Understanding Post-Hardware Upgrade Video and Audio Playback Problems: A Technical Overview
Recently, I undertook a significant hardware upgrade involving the replacement of my CPU and motherboard. I upgraded from an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 to an Intel Core i7-6700, along with installing a new compatible motherboard. Following this upgrade, I encountered a series of perplexing issues related to media playback on my PC. Specifically, I experienced sporadic audio cutouts and slow video playback while watching videos.
Initial Diagnosis and Troubleshooting Efforts
Shortly after the hardware replacement, I contacted the technician responsible for the installation to seek insights. It was acknowledged that my new CPU is technically less powerful than the previous Ryzen 5 3600, but the technician emphasized that CPU performance should not directly impact video or audio playback quality. Observations during startup included laggy desktop animations such as window opening and minimizing, which pointed towards potential driver or software issues. A complete reinstallation of the graphics and audio drivers was performed, which temporarily resolved the problems.
Persistent Issues After Reassembly
Despite these initial fixes, the playback issues re-emerged once I returned home. The symptoms included intermittent audio dropouts and sluggish video. To troubleshoot further, I brought the entire setup—including the monitor and HDMI cable—back to the repair shop. Interestingly, at the shop’s testing station, the media played smoothly for over an hour, suggesting a potential discrepancy between the shop environment and my home setup. The technician confirmed that the hardware appeared to be functioning correctly, but the problems flared up again shortly after I returned home.
Additional Troubleshooting and Driver Management
In an attempt to resolve the ongoing issues, the technician suggested reverting to an older version of the graphics driver. During this process, I noticed that the graphics driver installation included an option for an HD audio driver. I chose to disable this feature to see if it impacted stability. After doing so, the playback issue seemed to improve, with both audio and video functioning normally through to shutdown. However, the problem returned later, albeit in a less severe form.
Current Symptoms and Observations
The current symptoms include brief audio cutouts—particularly when rewinding videos by approximately five seconds—and occasional video stuttering. Sometimes, the audio resumes after 10-20 seconds of pausing, but if the video freezes simultaneously, a page refresh (F5) becomes necessary. Notably, these problems occur regardless of the browser or streaming service, indicating a possible deeper system or hardware
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