GPU question (HDMI and sound?)

2009-11-17 09:22:05

#1

Benzin: Member; +576|6258

OK, I know HDMI carries sound and DVI does not. My question is this:

If I get a GPU that has an HDMI output port on it, do they typically have a sound input somewhere on the card itself (never seen one on the backplate)? Just curious about this for when I do my build if this is something I can look for when buying a GPU. I'd like to be able to hook it up to the TV on the other side of the wall and it'd be nice if I only needed to use a single cable.

2009-11-17 09:24:30

#2

mtb0minime: minimember; +2,418|6914

I've used a DVI->HDMI adapter and it was able to carry sound as well, so you don't necessarily need an HDMI output port (though those are becoming common nowadays anyway). I'm not completely sure about what you're asking or needing, though. The HDMI will output any sound that comes out of your computer.

2009-11-17 09:39:10

#3

__M@ver1ck__: Member; +2|5549

I run an Nvidia GTX295, which has an HDMI output. The card has a tiny wire included and a port on the back the wire goes from SPDIF on the sound card to the SPDIF port on the GPU, the HDMI then carries the sound to whatever you plug it into. If i get a chance ill snap an Iphone pic of it tonight.

I will say though - i run a 46 inch Sony Bravia X series in the lounge within a gazillion inputs, and i lugged the PC downstairs to see what halflife 2 would look like on that. It was an absolute pain in the arse to achieve, and in the end i gave up. You need to tell the GPU (in my GTX295's case at least) to send the output via HDMI, and to do this you need to be able to see the screen (so youll either need a second monitor handy or another DVI connection into the TV) then obviously when you change it to HDMI the DVI enabled screen gives up. you then have to fanny around with the HDMI screen. Id probably had more beer than was technically necessary that night, but it didnt go well.

Hope this helps,

R.

2009-11-17 09:46:16

#4

mtb0minime: minimember; +2,418|6914

I would go with an ATi card, then. I've had no problems hooking up my PC to an HDTV, no extra monitors or configurations needed. Picked it up right away.

2009-11-17 11:20:52

#5

max: Vela Incident; +1,652|6827|NYC / Hamburg

NV cards need a internal cable that connects to the soundcard, ATI doesn't. Once set-up, both systems work equally well.

It's true that setting up a GTX295 is a huge pain. [fah whore]Activating each GPU on my 2x GTX295 took ages. When I connected a HDMI dummy plug to the second card, I got no display output whatsoever. Then after a couple of driver installs it magically worked. Why can't windows be more like linux for installing GPUs. nvidia-xconfig --enable-all-gpus and you're done [/fah whore]

_{once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.}

2009-11-17 11:50:03

#6

Benzin: Member; +576|6258

So let me get this straight ...

The GPU receives a sound input (in the case of an ATI card) via the PCI x16 bus? I won't have a sound card, I'm going to be forced to use onboard sound on the mobo for a little while (shouldn't be too horrible for the first 6 months), so I don't know if that makes a difference.

Then because the card gets sound input through the PCI bus, I only need to hook up the HDMI cord into my HDTV (only 1.5m away in cord length) and then everything works perfectly? Would DVI work, too? I have a DVI input on my TV, and the two HDMI ports are already being used by my DVD player and DVR, so if it's true the DVI will carry sound (I didn't know they did that, if this is true), I can just substitute the HDMI for DVI?

Let me know if I've understood everything correctly...

EDIT: I'll be getting a 5850, btw, unless Nvidia gives me a great price/performance reason not to by the time March/April roll around...

Last edited by CapnNismo (2009-11-17 11:50:47)

2009-11-17 11:51:20

#7

mtb0minime: minimember; +2,418|6914

No, DVI will not carry sound. It's just that when I had an adapter on my card that took the DVI out and made it HDMI out, it did carry sound.

2009-11-17 11:55:18

#8

Benzin: Member; +576|6258

mtb0minime wrote:
No, DVI will not carry sound. It's just that when I had an adapter on my card that took the DVI out and made it HDMI out, it did carry sound.

Ah, OK. Hm, that's interesting. All you did was convert the DVI port on the card to an HDMI with a tiny adapter and THEN it carried sound? Very odd.

I'll probably end up just making sure I get a card with an HDMI port on it already, most of them seem to. But again - in the case of the ATI card, will the HDMI port on it carry sound via the PCI bus and whatnot without any extra connectors???

2009-11-17 11:58:09

#9

mtb0minime: minimember; +2,418|6914

It should. I'm 99% sure. (Dunno why it wouldn't).

2009-11-17 13:48:10

#10

jaymz9350: Member; +54|6837

CapnNismo wrote:
So let me get this straight ...

The GPU receives a sound input (in the case of an ATI card) via the PCI x16 bus? I won't have a sound card, I'm going to be forced to use onboard sound on the mobo for a little while (shouldn't be too horrible for the first 6 months), so I don't know if that makes a difference.

I'm pretty sure the ATI cards have there own onboard sound processor, that's how they do it with out extra connections.

2009-11-17 13:56:56

#11

Benzin: Member; +576|6258

OK, lots of speculation here ... anyone got a solid answer?

2009-11-17 15:30:50

#12

mtb0minime: minimember; +2,418|6914

Could always just go for it and if it doesn't work, return it. Better yet, e-mail customer service or tech support and tell them you're interested but have a few questions.

2009-11-17 16:41:31

#13

CommieChipmunk: Member; +488|6830|Portland, OR, USA

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageGall … deo%20Card

Look at the last picture, the thin little black cable near the top left of the graphics card connects from the gpu to the sound card, and the gpu comes with a DVI to HDMI converter. I had the card for a while but ended up taking it back and never got a chance to see if it carried sound... but I don't know why it would come with that cable if it didn't?

2009-11-17 17:53:36

#14

_j5689_: Dreads & Bergers; +364|6977|Riva, MD

Anyone know where to connect those nVidia pins by chance on an X-Fi Titanium? I know it goes on one of the SPDIF pins but I'm not sure which two and I spent like an hour googling it to no avail. There's like one person that said he found it but the diagram is missing from all of his posts if he ever posted one at all.

2009-11-17 20:56:50

#15

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6861|132 and Bush

mtb0minime wrote:
I've used a DVI->HDMI adapter and it was able to carry sound as well, so you don't necessarily need an HDMI output port (though those are becoming common nowadays anyway). I'm not completely sure about what you're asking or needing, though. The HDMI will output any sound that comes out of your computer.

I have to switch mine to digital out but it works fine.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-11-17 20:59:39

#16

jsnipy: ...; +3,277|6782|...

_j5689_ wrote:
Anyone know where to connect those nVidia pins by chance on an X-Fi Titanium? I know it goes on one of the SPDIF pins but I'm not sure which two and I spent like an hour googling it to no avail. There's like one person that said he found it but the diagram is missing from all of his posts if he ever posted one at all.

lol looking for the same thing, just been putting it off

2009-11-17 21:05:05

#17

max: Vela Incident; +1,652|6827|NYC / Hamburg

tbh I don't see the need for a HTPC to output sound via the HDMI cable. Just run a RCA or optical cable from the mobo to your amp and be done with it

_{once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.}

2009-11-17 21:11:08

#18

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6861|132 and Bush

max wrote:
tbh I don't see the need for a HTPC to output sound via the HDMI cable. Just run a RCA or optical cable from the mobo to your amp and be done with it

Yea, this is what i do also... well, I actually I just run the hdmi into the back of my receiver.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-11-17 21:48:26

#19

GR34: Member; +215|6805|ALBERTA> CANADA

I never could get the Audio to come out the HDMI of my 4870

2009-11-17 23:03:01

#20

Benzin: Member; +576|6258

max wrote:
tbh I don't see the need for a HTPC to output sound via the HDMI cable. Just run a RCA or optical cable from the mobo to your amp and be done with it

Except I don't have that equipment. I have a DVR, DVD player and a TV... this isn't going to be an HTPC, either. Just whenever I download my Top Gear episodes in HD, it would be nice to watch them on an HDTV.

Last edited by CapnNismo (2009-11-17 23:03:11)

2009-11-17 23:10:33

#21

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6861|132 and Bush

CapnNismo wrote:
max wrote:
tbh I don't see the need for a HTPC to output sound via the HDMI cable. Just run a RCA or optical cable from the mobo to your amp and be done with it
Except I don't have that equipment. I have a DVR, DVD player and a TV... this isn't going to be an HTPC, either. Just whenever I download my Top Gear episodes in HD, it would be nice to watch them on an HDTV.

Can you use a standard headphone jack to RCA? I've done that a few times when I havent used my receiver.

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Audio-Cabl … B00004Z5CP

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-11-17 23:30:29

#22

Benzin: Member; +576|6258

Wii is using the RCA ports, lol. But I have a PC audio in port on the back of the TV. I'm using that right now with my laptop and a VGA cable. But again, doing all that with ONE cable would be nicer than having TWO cables. Besides, any card I buy will only have two DVIs and an HDMI and zero VGA. Looking at the XFX 5850. So one DVI port for the monitor and the other for the HDTV and then whenever I need to, a 3.5mm cable between the rig and the TV.

Again, I'd like to avoid a two cable set up if possible...

2009-11-17 23:35:38

#23

Kmar: Truth is my Bitch; +5,695|6861|132 and Bush

I agree. I was just looking for a work around for you. My hdmi cable does play my laptop audio straight to my TV as well.

Xbone Stormsurgezz

2009-11-17 23:43:50

#24

jsnipy: ...; +3,277|6782|...

max wrote:
tbh I don't see the need for a HTPC to output sound via the HDMI cable. Just run a RCA or optical cable from the mobo to your amp and be done with it

its just convenient

2009-11-17 23:48:15

#25

Benzin: Member; +576|6258

http://forums.amd.com/game/messageview. … did=119800

Question answered.

Unless Nvidia can do this as well and keep it all centralized with their new cards, I am going to be getting the 5850. SWEET!!!

BF2S Forums GPU question (HDMI and sound?)

mtb0minime wrote:

CapnNismo wrote:

mtb0minime wrote:

_j5689_ wrote:

max wrote:

max wrote:

CapnNismo wrote:

max wrote:

max wrote:

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