ASRock Game Blaster

[Gravity]

I have bought a ASRock X79 Extreme9 which came with a ASRock Game Blaster.

Ethernet: Works
Sound Blaster: Not Working

My problem is if I put the volume on my external speakers on the highest volume possible and the PC volume on 100% but, I can only hear a little bit of sound with some fuzziness when I place my ear against a speaker.

I bought the ASRock X79 Extreme9 on 7th Feb, 2013 and until late yesterday(9th Feb) after getting the rest of the items I started upgrading my system.

Now I am stuck with this audio issue.

Soo, at this moment theASRock Game Blaster is Not Unleashing My Maximum Gaming Audio Power at all.

[parsec]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

What external speakers are you using?

Windows can be annoying and have more than one volume level setting. Look around in the Sound option in Control Panel, and see if you can find anything else to adjust.

[Gravity]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

Altec Lansing with seperate volume controller.

Thanks, ill will look in to that, cheers.

[tatsu]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

I have a similar problem though I have a 5.1 sound system asrock extreme 6/GB that comes with the game blaster on a windows 8 harddrive that I moved over from the previous system since windows 8 allows that, lan works out of the box on it (I installed driver anyways) but out of the two sound blaster drivers available on the site (win 7 and win 8) neither will accept to install. they just say the device isn't there. its also obvious the device is not detected as when I plug in a jack the available devices do not update in "Playback". I've also tried on the spdif port wich I used on my xonar DG before, no cigar.

[parsec]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

You'll need to be more specific about your board besides, "asrock extreme 6/GB", there are many ASRock boards that are Extreme 6 models, unless you expect us to look through all of them for you.

[tatsu]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

You'll need to be more specific about your board besides, "asrock extreme 6/GB", there are many ASRock boards that are Extreme 6 models, unless you expect us to look through all of them for you.

this one : ASRock > X79 Extreme6/GB this is the first link Google came up with when I typed "extreme 6/gb" believe it or not the '/gb' part turns the possible results down to 1.

[profJim]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

We need detailed information about ALL OF THE HARDWARE in your system.

We can best help you after you create a detailed hardware list in the System Specs portion of your
forum profile http://forums.tweaktown.com/profile.php?do=editprofile at the bottom of the
profile page or in your forum signature http://forums.tweaktown.com/profile....=editsignature.
Be sure to include brand names and model numbers.

[tatsu]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

.

[tatsu]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

My graphics is currently occupying the bottom PCIex16 slot, the Game blaster is in the middle in the PCIe slot and the Revodrive is in the topmost PCIex16 slot, I'm going to move my graphics card up a slot, closer to the Game blaster (there is one free PCIex16 slot in between the two) and see if freeing up the bottom slot will allow the motherboard to configure the one the graphics card is in to x16, currently I am only able to select x4 and x8. I'm wondering if slot distribution could somehow be linked to the problem.


EDIT:
I also wanted to highlight that the Lan is on this same card and hence passing through the PCIe slot so only a part of the card is not detected, once again the Game blaster game driver installs without problem whereas the Gameblaster audio one fails

EDIT # 2:
I've ripped the driver CD (with the latest poweriso) into Iso from my sister's laptop and sent it over through HomeGroup and the disk is dysfunctional (or simply incompatible with windows 8), the exe is supposed to line up all drivers found and perform the installations yet it finds none, however this means I am in posetion of the right drivers. Is it possible for me to use the files I have to install the drivers? they are each a combination of the .cat .inf .dll and .sys formats. in folders for each driver. I know in the old times this used to be the way people installed drivers.

Found this: PnPUtil Command Syntax (Windows Drivers)

I will wait for your green light

EDIT # 3:

I've gone into devices and priter and found my PC had a warning on it I decided to troubleshoot and it suggested a fix for PCI sound devices I went ahead but the fix could not be applied apparently there is no driver yet here's the report :
PrintDevices and Printers Publisher details

Issues found
PCI Simple Communications Controller doesn't have a driverPCI Simple Communications Controller doesn't have a driver
There is no driver installed for PCI Simple Communications Controller. Not fixed Not Fixed
Apply solution for driver problem Completed
Install a driver for this device Completed

Problem with PnP devicesProblem with PnP devices
There are problems with some PnP devices. Windows will take additional steps to further troubleshoot these devices. Detected Detected
Potential issues that were checked
Windows Update configured to never install driversWindows Update configured to never install drivers
Driver updates aren't automatically installed when detected by Windows Update. Issue not present

Issues found Detection details

6 PCI Simple Communications Controller doesn't have a driver Not fixed Not Fixed

There is no driver installed for PCI Simple Communications Controller.
InformationalDevice information
Name: PCI Simple Communications Controller
ID: PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_1D3A&SUBSYS_1D3A1849&REV_05\3&115 83659&0&B0
Error code: 28

Apply solution for driver problem Completed

Follow the instructions in the solution to address the driver problem.
Install a driver for this device Completed

The driver for PCI Simple Communications Controller is not installed. Install the latest driver for the device.

Problem with PnP devices Detected Detected

There are problems with some PnP devices. Windows will take additional steps to further troubleshoot these devices.


Potential issues that were checked Detection details

Windows Update configured to never install drivers Issue not present

Driver updates aren't automatically installed when detected by Windows Update.


Detection details Expand

Collection information
Computer Name: LEPCTATSU
Windows Version: 6.2
Architecture: x64
Time: 26 April 2013 17:33:08

Publisher details Expand

Devices and Printers
Troubleshoot problems with devices and printers.
Package Version: 2.0
Publisher: Microsoft Windows
Devices and Printers
Troubleshoot problems with devices and printers.
Package Version: 1.0
Publisher: Microsoft Corporation
Hardware and Devices
Find and fix problems with devices and hardware.
Package Version: 1.1
Publisher: Microsoft Windows
Windows Network Diagnostics
Detects problems with network connectivity.
Package Version: 1.0
Publisher: Microsoft Windows
Printer
Find and fix problems with printing.
Package Version: 1.0
Publisher: Microsoft Windows
USB
Troubleshoot problems with a USB device
Package Version: 1.0
Publisher: Microsoft Windows

[profJim]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

Technically the model name of your motherboard is X79 Extreme6/GB.

Your windows 8 problem probably is related to running bios version 1.30.
According to ASRock > X79 Extreme6/GB - bios downloads, bios version 1.90 is the first versions that says "Support Windows 8." Version 2.10 is dated 2 weeks later with some additional updates.

I'm not familiar with X79 boards, but it sounds like you need to flash your bios to 1.90 or 2.10 and then make sure that all of the windows 8 drivers and software is properly installed. I think that using Instant Flash is the safest way to flash your bios. Make sure that you first read the How To Update bios instructions on the bios download page for the appropriate bios method and post if you have any questions. If you follow the instructions, you shouldn't have any bios flashing problems.

Nice job doing your PC Specs, it makes it much easier for us to confirm your hardware setup.
I suggest that you add the model name/number for your memory kit to your PC SPecs.

[parsec]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

This from your diagnostics of the device is a clue:

The driver for PCI Simple Communications Controller is not installed. Install the latest driver for the device.


That tells me that you probably don't have the Intel Management Engine (IME) sofware installed. For your board and Windows 8 64 bit, that is Intel Management Engine driver ver:8.1.10.1286, from you board's download page.

Not having it installed causes the error message you have.

The BIOS update is also a good idea, even if the IME software is currently installed.

[tatsu]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

:P for the bios I thought the same way and went ahead and flashed to latest beta version (I plan to be overclocking) and I followed your advice and installed the IME driver that I found on the Driver cd and this did give a different behavior, THX studio program now detects audio but the outputs I want have still not been added to the playback devices list, I still only have two: speakers and digital output I need those two twice, one for the mb and one for the sound card both my mb and my sound card have 7.1 jack outputs and optical output so once the sound card detected I should have four. Changing the graphics of slot was of no importance it's just that the bottom slot can only go to 8x. I'm going to try reinstalling both the sound driver and the THX program.

[tatsu]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

Nope, I'm glad the THX software is working now though. Maybe if I follow these steps again with a new OS intall I might get more lucky. What I don't get is why the win 8 audio driver install doesn't run and the win 7 one does. (even though it only installs for the mb. should I consider installing the driver while the sound card is not plugged in?

[tatsu]

Re: ASRock Game Blaster

i've also tried installing with onboard audio disabled nothing gives out of the three drivers i have Audio(v6.0.100.3004_WHQL) Audio(v6699) Audio(Refresh3_RC1) only the 6699 (which is the realtek onboard driver that works. within these folders i can see the creative sound blaster recon 3D which i can tell is the configuration panel for the game blaster i'd use if the driver were to install. Asrock really needs to put out new drivers for this because my take is they don't run

[tatsu]

Summary

First look at my system specs
These are the parts I ordered to assemble my new computer. (the hard drives the case the cooling the graphics and the psu I used in my last PC)
the 150Gb hard drive contained my old windows 8 installation. Windows 8 has the possibility to boot with changing hardware.

For my first boot on this new machine I used this 150GB hard drive, it was useful for my indigo extreme installation, after this was done I got to know my new surroundings, checking system stability and most of all seeing if my Asrock Game blaster worked.
And I found that the driver I got from Asrock failed to install with this error message: “Setup is unable to detect a supported product on your system.”

This error message seems like one the one that would appear if the card was not plugged into the board but it is and I am using it for internet, it’s lan driver installed and detected it properly.

There are three sound drivers to be installed:

• realtek Audio(v6699)
• Sound Blaster recon 3Di Audio(v6.0.100.3004_WHQL)
• Sound Blaster recon 3Di Audio(Refresh3_RC1)

The realtek driver works without problem it is for the onboard sound
The other two affect the Game Blaster however they will not detect the card.

I’ve been able to reproduce the problem on my old windows 8 hard drive and on three fresh installs of windows 8 on my revodrive.


Since then I’ve been advised the install the intel IME driver which made a slight difference: I was able to get the THX software to accept realtek output whereas before it detected none.

I’ve been told it was because I must choose between onboard and off-board sound in the bios and I must deactivate onboard sound, so after uninstalling all drivers I tried with onboard sound deactivated. And still I got the same result. I've also tried moving up and down the pci-e cards that I have from different slots. all the slots are set to gen 2 and the last slot containing my revodrive is on x8 (out of either x8 or x4)

I have not tried on windows 7 yet but my ideal would be to have it on windows 8 as that is the only one of the two I own. I'm willing to use my second pc and my webcam to videoconference to be run through any manipulation needed on the hardware and bios as for the OS I'm willing to use teamviewer. thanks for any and all help you can share.