Just upgraded my PSU and GPU now when I go and talk to any npc there is no noise\sound coming from them all the other sound effects are fine, anyone any idea what the problem could be.

Just a slight update, if move my character a little to the left then the sound returns but also when I active anything or hit anyone with my weapon then there is no sound there either any help is appreciated.

I have almost the exact same problem as of today, after installing a new monitor (don't even know if that's related).
When I talk to an NPC I can barely hear them, though other sounds and the music are fine, unless I shift my mouse to the left or right.
So I can only hear them properly when I look to the side of the NPCs.

with your gpu upgrade, do you have multiple sound devices showing in your Device Manager? You may have some combo of hi-def/realtek/whatever else all working together, or at odds. Make sure the one you actually want to use is active, and disable (I would recommend against uninstalling) the rest. If using on-board sound, maybe you want to use realtek. If you have a sound card, pick that and disable rest. Try that out, hope it works.

Thanks for that yeah the GTX 580 had sound, now its disabled there is a slight improvement but its not sounding as it should be

Actually I just noticed, it's not just the NPC voices. The water and whatnot too, only sounds right when I shift to the left or right of it, and all the sound, music included, is muffled when I select an NPC for dialogue.

ok so far so good...now, I'm totally guessing here, but I would now start looking into your sound configuration. Speakers or headphones? If your computer thinks you are on 7.1 surround, but you are actually just doing stereo headset, it could explain some problems (like the kind you are having)

Thank you very much indeed not sure how it happened but it had somehow gone into 7.1 put it back to 5.1 and all is well, so once again thank you very for the advice.

glad it worked out! Now, if we can fix ByTheNines' problem too, all would be good

I tried the 24 bit 44100 Hz and the equalizer fixes but they didn't work. Not sure what has changed on my pc since I installed a new monitor, mouse and keyboard.

are you running your speakers/headphones out of your keyboard? What sound devices appear enabled in your Device Manager?

I believe so.

Enabled: Speakers

I disabled Realtek Digital Output... apparently my realtek digital receiver does not support 44.1 hz, whatever that means

ok I'm have a bit of a hard time picturing this...you have your speakers plugged into your keyboard, onboard Realtek sound, but that sound is disabled? or do I misunderstand?

As for the 44.1 hz thing that is only a problem for some people in some setups...I wouldn't worry about that unless you are getting CTDs. What we need to know is which sound device is active (you can find it in START>CONTROL PANEL>Device Manager or START>[right click]COMPUTER>PROPERTIES>Device Manager)...and if you have multiple devices there, that is important too.

I know you are wondering how new keyboard/mouse/monitor is messing with sound, but I can imagine several scenarios how this can happen.

I had quiet voices with my on board Realtek...until I switched Subwoofer / Center output.

No more quiet voices or turning my head to hear the conversation

5.1

Oh I'm sorry I misunderstood your keyboard question! No my speakers are not plugged into my keyboard sorry.

I have 3 devices showing:
- ATI HDMI Output
- Speakers (Realtek high definition audio)
- Realtek digital output

However, only the speakers are currently enabled, the other two are disabled.

My new monitor has speakers built into it and I thought this may have messed something up?

Thanks so much for your time btw, I am not great with computers... I hope I didn't do something silly while setting up my new screen.

no worries

OK, I assume you are using windows 7? Go back to "control panel" and goto "sound" icon. In the "Playback" tab, make sure your speakers are selected, then hit the "Configure" button. If it is not already, select 'stereo'.

If it was already selected as 'stereo' check your active icons in the lower right of your windows, and see if you have any 3rd party audio programs running (other than the standard windows little single speaker icon)...if you do, come back here and let me know what the program is.

I just had a weird idea, what if I use system restore to bring my computer back to the settings it had before I installed the new hd screen?

system restore is a dangerous button to press... that is killing a fly with a sledgehammer I think, and it may not necessarily work as you aren't about to ditch your new screen

OMG I did just what you said, switched it to stereo and the problem is solved!!!
Thank you soooooooooooooooo much!! ^^
Gosh I'm so glad I didn't use system restore lol XD
Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!! <3

That was seriously so nice of you, hope this can help others experiencing the same problem ^^ Thanks again! X