No CD-ROM audio connector on Intel D975XBX motherboard

[Blackall]

I've run into a problem in building my first PC. I'm building a new system with an Intel D975XBX motherboard and despite checking the specs for the motherboard, thoroughly I thought, I now find that it has no connector for connecting audio from a CD_ROM. How do I get sound from my CDs/DVDs? Do I need a sound card and, if so, will the sound card interfer with the 8-channel subsystem on the motherboard?

 

[Pain]

If I'm not mistaken, most machines use digital audio now. In device manager/CD there is an option to enable digital CD audio.

 

[weskurtz81]

Your drives should automatically transfer the sound over the bus.... I have only used those cables in one system... and that was about 5 years ago.... you don't need them anymore.

 

[Dahak]

the sound is sent through the ata cables now as digital sound becomes the industry standard.no need for the audio connectors to the mainboard anymore.pretty neet eh.have fun.

EVGA NFORCE4-SLI READY MAINBOARD
AMDX24400+DUALCORE@2.3GHZ.
520WATT PSU
7800GT VIDEO CARD 256/256BIT
WD 300GIGHD

 

[Blackall]

Your drives should automatically transfer the sound over the bus.... I have only used those cables in one system... and that was about 5 years ago.... you don't need them anymore.

My apology for being a little dense, but does the audio (digital) get to the motherboard via the ATA-66/100 cable connecting the optical drive (Pioneer DVR-A11XL ) to the motherboard?

 

[Pain]

Yes.

There are a few rare cases where the audio cable might be needed. I just saw somewhere where a person couldn't hear CD audio from an old game, but attaching the audio cable fixed it. Perhaps they didn't have the digital audio enabled in device manager though. :?: