Audio From Graphics Card?

[therock003]

I want to address some questions concerning audio traveling from the graphics Card.

When a computers graphics card supports hdmi and or audio transfer where does it get it from?Does it include an Audio DAC in order to decode audio and transfer to a receptive device (speakers/headphone)?

Also cards like the new ati models hd (HD3870 etc) series supposedly support HD audio if i'm not mistaken.But i do not see an audio jack on the back of the card.

I remember that when i first used this card,on the audio preference of the control panel i could select HD3870 as the default audio decoder,but now i do not see it.Does it have anything to do with Catalyst?

[therock003]

I was told that it uses a dvi2hdmi converter that strangely enough can trasfer audio from a dvi input!

Anyway i do not car cause i do not have an hdmi input anywhere,i'm just asking cause ati high definition audio drivers seem to be missing from my system and i'm just wondering if it's worth installing them for any reason.Will that have an effect to my onboard audio card?

[jagabo]

Audio can be multiplexed along with the video in a DVI connection. Few devices know how to deal with this though.

The graphics cards I've seen with an HDMI output (including audio) have an SPDIF input connector (on the PCB, not the back plate) for digital audio from the sound card.

[therock003]

So you mean the audio received on the hdmi end is of spdif source

Anyway wil i have any use for it,on my 3.5mm jack or should i not even bother with hooking up the gpu's audio drivers?

[jagabo]

So you mean the audio received on the hdmi end is of spdif source

If you have one of those cards with the SPDIF input. Here's one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127301

I don't know about the ATI cards you mentioned.

Anyway wil i have any use for it,on my 3.5mm jack or should i not even bother with hooking up the gpu's audio drivers?

I don't know what you're asking here. I don't know how the ATI cards handle audio. Many HDTV's have coax or optical audio inputs for computer use. They also usually have analog RCA stereo or 3.5mm pinplug inputs.

[therock003]

Well this is the one i'm having

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103057

As you can see there's only 2xdvi and 1xsvideo outputs.

What i'm asking is should i bother installing the cards audio drivers if i dont have a use for them.

So far i use my onboard's realtec soundcard to output from the jack to other my speakers or my headphones,and i was wondering if i could just do better.

[jagabo]

If you are using the analog 3.5mm pinplug output to drive your speakers and headphones there's probably no reason to install the graphics card's audio drivers.

[therock003]

ok fair enough,thanx for your responses.