I'm having dropped sound problems.

[RepeatRepeater]

Here is my system:

 

Windows 7 64bit

Intel i5 3.30 GHz

8 GB RAM

Radeon HD 6800 graphics

Onboard Realtek HD audio

 

Here is my Oblivion, in order of patches installed:

 

Oblivion

Patch to 1.1.511

Shivering Isles

Patch to 1.2.416

Unofficial Oblivion Patch

Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch

 

Here is my bug:

 

When repeatedly casting "Cure Minor Wounds", the spellcast sound will sometimes refuse to play. I have made it start again by switching to "Illuminate", casting that, and then casting CMW again. Also, in Kvatch Castle, the ambient fire sounds will sometimes cut out and not restart until I reload.

 

Is there anything that can be done?

[Striker879]

Only things that come to mind for me are: 1) Are you using any effects such as Concert Hall or the like in the Realtek control panel applet? 2) Even though you have 8 GB RAM the vanilla game will only use something like 2 GB or less (unless you set up one of the 4 GB patchers). Does this only happen after you've been playing for a while?

 

Also are you only using the two unofficial patches and no other mods?

[RepeatRepeater]

If by "a while" you mean "a minute or two", then yes. It takes a couple minutes.

 

No, no patches other than the two unofficials, and no Realtek effects.

 

Should I install one of those "4GB" patches?

 

Also, just now, I ran into an enormous missing space of lava on the corner of a gate map. I could see one edge of it, and I managed to swim into it. Since it was just empty space, I floated in it without burning up.

 

Is this related?

Edited January 15, 2013 by RepeatRepeater

[Hickory]

Onboard Realtek HD audio

 

That is the problem with your sound. Onboard sound chips, and their drivers, are just sub-par, and will let you down in games constantly. The only real solution is to get a dedicated sound card.

 

 

Also, just now, I ran into an enormous missing space of lava on the corner of a gate map. I could see one edge of it, and I managed to swim into it. Since it was just empty space, I floated in it without burning up.

 

Is this related?

 

No. That is an incompatibility in one or more of your mods. I say it's not related, because I have no idea if you have any sound enhancing mods installed.

[Striker879]

I can't say for certain whether a 4 GB patcher would help. Your onboard sound uses your CPU and memory for most of it's processing (using CPU cycles and memory that the game could use otherwise). You could try something like that to see if it helps (won't do anything for the CPU cycles but could open up more memory for use by the game). Make backups of everything beforehand.

 

As Hickory suggests, the best solution is a dedicated sound card (if you have an available slot). Even a relatively inexpensive one like a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 PCI will be light years ahead of your onboard Realtek (i.e. will do it's own sound processing).

[RepeatRepeater]

No. That is an incompatibility in one or more of your mods. I say it's not related, because I have no idea if you have any sound enhancing mods installed.

 

Like I said, all the mods/patches I have installed are the Unofficials for Oblivion and SI.

 

I am wondering about this specifically because I'm worried it's actually a corrupted save. Is there any way to tell if it is?

[Striker879]

Start a new character (most easily done if you have a save from just before the sewer exit prior to the character finalization menu). If you save, don't overwrite your older saves (never a good idea ... always save in a new slot). Never use quicksave (F5 by default), it's a known corrupter of save files. Use saves from the Esc menu or named saves using the console (again, never overwriting).

[RepeatRepeater]

Start a new character (most easily done if you have a save from just before the sewer exit prior to the character finalization menu). If you save, don't overwrite your older saves (never a good idea ... always save in a new slot). Never use quicksave (F5 by default), it's a known corrupter of save files. Use saves from the Esc menu or named saves using the console (again, never overwriting).

 

Welp. This'll be my third restart. Should I go ahead and patch the executable to take 4GB of RAM so as to minimize drag?

[Striker879]

As I have a 2 GB system and run Win XP Pro 32 bit I have no experience using the patcher. Like I said, even though the readme says it automatically makes a backup, I'd backup my Oblivion.exe to a safe location (outside all the game folders). You won't know until you try it ... part of troubleshooting is discovering what doesn't work.

[RepeatRepeater]

As I have a 2 GB system and run Win XP Pro 32 bit I have no experience using the patcher. Like I said, even though the readme says it automatically makes a backup, I'd backup my Oblivion.exe to a safe location (outside all the game folders). You won't know until you try it ... part of troubleshooting is discovering what doesn't work.

 

Of course. I'm worried about corrupting more saves, though. That's what I want the patched EXE to not do.