GIGABYTE GA-X58A-OC: How to enable 5.1 audio ?

[silversnake]

Hello,

I must admit I'm a bit baffled by this issue.

My board says it supports 5.1 as well as 7.1 but for 7.1 you need a front panel to enable it but doesn't specify anything for the 5.1. I only have 3 audio plugs in the back, and 1 is for the microphone so I'm wondering how am I supposed to get 5.1 audio sound from my mobo. These are the speakers I have http://www.loa.com.vn/image/speaker/z5300/logitech%20z5300.htmland there are 3 plugs that I need to connect (1 for stereo, 1 for surround, 1 for bass) and have no idea how to achieve this.

Here is my board and you can see from the pictures all my plugs in the back.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-128-497&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=audio&Page=1#scrollFullInfo

I have already submitted a ticket for this last week but I haven't heard back from Gigabyte since so I figured I would try my luck here. I have also tried to search with certain criteria but haven't found anything. If there is a thread that has already been started or even resolved, please point me in the right direction and I apologize for the duplicate.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide.

-Nick

[teknology9]

Hi Silversnake and welcome to the forum.

If you have a look on page 104 of your motherboard manual it explains how to retask the speakers to give you your chosen speaker configuration.

Hope this helps

UPDATE

You may not be able to have 5.1 but only 4 channel sound, I have just looked at the manual for the Z5500 and it states this, could not find the Z5300 on the Logitech website. You could buy a soundcard which would then give you the set up you require and all three jacks would plug into there corresponding sockets.

Teknology9

[silversnake]

Teknolog9,

Thank you for the welcome and quick help, really appreciate it.

I do have a soundcard (that I have no installed yet) but I am running my video cards in SLI and there is not much room to put another video card. I could put one, but it would directly underneath the fan of my video card and my concern is that there will not be enough room for the cards to breathe which is why I wanted it to work with just the motherboard.

[teknology9]

Hi Silversnake,

Yes, I understand what you are saying......the alternative is to have 4 channel sound in that case. It's a good MB you have got but if you had more than 3 near sockets for audio it would be easier......but I suppose it is a dedicated OC motherboard......so you may have to make a bit of a sacrifice if you want to keep your SLI configuration.

Well that is my take on the matter silversnake and I hope you find a solution.

teknology9

[silversnake]

Teknology9,

I followed your advice and looked at the motherboard information. I didn't install the additional software for the HD audio manager which is why I couldn't change it to 5.1 speaker configuration. Once I installed it I was able to plug it in normally.

 As you suspected, I am not able to hear my rear speakers and only 4 channels but that is better than I originally had it. I'm going to do a bit more research but if not this is already a good solution.

Thanks!

[teknology9]

Hi Silversnake,

Your welcome....glad it helped.

UPDATE

Reading page 104 onwards of your manual it states:

The motherboard provides three audio jacks on the back panel which support 2/4/5.1/7.1 (Note)-channel audio. The picture to the right shows the default audio jack assignments.

This being the case would suggest that these are the default jacks.

It later states:

The integrated HD (High Definition) audio provides jack retasking capability that allows the user to change the function for each jack through the audio driver.

Therefore you may be able to plug into the 3 jacks and change the retasking......as it reads you should be able to retask the pink jack through Realtek  HD Audio Manager, by right clicking on the jack, as it does support 5.1 audio.


Teknology9