HDMI sounds/Mobo Sounds

[Top Gun]

Hi guys,

I just had a thought. I have a Mobo with a built in audio which I have plugged my speakers on but I also have a video card with an HDMI. My question is, can I unplug my speakers in the Mobo while using the HDMI as an audio? If so how can I do this?

I just wanted to know if the HDMI is much better than the built it Mobo audio.

Another follow-up question, is SPDIF better than speakers/Mobo sounds?


Thanks!!

[paul9]

The HDMI audio still runs through the same audio system on the motherboard, it just ends up going to your TV or whatever is at the other end of the HDMI cable. Whether or not it sounds better depends on the final equipment you have amplifying the signal and the speakers you use to produce the sound.
FWIW, my HDMI audio doesn't seem to work, so I still use USB headphones, or a cable from the traditional audio jacks on my motherboard.
SPDIF is basically just another way of getting the audio signal to your amplifier and speakers. The final quality again depends on the amplifier and speakers in use. The signal has still been produced by the same sound card either built-in or plugged in to your PC. You can get some pretty good add-in sound cards, which can help a bit, though.

EDIT. I was just checking up, and it seems the newer video cards generally have some audio function built in, although at the moment I am reading that it is more a case of them just sending a digital audio signal to your receiver, which should do the sound processing.

[Top Gun]

@paul9,

Wow thanks! So preferably its better that I still don't use the HDMI . It still basically relies on the speakers. Btw, I'm using an NVIDIA 9800GT as my vid card. Before, I was thinking of using an SPDIF cable so that the sounds will come out to my LCD then use speakers to amplify the sounds coming out the LCD .

I was just confused as from what I understand SPDIF is the same as Digital Audio meaning digitized unlike running through the motherboard connected to the speakers.

When I looked at the windows sound settings, I found 2 options at the Playback tab: Speaker (which I currently use now) and Digital Audio (S/PDIF), so it made me wonder which of the two is much better to use. Any insights on this one?

[paul9]

If you have SPDIF connections available on all your equipment, I would give that a go. Especially if you want any surround sound or similar.

[electric]

@Paul just letting you know that sound does out put from graphics card
if it has an HDMI out put.

hook up a monitor that had built in sound,to the HDMI port and surprise,
surprise i had sound thru the monitor

ps not my monitor


cheers

[Top Gun]

@paul9

Is it better if i plug the SPDIF from my mobo to my vid than directly connection just speakers to my mobo?

@electric,

did you find any considerable difference if you plug the SPDIF than with just speakers plugged on your mobo?