Confused about video card

SoldierA2 · 11-09-2009, 10:01 PM

I just recentley purchased the EVGA 896-P3-1257-AR GeForce GTX 260 for a friend im building a computer for, but i have ran into a problem that i haven't seen before, my friend currently only has the 2.0 speakers on his TV, and only has HDMI/Composite/S-video In, the video card has DVI w/ HDMI out adapter, i know DVI doesn't have audio, but in multiple reviews i read they said they used the video cards SPDIF out to get audio through the HDMI, and that the video card comes with a SPDIF cable, i have no idea what SPDIF is, what the cable looks like, or how you can have HDMI audio with it, can someone please clarify what it is?

**grimx133** · 11-09-2009, 10:30 PM

There's a little two pin header next to the power connectors on the video card, that's where you plug in one end of the s/pdif cable that came with the card. The other end depends on what he's using for sound. If onboard, check the motherboard manual, there will be a header somewhere on the board to plug the other end into. A soundcard also will have the header on it somewhere. So, check the manual for either of those, whichever is being used, it'll call it an s/pdif header. Once the cable is plugged in, you use the dvi to hdmi adapter that also came with the card, then sound will be carried over the hdmi cable to the tv.

SoldierA2 · 11-10-2009, 08:22 AM

He has the SPDIF on the mobo, so using it will allow HDMI audio? would it be worth it to get sound card if hes only using SPdif and the 2.0 speakers, or just use onboard? thanks

Phædrus2401 · 11-10-2009, 08:33 AM

Onboard should be fine, even low end motherboards have sound good enough for 2.0 or 2.1, and good ones sound alright for 5.1 or even 7.1.

11-09-2009, 10:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
SoldierA2 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 26 OS: XP	Confused about video card I just recentley purchased the EVGA 896-P3-1257-AR GeForce GTX 260 for a friend im building a computer for, but i have ran into a problem that i haven't seen before, my friend currently only has the 2.0 speakers on his TV, and only has HDMI/Composite/S-video In, the video card has DVI w/ HDMI out adapter, i know DVI doesn't have audio, but in multiple reviews i read they said they used the video cards SPDIF out to get audio through the HDMI, and that the video card comes with a SPDIF cable, i have no idea what SPDIF is, what the cable looks like, or how you can have HDMI audio with it, can someone please clarify what it is?

11-09-2009, 10:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
grimx133 Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada eh Posts: 3,144 OS: xp mce sp2, xp pro sp2, windows 7 beta My System	Re: Confused about video card There's a little two pin header next to the power connectors on the video card, that's where you plug in one end of the s/pdif cable that came with the card. The other end depends on what he's using for sound. If onboard, check the motherboard manual, there will be a header somewhere on the board to plug the other end into. A soundcard also will have the header on it somewhere. So, check the manual for either of those, whichever is being used, it'll call it an s/pdif header. Once the cable is plugged in, you use the dvi to hdmi adapter that also came with the card, then sound will be carried over the hdmi cable to the tv. __________________

11-10-2009, 08:22 AM	#3 (permalink)
SoldierA2 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 26 OS: XP	Re: Confused about video card He has the SPDIF on the mobo, so using it will allow HDMI audio? would it be worth it to get sound card if hes only using SPdif and the 2.0 speakers, or just use onboard? thanks

11-10-2009, 08:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,802 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Confused about video card Onboard should be fine, even low end motherboards have sound good enough for 2.0 or 2.1, and good ones sound alright for 5.1 or even 7.1. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.