Intel Stakes Its Vision of the PC Future with 775 Launch

New Audio: High Definition Audio

The last noteworthy feature on the next chipset generation is the audio subsystem. The AC97 standard has been around for years now with only inadequate improvements. Intel decided to bring the audio system forward in three directions by raising audio quality, offering valuable features and adding the Dolby certificate.

As most audio features, re-tasking needs to be implemented by the motherboard manufacturer. If it's done entirely, you can plug in your headset connector into any available stereo jack. Array microphones allow you to transfer 3D audio information. Example: If you're holding a VoIP phone conference with your dialog partner, he will be able to estimate the position in your room - provided that he has surround sound and also knows your location.

The First LGA 775 Motherboards

Abit AS8

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Abit AA8

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Albatron PX915G Pro

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Patrick Schmid
Editor-in-Chief (2005-2006)

Patrick Schmid was the editor-in-chief for Tom's Hardware from 2005 to 2006. He wrote numerous articles on a wide range of hardware topics, including storage, CPUs, and system builds.