Sound problems and CPU stepping

[antidrugue]

Then are the latest official kernel updates (the .y minor revisions) already incorporated into each CK patch?

Yes, they are. Take a look at this :
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...a&ct=clnk&cd=1

Apply to 2.6.16

THESE INCLUDE THE PATCHES FROM 2.6.16.20 SO START WITH 2.6.16 AS YOUR BASE
normal: patch-2.6.16-ck12.bz2

server: patch-2.6.16-cks12.bz2

Also, why aren't the CK patches incorporated into the kernel already?

If I am not mistaking, some of CK patches features have been included in the kernel over time (mainly concerning the schedulers and virtual memory managers), Con Kolivas himself beeing a kernel developper.

Just search the latest 2.6.17 kernel changelog for "Con Kolivas" and you'll see :
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kern...angeLog-2.6.17

Personaly I never had any issues that I could directly attribute to those patches. I always use them on my desktop machines nowadays.

[Hunter2]

I see. Anyway, I tried 2.6.17/ck-1/alsa-1.0.11 final. Still no luck with anything I've tried before.

I guess I'll just keep upgrading my kernel/alsa whenever there's significant changes to either; in the meantime, I'll settle for p4-clockmod.