Audio and Motherboard Question

post #1 of 4

3/22/13 at 12:55pm

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69 Posts. Joined 5/2008
Location: Toronto, Ontario
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Hi Folks,

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new PC (mostly for gaming on my home theatre), and I'm trying to figure out how I'm able to get 5.1 sound off the PC. I'd like to use the S/PDIF interface that it supports (according to the website), but I can figure out which port it would plug into. I don't see an optical port, and I don't see a stand alone RCA connector either.

Here's a link for the motherboard I'm using.
http://ca.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4328#ov

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

spin

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post #2 of 4

3/22/13 at 1:07pm

769 Posts. Joined 3/2006
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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Quote:

Originally Posted by spincycle79

Hi Folks,

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new PC (mostly for gaming on my home theatre), and I'm trying to figure out how I'm able to get 5.1 sound off the PC. I'd like to use the S/PDIF interface that it supports (according to the website), but I can figure out which port it would plug into. I don't see an optical port, and I don't see a stand alone RCA connector either.

Here's a link for the motherboard I'm using.
http://ca.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4328#ov

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

spin

Unless you have a receiver that has HDMI, you are out of luck. Your best bet would be to pick up a sound card with either an optical or digital coax connector to send 5.1 audio to your receiver from the mainboard.
Page 26:
10) SPDIF_O (S/PDIF Out Header)
This header supports digital S/PDIF Out and connects a S/PDIF digital audio cable (provided by expansion
cards) for digital audio output from your motherboard to certain expansion cards like graphics cards and
sound cards. For example, some graphics cards may require you to use a S/PDIF digital audio cable for
digital audio output from your motherboard to your graphics card if you wish to connect an HDMI display
to the graphics card and have digital audio output from the HDMI display at the same time. For information
about connecting the S/PDIF digital audio cable, carefully read the manual for your expansion card.

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post #3 of 4

3/22/13 at 1:19pm

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69 Posts. Joined 5/2008
Location: Toronto, Ontario
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Thanks for the quick reply! I haven't bought it yet, and good thing!

I can pick pretty much any gigabyte board. So, I've switched to one with a dedicated port. I thought I was missing something before. i.e. the digital audio single was fed though one of the mini jack connectors at the back.

Likely going to go with this MB now.
http://ca.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4441#ov

edit: Sorry THIS is the MB I'm going to use:
http://ca.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4337#ov
Edited by spincycle79 - 3/22/13 at 1:30pm

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post #4 of 4

3/22/13 at 2:13pm