[SOLVED] New to Linux/Mint Sound Quality Issue

[KRider]

I just built my first PC (only had a pre-built HP desktop before) and decided to migrate from Windows to Linux. I'm used to dealing with -nix systems from work, but only Macbooks and local Docker or server Linux environments, so this is my first foray into Linux desktop. I'm getting a pretty intense audio crackling using the built-in speakers on my monitor via HDMI from the GPU. I suspect the answer is an update to my audio/video driver from AMD, but wanted to ask here before I went installing a bunch of things I don't fully understand since the driver install process seems a bit different than on Windows.

System Info:

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 6.5.0-25-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A Desktop: Cinnamon 6.0.4 tk: GTK 3.24.33
    wm: muffin vt: 7 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 Distro: Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: Micro-Star model: MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WIFI (MS-7D91) v: 4.0
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends LLC. v: H.A0 date: 01/12/2024
CPU:
  Info: 24-core (8-mt/16-st) model: Intel Core i9-14900KF bits: 64 type: MST AMCP smt: enabled
    arch: N/A rev: 1 cache: L1: 2.1 MiB L2: 32 MiB L3: 36 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 2057 high: 5700 min/max: 800/5700:6000:4400 cores: 1: 5700 2: 800 3: 800
    4: 800 5: 5700 6: 800 7: 800 8: 800 9: 800 10: 800 11: 5700 12: 800 13: 5700 14: 800 15: 5700
    16: 5700 17: 4439 18: 800 19: 4400 20: 800 21: 4399 22: 800 23: 800 24: 800 25: 800 26: 800
    27: 800 28: 800 29: 800 30: 800 31: 800 32: 800 bogomips: 203980
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD vendor: ASRock driver: amdgpu v: kernel pcie: speed: 16 GT/s lanes: 8 ports:
    active: HDMI-A-1 empty: DP-1,DP-2,DP-3 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:7480 class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: amdgpu,ati
    unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,radeon,vesa gpu: amdgpu display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.0x11.2") s-diag: 582mm (22.9")
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-0 mapped: HDMI-A-1 model: MSI MP275 serial: <filter> res: 1920x1080 hz: 60
    dpi: 82 size: 598x336mm (23.5x13.2") diag: 685mm (27") modes: max: 1920x1080 min: 640x480
  OpenGL: renderer: GFX1102 (gfx1102 LLVM 15.0.7 DRM 3.54 6.5.0-25-generic)
    v: 4.6 Mesa 23.2.1-1ubuntu3.1~22.04.2 direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:7a50 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: speed: 16 GT/s lanes: 8 bus-ID: 03:00.1
    chip-ID: 1002:ab30 class-ID: 0403
  Device-3: Micro Star USB Audio type: USB driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid
    bus-ID: 1-11:6 chip-ID: 0db0:a74b class-ID: 0300
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k6.5.0-25-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Intel driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: N/A bus-ID: 00:14.3 chip-ID: 8086:7a70
    class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlo1 state: up mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Intel Ethernet I225-V vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: igc v: kernel pcie:
    speed: 5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: N/A bus-ID: 05:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:15f3 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp5s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-14:9 chip-ID: 8087:0033 class-ID: e001
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 2 state: down bt-service: enabled,running rfk-block:
    hardware: no software: yes address: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 11.25 GiB (1.2%)
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Smart Modular Tech. model: SHPP41-1000GM size: 931.51 GiB
    speed: 63.2 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 51060A20 temp: 31.9 C scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 915.32 GiB used: 11.25 GiB (1.2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511 MiB used: 6.1 MiB (1.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 2 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 file: /swapfile
USB:
  Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: Hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 16 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s
    chip-ID: 1d6b:0002 class-ID: 0900
  Hub-2: 1-2:2 info: Genesys Logic Hub ports: 2 rev: 2.1 speed: 480 Mb/s chip-ID: 05e3:0610
    class-ID: 0900
  Hub-3: 1-9:3 info: Genesys Logic Hub ports: 4 rev: 2.1 speed: 480 Mb/s chip-ID: 05e3:0610
    class-ID: 0900
  Device-1: 1-9.1:5 info: Logitech USB Receiver type: Keyboard,Mouse,HID
    driver: hid-generic,usbhid interfaces: 3 rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s power: 98mA chip-ID: 046d:c548
    class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: 1-9.2:7 info: Keychron K10 Pro type: Keyboard,HID driver: hid-generic,usbhid
    interfaces: 3 rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s power: 500mA chip-ID: 3434:02a0 class-ID: 0300
  Hub-4: 1-10:4 info: Genesys Logic Hub ports: 4 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s power: 100mA
    chip-ID: 05e3:0608 class-ID: 0900
  Device-1: 1-11:6 info: Micro Star USB Audio type: Audio,HID
    driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid interfaces: 8 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s power: 100mA
    chip-ID: 0db0:a74b class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: 1-12:8 info: Micro Star MYSTIC LIGHT type: HID driver: hid-generic,usbhid
    interfaces: 1 rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s power: 500mA chip-ID: 1462:7d91 class-ID: 0300
    serial: <filter>
  Device-3: 1-14:9 info: Intel type: Bluetooth driver: btusb interfaces: 2 rev: 2.0
    speed: 12 Mb/s power: 100mA chip-ID: 8087:0033 class-ID: e001
  Hub-5: 2-0:1 info: Super-speed hub ports: 9 rev: 3.1 speed: 20 Gb/s chip-ID: 1d6b:0003
    class-ID: 0900
  Hub-6: 2-6:2 info: Genesys Logic USB3.2 Hub ports: 4 rev: 3.2 speed: 5 Gb/s chip-ID: 05e3:0620
    class-ID: 0900
  Hub-7: 2-8:3 info: Genesys Logic USB3.2 Hub ports: 2 rev: 3.2 speed: 5 Gb/s chip-ID: 05e3:0620
    class-ID: 0900
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 27.8 C mobo: N/A gpu: amdgpu temp: 26.0 C mem: 40.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A gpu: amdgpu fan: 1
Repos:
  Packages: apt: 2168
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
    1: deb http: //packages.linuxmint.com virginia main upstream import backport
    2: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy main restricted universe multiverse
    3: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
    4: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
    5: deb http: //security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jammy-security main restricted universe multiverse
Info:
  Processes: 520 Uptime: 10h 3m wakeups: 5 Memory: 62.63 GiB used: 2.86 GiB (4.6%) Init: systemd
  v: 249 runlevel: 5 target: graphical.target Compilers: gcc: 11.4.0 alt: 11/12
  Client: Unknown python3.10 client inxi: 3.3.13

Additional graphics card info:
"Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Device 7480" is what shows on the "System Info" page, but the actual card is an RX 7600. I'd guess the drivers in the kernel aren't quite new enough for it though.

[seasons]

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Device 7480" is what shows on the "System Info" page, but the actual card is an RX 7600. I'd guess the drivers in the kernel aren't quite new enough for it though.

It looks like the kernel is new enough. What needs updated is the PCI name database:

Code: Select all

sudo update-pciids

That should update the names for at least some of the devices in lspci or System Info output.

[SMG]

I suspect the answer is an update to my audio/video driver from AMD, but wanted to ask here before I went installing a bunch of things I don't fully understand since the driver install process seems a bit different than on Windows.

Welcome to the forum, KRider.

AMD drivers are in the kernel and load automatically, but sometimes newer amdgpu linux-firmware is needed. The firmware update recently helped someone who was having static issues with a 7900 XT. (Although that person was only having issues with the DP port and not the HDMI.) You can use the instructions here to update the firmware. Let us know if you have any questions.

Additional graphics card info:
"Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Device 7480" is what shows on the "System Info" page, but the actual card is an RX 7600. I'd guess the drivers in the kernel aren't quite new enough for it though.

The drivers are new enough for your GPU. It's just the names which had not yet been updated. seasons gave you the info which should help update the name.

[KRider]

Thank you both! Issue resolved.

Just for my own understanding:

Code: Select all

sudo cp -u * /lib/firmware/amdgpu/

Essentially copies the freshly downloaded firmware files and overwrites/adds to what was already in my /lib/firmware/amdgpu directory
We then run

Code: Select all

sudo update-initramfs -u -k all

Which also updates existing files that point to the firmware files. I assume some kind of system config?

[seasons]

Yep, you overwrote the firmware blobs with new ones (and probably added ones that are too new to be in Mint 21). Then you rebuilt the kernel image with the new firmware files that need to be available at boot. I take it the crackling is solved and your GPU has a name now?

[SMG]

Thank you both! Issue resolved.

Just for my own understanding:

Code: Select all

sudo cp -u * /lib/firmware/amdgpu/

Essentially copies the freshly downloaded firmware files and overwrites/adds to what was already in my /lib/firmware/amdgpu directory

Correct. It will update (overwrite) any files which are newer and will add any completely new files to the directory.

We then run

Code: Select all

sudo update-initramfs -u -k all

Which also updates existing files that point to the firmware files. I assume some kind of system config?

It's part of the boot process sequence and makes the firmware available to the kernel drivers for all kernels you already have installed. It only needs to be done the one time as future kernel installs will generate new initramfs which will use all currently installed firmware.

Here are two links with more information:
Ubuntu wiki: Initramfs
update-initramfs (8) - Linux Manuals