Help with hooking up audio with the following combination

SirFelixCat

Senior member
Nov 24, 2005
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Now, this is probably a simple question and I'm sure I'm just missing something simple here, so forgive the "noob" question:

This is my first custom rig in which I'm using anything but onboard sound. That being said, I'm trying to figure out how to hook up all the sound inputs from my case (Gigabyte 3D Aurora), DVD-RW's (2 of them) and also with my eVGA 680i mobo and a X-Fi XtremeGamer sound card.

I could hook the case audio up to the mobo or to the "front panel" port on the X-Fi. Which do I choose? Also the 4 pin connector for the case "speaker" hooks up where? And lastly, where do I run the audio from the DVD-RW's to?

Again, sorry for the seemingly simple questions and I appreciate any and all help, as usual, folks :)
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
31,516
167
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In no specific order:

1) You don't need to hook the DVD-RW's up to anything other than power and IDE, the old audio connections are no longer used.
2) Speaker plugs in to the front panel header on the mobo, it's for making beeps when the computer encounters an error
3) For the X-Fi, this will take a bit of a description.

I'm assuming your X-Fi is one of the models that still uses the older style Creative plugs as referenced on this site. The short and long answer is that the large block of pins for a front panel connector is composed of all digital signals, as the Creative front panel bays all have DAC/ADCs in them. The second, smaller connector is a custom size that is too small for normal pins to work, so you can't use that either without an adapter.

In short, you won't be able to hook up your case's audio features to your X-Fi, so they're going to have to go unused.
 

SirFelixCat

Senior member
Nov 24, 2005
564
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0
Originally posted by: ViRGE
In no specific order:

1) You don't need to hook the DVD-RW's up to anything other than power and IDE, the old audio connections are no longer used.
2) Speaker plugs in to the front panel header on the mobo, it's for making beeps when the computer encounters an error
3) For the X-Fi, this will take a bit of a description.

I'm assuming your X-Fi is one of the models that still uses the older style Creative plugs as referenced on this site. The short and long answer is that the large block of pins for a front panel connector is composed of all digital signals, as the Creative front panel bays all have DAC/ADCs in them. The second, smaller connector is a custom size that is too small for normal pins to work, so you can't use that either without an adapter.

In short, you won't be able to hook up your case's audio features to your X-Fi, so they're going to have to go unused.

ViRGE, many MANY thanks.

It's kinda funny...this is now my 3rd custom build in a year and I had NO idea about the DVD-RW's not using the audio connections anymore. Now I feel dumb, heh. As for the X-Fi connector, actually, is not like the link...it's made to fit the case audio. In that case, it will work to put it on there, as opposed to on the mobo, I'm assuming?

Regardless, thanks a TON for clearing that up for me. I'll be posting pics to the new rig shortly, if you're interested.
 

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
31,516
167
106
Originally posted by: SirFelixCat
Originally posted by: ViRGE
In no specific order:

1) You don't need to hook the DVD-RW's up to anything other than power and IDE, the old audio connections are no longer used.
2) Speaker plugs in to the front panel header on the mobo, it's for making beeps when the computer encounters an error
3) For the X-Fi, this will take a bit of a description.

I'm assuming your X-Fi is one of the models that still uses the older style Creative plugs as referenced on this site. The short and long answer is that the large block of pins for a front panel connector is composed of all digital signals, as the Creative front panel bays all have DAC/ADCs in them. The second, smaller connector is a custom size that is too small for normal pins to work, so you can't use that either without an adapter.

In short, you won't be able to hook up your case's audio features to your X-Fi, so they're going to have to go unused.

ViRGE, many MANY thanks.

It's kinda funny...this is now my 3rd custom build in a year and I had NO idea about the DVD-RW's not using the audio connections anymore. Now I feel dumb, heh. As for the X-Fi connector, actually, is not like the link...it's made to fit the case audio. In that case, it will work to put it on there, as opposed to on the mobo, I'm assuming?

Regardless, thanks a TON for clearing that up for me. I'll be posting pics to the new rig shortly, if you're interested.
Humm, Creative's site indeed shows a different card, I had thought the XtremeGamer was just a rebadged XtremeMusic but clearly it's not. The specs are clear on this matter, it has a header built to the Intel HD Audio specification, so as long as you know the pinout for such a header you should be good.