Sound

for the most part, the easiest way to accomplish this would be HDMI/DVI for video directly into the moniter, and Optical Digital to a soundcard (or onboard sound if accepted)*.

*NVIDIA soundcards can take a HDMI connection (via adaptor in some cases), and if the mobo supports an internal SPDIF connection, you can use that to handle video. Some ATI cards can take a HDMI signal, and do the same (an ATI owner would have to explain the specifics to you though).

Please note, Optical connections limit you to 2 channel audio, or 5.1 using Dolby Digital/DTS (which you need a decoder to use, and most sound cards don't come with one). HDMI can carry 7.1 nativly though.**

**If you use the NVIDIA method described above, this won't apply, due to the internal SPDIF connection. Again, and ATI owner would have to comment on weather the above method would work for 7.1 audio.