How to tell if Motherboard supports HD audio or AC97?

[habibrobert]

Hello,

Up until now I've only been using my computer's back panel audio connections. Ive decided to try and connect the front panel audio wires into the motherboard and see if I can use those instead.

I'm using an MSI P45-C53 motherboard in an Antec case. The case has two types of audio connections, which I took a picture of. There is one connecter that is the form of a block (for lack of a better word), and the other one is little individual pin connectors which are directly attached to the block audio connector. The block audio connector doesn't have anything labeled, but the individual connectors are labeled Mic, Mic bias etc... which makes me think it is a PC97 connector.

Now my motherboard's manual shows that there is only one location for the audio ports- a 10 pin heading... It does not mention whether or not if it accept an HD audio connection or a PC97 connection. When I look at the connections from the motherboard wire, I count 7 wires, not 10, so I'm wondering why that is? When I plug in the block connector to the motherboard, I do not get any sound coming through the front panel, so I'm starting to get really confused, can anyone clear things up for me?

Sorry for the long message!

Many Thanks!

 

[txus.palacios]

Usually, whether it supports 5.1/7.1/9.1 or not is a great way of telling if its HDA or AC97. Surround cards are usually Azalia-HDA.

Most contemporary boards are Azalia-HDA, if not all.

You can also tell if there are two jumpers on the motherboard header. Those two jumpers are used by the AC'97 spec to feed the audio signal back to the motherboard I/O plate. Azalia/HDA solved that.

 

[txus.palacios]

Usually, whether it supports 5.1/7.1/9.1 or not is a great way of telling if its HDA or AC97. Surround cards are usually Azalia-HDA.

Most contemporary boards are Azalia-HDA, if not all.

You can also tell if there are two jumpers on the motherboard header. Those two jumpers are used by the AC'97 spec to feed the audio signal back to the motherboard I/O plate. Azalia/HDA solved that.

 

[habibrobert]

I just found a manual of my computer case and I put it together with the motherboard's manual, and I see that the mother board as Left and Right inputs for the microphone, where as the case has just one mic input, so question is, where does the one "mic" input go? does it go into the left or right mic input? Can I even use these connections with this specific motherboard? I've included some images.

Many Thanks

 

[txus.palacios]

Your board is a HDA board, and the MIC, MIC-BIAS and so on are AC97. Use the block connector, it should be Azalia-compatible.

 

[habibrobert]

Hello txus.palacios,

Thanks for the help. I have been plugging in the block connector, but I have not gotten any audio feed through the front panel. Any ideas what could be wrong?

Many Thanks

 

[Zuzzz]

Try changing in the BIOS the setting referring the front panel mode to AC97. HDA is digital (I think)

Z