Intermittent HDMI Audio Crackling on a DIY SteamOS Gaming PC
Asked by
MellowRidge42
I'm running SteamOS on a custom-built PC and get random crackles or pops through HDMI every few minutes, both in Gaming Mode and Desktop Mode. The issue happens across games and apps, including Binding of Isaac and Spotify. The PC is connected to an LG C6 TV over HDMI, with audio sent from the TV to a Denon AVR-S660H receiver via eARC.
I've tried multiple HDMI 2.1 cables, reseating the GPU, checking for loose connections, connecting the HDMI cable directly to the receiver, switching to the Beta and Preview SteamOS channels, restarting PipeWire, and changing its buffer settings. None of those changes fixed it. CPU and GPU usage and temperatures look normal.
The system uses an ASUS Prime B550M-A WiFi II motherboard, Ryzen 7 5800XT, and PowerColor Reaper 9060 XT. The BIOS is up to date. Has anyone run into similar HDMI audio problems with this GPU or SteamOS?
Answers
The 9060 XT series has had reports of HDMI audio crackling on both Windows and Linux, so the GPU itself may be the main suspect rather than PipeWire or your receiver. Updating the motherboard BIOS is worthwhile, and you can also try lowering the GPU’s PCIe link speed in the BIOS. If that doesn’t help, testing with another distribution from a bootable USB could separate a SteamOS problem from a hardware or driver issue. Bazzite may be worth trying because it offers a similar console-style Steam experience while supporting a wider range of PC hardware.
Reply to this answer
SteamOS is primarily tuned for Valve hardware, so compatibility and driver fixes can lag on custom-built systems. A different gaming-focused distribution may handle this GPU better, and many of them can boot directly into Steam’s Big Picture or Gaming Mode so the experience stays close to a console.
Reply to this answer
Add your answer
Answers are reviewed before publication.
MellowRidge42: I updated the BIOS and tried forcing the GPU to PCIe Gen 3. It seemed like the crackle took a little longer to appear, but it still happened. I’m going to test Bazzite from a bootable USB since I’d prefer to keep the console-like Gaming Mode experience without immediately replacing the card.