Well, I'm to the point where I am about to give up.  I have been having this on-going issue with the X58 onboard sound and windows 7 Realtek HD audio drivers.  To start off the problem, in windows 7, the latest build for the Realtek HD audio drivers do not allow for ports to be reassigned.  Therefore, if you had a 5.1 surround kit and a headset/mic kit, you can't reassign the ports like you can in XP.  Very frustrating.  So my only solution as this point was to purchase a splitter for the main speakers.

Anyways, the problem at hand.  I have installed windows 7 64 bit with a clean install - Still have a dual boot with xp 64bit.  I updated all the essential updates that microsoft suggests. I installed the latest bios, chipset, and audio drivers from evga.  Initially, the installations install flawlessly.  However, I have been running into issues that I suspect have to do w/ the drivers from Realtek.  Nevertheless, I can't rule out that it could be another issue.  When I go into the Windows (not realtek) sound manager and try to configure settings, it will randomly freeze.  It seems to be most constistent when I try to adjust the microphone settings/preferences.

I also get a freeze when using the program Ventrilo.  Windows 7 will randomly freeze when other people start talking.  It's a hit or miss freeze, and there hasn't been any consistancy of when it will actually freeze.  Some times it is when I am trying to configure the settings in Ventrilo.  Other times I will just be idling in a channel and have a complete system freeze.  Each freeze, regardless of whether it occurs within ventrilo or in any sound settings areas in windows 7 requires a hard reset.

Originally I blamed ventrilo (64-bit) for the problem.  However, since this problem happens when ventrilo isn't even running, I have to rule it out.  Therefore, I can only conclude that it has to do w/ the audio drivers I have picked up. 

I have tried both the audio drivers from EVGA as well as RealTek with the same results.  They should be the same drivers, so this doesn't surprise me.

I have also tried two different clean installations, thinking it may be something else I installed incorrectly.  I still get the same freezing results.

I have tried disabling all surround settings and having only my microphone/headset plugged in.  Still no avail.

I have tried installing the audio drivers in compatibility mode for Vista SP2, still freezes.

I am to the point where I am going to give up on windows 7, as I have been searching for any type of solution for a few days and spent countless hours.  I know it's not a hardware issue, as I don't have any issue in windows xp 64bit.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Specs: Windows 7 64bit
EVGA X58 3x SLI
Intel Core i7 920
EVGA GTX 260 (core 216)

Thanks.

To the OP, Boot into XP then download and run the windows7 upgrade advisor. Make sure you have the same hardware/software installed on xp that you will be running on 7 before starting the advisor.

Also it could still be hardware. I had a set of USB headphones for Dragon naturally Speaking that worked under XP, but a no go on 7.

Lastly the majority of freezes come down to RAM settings in my experience. Feel free to post your BIOS settings for your MOBO in its appropriate section and see if you get any feedback.

I suspect I have the same issue, I heard in a different thread something about changing audio to CD quality fixing it, as well as something about noise suppression, going to try them now. 

 http://forums.evga.com...4657&high=freezing
Specs: Windows 7 32bit
EVGA X58 3x SLI
Intel Core i7 920
2x EVGA GTX 260 (Core 192) in SLI

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with realtek drivers i had the exact freezing you had. turn off accoustic echo cancellation and noise suppression if its on and you should be good to go. I had narrowed it down to only one of those setting a long while back. But I forget which of those settings it actually ended up being.

Hi i got the same prob yesterday....After searching a lot on the net.. the only post i found related to this prob was your post.... 
After some hours of trial play with the registry and services.. i found that this problem is related to the Server services...just by enabling and starting the server services the prob is solve...

Click start-->type in "Services"
         open "Services"

         double click on "Server" --> Set startup type "Automatic" --> Click Start


i register to this forum just to reply to this problem.. hope its work for you....lol

turn off skype conferencing and see what happens..

I have an X58 Sli 3 (USB 3.0 and SATA 6 GB) and my audio drivers were actually dying on me before and freezing up on my game Battlefield Bad Company 2. Ended up doing an update from evga and realtek and the audio doesnt die, but game still freezes up. Hard reset is needed. Realtek really sucks with onboard audio, same thing happened with my old dell. get a new audio card and everything should be better, unless it conflicts with win 7 lol.

I'm still having this issue with any driver, anyone found a solution aside installing another sound card? It was working fine for the first 6 months of windows 7, seems like the latest drivers from microsoft isn't good either.

Using the Windows 7 64bit Default drivers has been the only way that I have been able to keep my system from crashing. As soon as I install the RT HD drivers I start getting Random lockups again. I have 2 x58 boards one is the SLI version and the other is the x58 Classified 3. Both system have Windows 7 64, and they both have random lockups if I have the Drivers installed from Realtek. So the only fix that I can find now is to uninstall the Realtek HD drivers and just use the Windows 7 drivers.