SPDIF audio out question and also Motherboard BIOS question

[monel]

Can any kind souls help me with these problems?

1: My motherboard seems to support SPFIF audio, I guessed this by looking at the configuration / settings for my onboard sound.

There isn't an SPDIF output at the back of the PC, though.

So I dug out the manual and it states, along with a diagram:

'SPDIFO:

SPDIF out header

this is an optional header that provides an S/PDIF output to digital multimedia device through optical fiber or coaxial connector.'


Question : Is this of no particular use as it hasn't been wired up?


2:

Every time I boot up my HD's are recognised as IDE, even though they're SataII, they appear as Sata drives in Windows, I'm referring to the boot up screen.

I keep having slow disc access times, so my question is should I manually change the BIOS settings rather than have them on AUTO recognise the drives? There are a lot of options the BIOS gives and the drives seem to support all of them so I'm very confused.


I aplologise for the very basic questions, I don't know much about hardware at all and would really appreciate any help with this.

[briareos_kerensky]

Question 1: if there's an header on the motherboard you'll need an expansion port to use it. Try to browse in your mobo's box, it's strange that a manufacturer won't include such port with the motherboard itself.

Question 2: because they are set as IDE Legacy in the BIOS. You can set them to AHCI, but depending on the hardware and OS used, the OS might not boot up and you might need to manually install AHCI drivers; it's not particularly difficult but you need to know what you're going to install. Vista and Win7 should be able to transition between IDE Legacy and AHCI without problems, but I've never tried myself.

[smouty]

I'd imagine it would be similar to adding an optical out to an xbox - http://www.xbox-scene.com/articles/digital-output.php
You can rescue a connector from an old DVD player etc from the 'recyling' centre.

[monel]

Thanks for the replies, guys. 1: Will try, thanks. Just so many options under drives in the BIOS. 2: Eeeek- soldering is involved?

[briareos_kerensky]

Get your mobo's model and go to the manufacturer's website to download the latest manual if the your current one doesn't have a chapter dedicated to the BIOS.
Soldering is not involved. You can connect the SPDIF out in three ways: expansion bracket on the rear of the computer, digital out on your case (if it has one) or via a front panel with the right audio outputs.
Connecting the header to one of the three things above is done in the same way USB ports, reset/power buttons, HDD activity LEDs and other things on the front of the case are connected to the headers on the motherboard.

[monel]

OK, thanks again.

My current manual does have a bios section but the actual bios throws up a lot of different data settings that the hard drives seem to support. My problem is not knowing which one is the best if I ignore the auto option.