I looked at the more detailed specs, and here we have:
3 x audio jacks
2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
You can change the functionality of an audio jack using the audio software. To configure 7.1-channel audio, access the audio software for audio settings.
If using 2-pole aux jacks, those 3 back panel female connectors only provide 6 independent channels. If the case has a front panel connector, you can push that to 8 channels.
The only way you’re squeezing 7.1 analog out of that is if you use the front panel as LR, use two of the three back panel ones as surround, and share center with the sub between the last remaining connector. But, that’s assuming that two of those back connectors aren’t for mic or line in.
Maybe you could squeeze digital output through those jacks, but then you’d need a compatible receiver. Either way, stupid design for such an expensive motherboard.
who is going to put a ryzen apu in a topend mobo??
That’s disappointing, as one of the advantages of SPDIF is no ground loops between the PC and the receiver/amp. Maybe that’s not really as much of a problem now, but it solved that for me years ago and I’ve used it ever since.
Then again, I don’t have a surround setup, simple stereo is good enough.
I still have a sound card, because I have a stupid sound bar that works great except it only takes optical audio input.
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Surprisingly, it’s not even on some high-end boards.
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/X670-AORUS-ELITE-AX-rev-10-12/
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Oh that is hilariously scummy. It’s probably 7.1 through HDMI…
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I looked at the more detailed specs, and here we have:
If using 2-pole aux jacks, those 3 back panel female connectors only provide 6 independent channels. If the case has a front panel connector, you can push that to 8 channels.
The only way you’re squeezing 7.1 analog out of that is if you use the front panel as LR, use two of the three back panel ones as surround, and share center with the sub between the last remaining connector. But, that’s assuming that two of those back connectors aren’t for mic or line in.
Maybe you could squeeze digital output through those jacks, but then you’d need a compatible receiver. Either way, stupid design for such an expensive motherboard.
The Ryzen 9 7950X has integrated graphics, but if someone is willing to dump that much on a processor, they’re probably buying a GPU with it.
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I think SPDIF is being phased out because it needs to use compression to do surround sound.
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That’s disappointing, as one of the advantages of SPDIF is no ground loops between the PC and the receiver/amp. Maybe that’s not really as much of a problem now, but it solved that for me years ago and I’ve used it ever since.
Then again, I don’t have a surround setup, simple stereo is good enough.