How to get SPDIF from motherboard?

[samal90]

Hi,

I just got a THX compatible ASRock 970 extreme 4 board. It has co-axial and toslink out in its I/O panel. I found the SPDIF connector on the board but there is no cable to connect it or to what???

How can I connect this?

thanks

 

[zhihao50]

umm do you need SPDIF for any particular reason?
Not aware any motherboard does come with that cable cause hardly anyone uses it.

 

[samal90]

i want to connect my computer with toslink to my Z5500 logitech speaker set. I can't use the SPDIF without that cable. One end goes to motherboard connector....but where does the second end go????

 

[jaquith]

Huh?!

ASRock 970 extreme 4
Rear I/O:
- 1 x Coaxial SPDIF Out Port
- 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
left to right on bottom: 1. PS/2, Coaxial, and Optical...

Z-5500 - http://logitech-en-amr.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2927/related/1
Optical ; manual - http://www.logitech.com/repository/1411/pdf/13098.1.0.pdf

 

[samal90]

i know where they are thanks for the help. But you can't use them unless you connect these ports to the motherboard right? Where would they get their power from otherwise?

I just read that the SPDIF connector on the board needs to be connected to the VGA card.
Unless these I/O ports are powered by the board itself and the other ones are just for VGA card if it has SPDIF on its slot.

 

[jaquith]

The Optical SPDIF is (laser) there's no power, the laser is powered off the 24-pin MOBO main, and you need a 'Toslink' cable -> e.g. cheaper 6' http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882203119

The SPDIF doesn't need to be connected to the GPU, however IF you use an HDMI (video & audio) connector then you'd need to loop back an 'audio' connection to the Z-5500. So use an DVI -> Monitor and Optical MOBO -> Z-5500.

Otherwise is the 3mm connections, right, (1x3) and (1x3) as shown above; Front/Rear/Center. The quality of the speakers you'd never hear the difference.

 

[samal90]

thanks a lot for the help. I thought the optical out from the panel would not work if its not connected to VGA...

thanks again

 

[jaquith]

You also need to change the Audio output in the Control Panel.

Example: