Hello,

Since kernel 3.0.11 I have quite terrible sound artifacts - random pops, clicks and
short pauses (~500ms). Linux kernel 3.0.0 is *bug free*. So, some some of patches in
kernel *3.0.11* broke the driver, the bug is, of course, present in kernels 3.1 and 3.2.

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 05)
        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 8469
        Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
        Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
        Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
        Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 60
        Region 0: Memory at fb520000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
                Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=55mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
                Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
        Capabilities: [60] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
                Address: 00000000fee0200c  Data: 415a
        Capabilities: [70] Express (v1) Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
                DevCap: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us
                        ExtTag- RBE- FLReset+
                DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
                        RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
                        MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
                DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr+ TransPend-
                LnkCap: Port #0, Speed unknown, Width x0, ASPM unknown, Latency L0 <64ns, L1 <1us
                        ClockPM- Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
                LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; Disabled- Retrain- CommClk-
                        ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
                LnkSta: Speed unknown, Width x0, TrErr- Train- SlotClk- DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
        Capabilities: [100 v1] Virtual Channel
                Caps:   LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1
                Arb:    Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128-
                Ctrl:   ArbSelect=Fixed
                Status: InProgress-
                VC0:    Caps:   PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
                        Arb:    Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
                        Ctrl:   Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=01
                        Status: NegoPending- InProgress-
                VC1:    Caps:   PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
                        Arb:    Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
                        Ctrl:   Enable+ ID=1 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=22
                        Status: NegoPending- InProgress-
        Capabilities: [130 v1] Root Complex Link
                Desc:   PortNumber=0f ComponentID=00 EltType=Config
                Link0:  Desc:   TargetPort=00 TargetComponent=00 AssocRCRB- LinkType=MemMapped LinkValid+
                        Addr:   00000000fed1c000
        Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
        Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel

I'm attaching alsa-info.txt for your convenience.

Kernel's bugzilla is dead so I have no choice but to post about this problem on LKML.

Here's the relevant section of my .config:

CONFIG_SOUND=y
CONFIG_SOUND_OSS_CORE=y
CONFIG_SOUND_OSS_CORE_PRECLAIM=y
CONFIG_SND=m
CONFIG_SND_TIMER=m
CONFIG_SND_PCM=m
CONFIG_SND_HWDEP=m
CONFIG_SND_RAWMIDI=m
CONFIG_SND_JACK=y
CONFIG_SND_SEQUENCER=m
CONFIG_SND_OSSEMUL=y
CONFIG_SND_MIXER_OSS=m
CONFIG_SND_PCM_OSS=m
CONFIG_SND_PCM_OSS_PLUGINS=y
CONFIG_SND_SEQUENCER_OSS=y
CONFIG_SND_HRTIMER=m
CONFIG_SND_SEQ_HRTIMER_DEFAULT=y
CONFIG_SND_DYNAMIC_MINORS=y
CONFIG_SND_VMASTER=y
CONFIG_SND_DMA_SGBUF=y
CONFIG_SND_RAWMIDI_SEQ=m
CONFIG_SND_EMU10K1_SEQ=m
CONFIG_SND_AC97_CODEC=m
CONFIG_SND_DRIVERS=y
CONFIG_SND_AC97_POWER_SAVE=y
CONFIG_SND_AC97_POWER_SAVE_DEFAULT=300
CONFIG_SND_PCI=y
CONFIG_SND_EMU10K1=m
CONFIG_SND_HDA_INTEL=m
CONFIG_SND_HDA_INPUT_BEEP=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_INPUT_BEEP_MODE=1
CONFIG_SND_HDA_INPUT_JACK=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_REALTEK=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_HDMI=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_GENERIC=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_POWER_SAVE=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_POWER_SAVE_DEFAULT=300
CONFIG_SND_USB=y
CONFIG_SND_USB_AUDIO=m

My .config can be downloaded here: http://ompldr.org/vYzJteg/config

I have a four core Intel Core i5 2500 CPU with an external NVIDIA GPU. MSI are enabled:

$ grep -i msi /proc/interrupts

 40:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      PCIe PME
 41:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      PCIe PME
 42:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      PCIe PME
 43:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      PCIe PME
 44:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      PCIe PME
 45:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      PCIe PME
 46:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      PCIe PME
 47:      50772          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      ahci
 48:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      ahci
 49:          1          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 50:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 51:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 52:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 53:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 54:          1          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 55:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 56:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 57:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 58:          0          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      xhci_hcd
 59:    2910171          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      eth0
 60:        999     127232          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      hda_intel
 61:       2963          0          0          0   PCI-MSI-edge      nvidia

Best wishes,

Artem