Anyone know anything about HP PC's?

[ToddO]

Hey there,
Have a question, my buddy has a HP 6640C sound card & modem in same slot, book tells nothing, is sound card built into motherboard? tried to hook up to home theatre system, gets a hum, also has another card at top of pc called'sound riser card' or something, tried it there, sounds the same.

Any suggestions? Besides buying a new pc!

--=>ToddO...

[megados]

It's possible that the sound is built onto the motherboard. If the sound works OK when using PC speakers, but hums when input to a stereo, it seems to indicate a ground loop. Although you can't or don't wan to run a comp. without a ground lead, you can check for this by temporarily using a two to three pin ground adapter, leaving the ground wire unterminated to test for this. If the hum dissappears, or is reduced significantly, then this is the problem. If so, a small 600 - 600 ohm audio transformer can be used to isolate the ground loop. Two will be required for stereo.

[Muggles]

Megados is 100% correct. Glad he answered before I did. Cause I for (1) hate integratted boards. Most ATX designs have them, and they are not consumer friendly. On board components go bad, and when the warranty is over, you are replacing mother-boards. This is not to knock only HP, but all BIG computer manufacturers. Cheap way to build a system, and turn a HUGE profit. AT-style, and non-integratted boards, are the way to go. AT boards are harder to come by. JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION.

[ToddO]

Thanks for the reply, We changed out the sound card, it was a built in one, we put in a Sound Blaster 128 pci card, the PC speakers sound 100% better than they originally did. BUT the damn hum is still there, will check into that ground plug you suggested. From what I hear they are really cheap made. The key to the best PC is to build it yourself, for the money you pay for a TOP of the line brand name, you can build a better one, with the best or better componets, for less.

--=>ToddO....

P.S. the sound is really low too... Sound quality is poor too. So it is really not just the hum.. The only way it sounds ok, (OK not great) is when you got it blasting.


[Edited by ToddO on August 23rd, 2000 at 04:57 PM]

[Muggles]

If the sound still is poor quality, the onboard sound card might be effecting the ground on the main-board. If it is under waranty, call HP. If not, you are kinda screwed. The best fix, is to find a non-integratted board for the case. Probably around $100.00. Go to Pricewatch.com and lok around. You might try motherboards.com to see if they might shed some light on your motherboard.

[ToddO]

Muggles,
Thanks for the info, he had a problem before, like I said, but they want him to send the tower in. I have to make sure he diasbled the on board sound card. The new one is working, but there might be a conflict somewhere. Had him install a Sound Blaster 128. PC speakers sound 100% better.

Thanks again...


--=>ToddO....