


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## Bill_Bright (Jul 26, 2016)

Octopuss said:


> I doubt a RMA would be accepted for this reason


The only noise a PSU should make is normal fan noise so I see no reason why an RMA would not be accepted. You might be able to isolate the sound to the PSU by sticking your ear to the PSU's exhaust vent while wiggling the mouse.

You still should check your wall outlet wiring and grounding, and make sure all the connectors (data and power) in the computer are securely fastened, as well as any expansion cards are in tight and secured properly with the mounting screw (which provides direct ground continuity between the card and case). Make sure the PSU mounting screws are in tight too - this is especially important if using a sound/vibration suppression gasket between the PSU and case.


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## Octopuss (Jul 28, 2016)

Well, the shop I bought the PSU from is notorious for its shitty RMA department.

Anyway, what other brands should I look at if it really turns out to be the PSU? I like Seasonic though, their products seem to priced well and I never really had any problem with this particular unit.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jul 28, 2016)

I wouldn't be so certain it is the PSU.  Yes, PSU is supposed to channel electrical noise away from the system via the ground but I've encountered computer cases that, when touching metal, would produce a tone in the speakers.  This particular case when through many power supplies and motherboards in its life span and, to this day, still has noisy 3.5mm audio.


If you haven't tried it already, go through the sound devices and mute everything then turn them back on one at a time until you find the culprit.  If you hear it when everything is muted, it's interference.  If you notice it change on one object, leave it unmuted and mute everything else to see if that is the sole source.

It could be coming from your motherboard, your case, your power supply, your speakers, your audio device, or all of the above.

I repeat, it could be a shoddy computer case.

Also, make sure the outlet your computer is plugged into is correctly wired (+ is +, - is -, and ground is grounded).  I have a tester that uses lights for this.  Not sure of a good way to test this without it.  If the ground is dirty, all kinds of issues can crop up including audible sound.


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## Octopuss (Jul 28, 2016)

Ha!
I decided to disassemble the PC to pieces (it was due for complete cleaning since 2012 anyway), pulled my old backup Enermax MODU82+ out, and...
*it's the freaking motherboard!*

I knew I was done with Gigabyte before (after being a faithful user and builder since 2003), and I am absolutely sure now. Piece of shit.

Good thing is I don't need to waste money I need for my guns on a PSU though  And I will be upgrading to Kaby Lake in several months anyway, so the problem will hopefully go away then.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jul 28, 2016)

Can you mute the motherboard mic/outs and use a card?  Or better yet, an external USB DAC/AMP?  If muting doesn't work, that is bad.


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## Octopuss (Jul 28, 2016)

The thing is the noise is not coming from the speakers. I did beleive it did, but it can be heard even if I completely unplug the amplifier from the sound card. Something physically on the mb is creating the buzz.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jul 28, 2016)

Let me get this straight, if you unplug the speakers from power and from the system, you still hear it?  If yes, it has to be coming from somewhere on the motherboard itself.  Have you tried using your ears to locate the source?  I'd focus on the system speaker (black little cylinder with a tiny hole in the center) and capacitors.


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## CAPSLOCKSTUCK (Jul 28, 2016)

use a piece of tube in your ear....hosepipe or similar. You can locate sounds very accurately.


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## Octopuss (Jul 28, 2016)

FordGT90Concept said:


> If yes, it has to be coming from somewhere on the motherboard itself.


I don't want to sound like a dick, but NO SHIT! That's exactly what I wrote in my post.
YES, it is caused by the motherboard, and YES, the motherboard itself (some of its components) is creating the buzzing. I had all the main components plugged together on the floor, so I did have my ears close enough.


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## laszlo (Jul 28, 2016)

1st reaction : cat is chasing the mouse which scream for help 

now back on topic; had once similar issue with an old mb... and noise was coming from mb... don't know what mouse u have; if usb one try to connect to other usb port (internal also); mb has ps2 port also give a try if available mouseee


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## Octopuss (Jul 28, 2016)

Changing mice or switching USB ports makes no difference. It must be some of the capacitors on the board.


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## Dethroy (Jul 28, 2016)

Octopuss said:


> I don't want to sound like a dick, but NO SHIT! That's exactly what I wrote in my post.
> YES, it is caused by the motherboard, and YES, the motherboard itself (some of its components) is creating the buzzing. I had all the main components plugged together on the floor, so I did have my ears close enough.


No need to get offensive when people are trying to help.


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## Ferrum Master (Jul 28, 2016)

Well I allready told from where the sound goes. @Mussels too... case closed already a while ago.

Change the board, get some with more beefy and complex VRM section.


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## dannyfear11 (Dec 29, 2018)

Batou1986 said:


> Its shitty onboard sound picking up interference from the USB, attaching shielding to the board does nothing if the interference is coming from the board.
> The only thing you can do is stop using onboard or
> Didn't read
> 
> try changing the polling rate of the mouse.



Thank you man! For me setting the polling rate canceled the noise, but i am not sure if it will affect my gaming experience. From 1000 to 250 polling .. Thank you!


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