GeForce 200 Series & HDMI audio & PCI sound card

gorca · 04-08-10, 06:33 PM

Apparently GT 220 and, as far as I know, all other models from 200 series don't have S/PDIF connectors on them as these video adapters have on-board audio processor that gets audio signal via PCI-E interface of the MB (motherboard) instead of S/PDIF connectors. I was was planning to buy GT 220 or some other video adapter from the series but I just discovered nVIDIA removed S/PDIF connector and am having second thoughts on this purchase option as I want to be able to use audio over HDMI feature.

The thing is that I don't see how I can use audio over HDMI feature because, like many other people, am not using MB audio but rather a Creative Sound Blaster PCI sound card. There is no SPDIF connector on GT 220 and since my on-board audio processor is both faulty and disabled (as it would have to be disabled even if it was working) am at a loss here.

Any thoughts? Did nVIDIA forget about all of the people who are using PCI sound cards or is there a way for audio over HDMI in this set-up?

onmikesline · 04-08-10, 09:41 PM

have you looked in to the new cards that nvidia/ati has to offer?

gorca · 04-09-10, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onmikesline

have you looked in to the new cards that nvidia/ati has to offer?

For me, 200 series is new and it seems to me that nVIDIA adopted philosophy that new graphics with audio processor on them don't need S/PDIF connector. Can't say that I've payed much attention to ATI solutions.

frenchy2k1 · 04-09-10, 11:45 AM

There is no need for any audio on the motherboard for those to work.

Audio processing has 2 big parts:
- digital processing (the part with the computation and eventually all the fancy effects like 3D audio, EAX...)
- analog signal conversion.

If you use a card like the radeon HD4000+ or nvidia G200+, they just placed a digital signal processor on the card to process the 1st part on board and there is absolutely no need for the 2nd part, as HDMI signals are digital all the way.

The processing is usually done with a realtek chip placed on the video card.

So, no need to worry, it will work without any MB audio. It just adds a full sound card to your system typically, that can be chosen as output under windows.

Since microsoft forced CPU audio calculation under Vista and 7, there is not much gain in a creative lab card anymore...

JasonPC · 04-09-10, 04:40 PM

I don't get what your concern is. If you're using a PCI sound card there is no need to worry about the onboard sound on the GT 220. But yeah there is no SPDIF passthrough to the video card they placed an integrated sound card on the graphics instead. Does your sound system require HDMI or something? Why not just use the SPDIF out of the sound card?

If you really really want your SPDIF audio from your PCI soundcard over HDMI you'd have to buy something like this http://www.buy.com/prod/dvi-audio-sp...208047492.html which is kind of a waste really.

onmikesline · 04-09-10, 04:44 PM

a pci sound card frees up cpu so there is a gain.

JasonPC · 04-10-10, 12:41 AM

We live in a time of quad cores and now six cores coming out. I think they are pretty capable of processing sound

Bad Company 2 has probably one of the more demanding sound processing out there and runs just fine on a quad core.

kneblasch · 04-10-10, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onmikesline

have you looked in to the new cards that nvidia/ati has to offer?

+1

my GTX 260 has an SPDIF out...

gorca · 04-10-10, 10:55 AM

Thanks for all the replays. Valuable information.

If I understood correctly (frenchy2k1 and JasonPC you seem to disagree here) there is no way a PCI sound card can send audio to graphics adapter that doesn't have a S/PDIF in connector, except maybe using devices like JasonPC mentioned.
If I want audio over HDMI, that is. That's exactly what I want, so I'll keep looking for the card with S/PDIF in.

kneblasch, what card do you have?
P.S. Checked out some ASUS GTX 260 models and none of them has native HDMI.

04-08-10, 06:33 PM	#1
gorca Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Serbia Posts: 5	GeForce 200 Series & HDMI audio & PCI sound card Apparently GT 220 and, as far as I know, all other models from 200 series don't have S/PDIF connectors on them as these video adapters have on-board audio processor that gets audio signal via PCI-E interface of the MB (motherboard) instead of S/PDIF connectors. I was was planning to buy GT 220 or some other video adapter from the series but I just discovered nVIDIA removed S/PDIF connector and am having second thoughts on this purchase option as I want to be able to use audio over HDMI feature. The thing is that I don't see how I can use audio over HDMI feature because, like many other people, am not using MB audio but rather a Creative Sound Blaster PCI sound card. There is no SPDIF connector on GT 220 and since my on-board audio processor is both faulty and disabled (as it would have to be disabled even if it was working) am at a loss here. Any thoughts? Did nVIDIA forget about all of the people who are using PCI sound cards or is there a way for audio over HDMI in this set-up?

04-08-10, 09:41 PM	#2
onmikesline Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: south florida Posts: 887	Re: GeForce 200 Series & HDMI audio & PCI sound card have you looked in to the new cards that nvidia/ati has to offer?

04-09-10, 11:45 AM	#4
frenchy2k1 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 446	Re: GeForce 200 Series & HDMI audio & PCI sound card There is no need for any audio on the motherboard for those to work. Audio processing has 2 big parts: - digital processing (the part with the computation and eventually all the fancy effects like 3D audio, EAX...) - analog signal conversion. If you use a card like the radeon HD4000+ or nvidia G200+, they just placed a digital signal processor on the card to process the 1st part on board and there is absolutely no need for the 2nd part, as HDMI signals are digital all the way. The processing is usually done with a realtek chip placed on the video card. So, no need to worry, it will work without any MB audio. It just adds a full sound card to your system typically, that can be chosen as output under windows. Since microsoft forced CPU audio calculation under Vista and 7, there is not much gain in a creative lab card anymore... __________________ As the universe is curved, there cannot be a straight answer...

04-09-10, 04:40 PM	#5
JasonPC Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2,103	Re: GeForce 200 Series & HDMI audio & PCI sound card I don't get what your concern is. If you're using a PCI sound card there is no need to worry about the onboard sound on the GT 220. But yeah there is no SPDIF passthrough to the video card they placed an integrated sound card on the graphics instead. Does your sound system require HDMI or something? Why not just use the SPDIF out of the sound card? If you really really want your SPDIF audio from your PCI soundcard over HDMI you'd have to buy something like this http://www.buy.com/prod/dvi-audio-sp...208047492.html which is kind of a waste really.

04-09-10, 04:44 PM	#6
onmikesline Registered User Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: south florida Posts: 887	Re: GeForce 200 Series & HDMI audio & PCI sound card a pci sound card frees up cpu so there is a gain.

04-10-10, 12:41 AM	#7
JasonPC Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2,103	Re: GeForce 200 Series & HDMI audio & PCI sound card We live in a time of quad cores and now six cores coming out. I think they are pretty capable of processing sound Bad Company 2 has probably one of the more demanding sound processing out there and runs just fine on a quad core.

04-10-10, 10:55 AM	#9
gorca Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Serbia Posts: 5	Re: GeForce 200 Series & HDMI audio & PCI sound card Thanks for all the replays. Valuable information. If I understood correctly (frenchy2k1 and JasonPC you seem to disagree here) there is no way a PCI sound card can send audio to graphics adapter that doesn't have a S/PDIF in connector, except maybe using devices like JasonPC mentioned. If I want audio over HDMI, that is. That's exactly what I want, so I'll keep looking for the card with S/PDIF in. kneblasch, what card do you have? P.S. Checked out some ASUS GTX 260 models and none of them has native HDMI.