Need help with random slowdown and distorted sound.

[Loveless]

As I play FFXIV, and it doesn't matter where I am or what I am doing, I start to notice small pauses and a bit of sound distortion that last for about 200 milliseconds. As I continue to play the game the pauses seem to get slightly longer in increments of 100 milliseconds and more frequent until eventually I have to restart the computer or the game becomes unplayable due to the choppiness. The thing is, some nights this doesn't happen at all and some nights it happens right away. I've tried updating my video drivers and shutdown as many programs as possible but this still happens and I can't tell if it is a problem with my video card or the on broad sound as this problem affects both of them. At one point I thought they were just hard faults as the game loaded textures so i put in 8GBs of ram but this problem still continues. I am playing on a Dell 8100XPS with a Intel i5 750 CPU, 8 GB of ram, and a GTX 480. On a side note the GPU is running very hot at around 95-105C but this happens in a lot of games and I tend not to get any graphical artifacts. Need help.

[origamikitsune]

Can you use the FFXIV Config utility, and copy your specs to the clipboard using that, paste here.

[Loveless]

-=-=-=-=-=-=- System Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Service Pack 1 64bit (build 7601)
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU 750 @ 2.67GHz
Number of Processors Logical Core Count 4 Physical Core Count 4
BIOS Default System BIOS
Language English (Regional Setting: English)
Physical Memory 8151.078MB
Virtual Memory 2047.875MB
Page File 16300.352MB
Storage C:\ Hard Disk Drive Total Disk Space 451.073GB Free Disk Space 243.949GB
DirectX Version DirectX 11
Graphic Device(s) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480
+Device \\.\DISPLAY1
+Chip GeForce GTX 480
+Maker NVIDIA
+Video Memory 1503.438 MB
+Shared Video Memory 2559.852 MB
+DAC Type Integrated RAMDAC
+Display Mode 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (120Hz)
+Driver nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
+Driver Version 8.17.0012.7533
+Driver Date 5/24/2011 11:09:12 PM
+Driver Language English
+Vertex Shader 3.0
+Pixel Shader 3.0
+Vertex Texture Supported
Sound Device(s) Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
+Device ID {D0B05049-D724-4F72-9F52-0D534218376F}
+Device Name RTKVHD64.sys
+Driver Version 6.00.0001.5953
+Driver Language English
+Driver Date 10/6/2009 7:51:22 PM
Sound Device(s) Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)
+Device ID {1162BEF0-C695-429A-9A92-0217DFFFFA86}
+Device Name RTKVHD64.sys
+Driver Version 6.00.0001.5953
+Driver Language English
+Driver Date 10/6/2009 7:51:22 PM
Sound Device(s) Speakers (PlayOn Virtual Audio Device)
+Device ID {4D79681A-2E6F-4D4F-838B-EC0B20C46028}
+Device Name povrtdev.sys
+Driver Version 5.02.3669.0001
+Driver Language English
+Driver Date 2/7/2011 3:35:06 PM
Input Device(s) {6F1D2B60-D5A0-11CF-BFC7444553540000}
+Name Mouse
+Notes Axis 3 Button 8 Field of View 0
Input Device(s) {6F1D2B61-D5A0-11CF-BFC7444553540000}
+Name Keyboard
+Notes Axis 0 Button 128 Field of View 0
Input Device(s) {A63E0B50-847C-11E0-8001444553540000}
+Name G19 Gaming Keyboard
+Notes Axis 0 Button 7 Field of View 0
Input Device(s) {A64F9780-847C-11E0-8002444553540000}
+Name G19 Gaming Keyboard
+Notes Axis 0 Button 0 Field of View 0
Input Device(s) {A64F9780-847C-11E0-8003444553540000}
+Name G19 Gaming Keyboard (Macro interface)
+Notes Axis 0 Button 0 Field of View 0
Input Device(s) {A6514530-847C-11E0-8006444553540000}
+Name Razer Mamba
+Notes Axis 0 Button 573 Field of View 0
Input Device(s) {A6516C40-847C-11E0-8007444553540000}
+Name Razer Mamba
+Notes Axis 0 Button 3 Field of View 0
Input Device(s) {A6516C40-847C-11E0-8008444553540000}
+Name MotioninJoy Virtual Game Controller
+Notes Axis 0 Button 0 Field of View 0
Input Device(s) {F99D3D10-A2A5-11E0-8001444553540000}
+Name MotioninJoy Virtual Game Controller
+Notes Axis 0 Button 0 Field of View 0
Input Device(s) {F99DD950-A2A5-11E0-8002444553540000}
+Name MotioninJoy Virtual Game Controller
+Notes Axis 8 Button 20 Field of View 1




-=-=-=-=-=-=- Proccess Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Java\Java Update\jusched.exe 00001230
C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Nikon\Monitor\NkMonitor.exe 000010CC
C:\Program Files (x86)\Creative\THX TruStudio PC\THXAudioCP\THXAudio.exe 000010F0
C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\PowerDVD10\PDVD10Serv.exe 000010E0
C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\Shared files\brs.exe 000011EC
C:\Program Files (x86)\EVGA Precision\Bundle\OSDServer\RTSS.exe 00000E5C
C:\Program Files (x86)\EVGA Precision\EVGAPrecision.exe 00000E70
C:\Program Files (x86)\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqSTE08.exe 000006C4
C:\Program Files (x86)\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqbam08.exe 00000D58
C:\Program Files (x86)\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqgpc01.exe 000017D0
C:\Program Files (x86)\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqtra08.exe 000010D4
C:\Program Files (x86)\HP\HP Software Update\hpwuschd2.exe 00001294
C:\Program Files (x86)\ID Vault\IDVault.exe 00000B4C
C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology\IAStorIcon.exe 00001080
C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe 00001944
C:\Program Files (x86)\Multimedia Card Reader(9106)\ShwiconXP9106.exe 000010C0
C:\Program Files (x86)\Razer\Mamba\RazerTray.exe 000005B4
C:\Program Files (x86)\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XIV\ffxivconfig.exe 00001AD4
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe 00000B34
C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Contacts\wlcomm.exe 00000A44
C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Mesh\MOE.exe 00001200
C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Mesh\WLSync.exe 000007BC
C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe 00000A04
C:\Program Files (x86)\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zlclient.exe 0000121C
C:\Program Files\Logitech Gaming Software\plugins\LCDAppletsColor-1.00.027\Applets\x86\LCDMovieViewer.exe 00000EEC
C:\Program Files\Logitech Gaming Software\plugins\LCDAppletsColor-1.00.027\Applets\x86\LCDWebCam.exe 00000230
C:\Program Files\Logitech Gaming Software\plugins\LCDAppletsColor-1.00.027\Applets\x86\LCDYT.exe 00000DA4
C:\Program Files\Logitech Gaming Software\plugins\LCDAppletsMono-1.00.027\Applets\x86\LCDMedia.exe 00001128

[Loveless]

I am wondering if it has to do with Intel Speedstep...

[origamikitsune]

Do you overclock your system? Either your GPU or your CPU? If so, turn your overclocking off.

Also, what are you settings for FF at? Make sure Ambient Occlusion is off, and your General Draw Quality is -not- set above 8 (your temp is way to high, IMHO, and something isn't right with that regardless).

[Loveless]

Not overclocking but yeah my settings are high but with 30 FPS avg. EVGA said the max temp on the video card is 105c but I still don't like being around that temp...

[Coldfire]

You got the latest realtek sound drivers and set everything there to default? I would also try it with sound disabled and see if the game runs stable then.