# How the heck-fire do I change to my motherboard's sound output? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164 "2009-03-20T14:40:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164/1 "2009-03-20T14:40:01Z")
Sorry for all the computer questions lately guys; I’m fairly clueless when it comes to hardware and I can’t find anything on google. I have a soundcard and [my motherboard](http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=ALiveNF4G-DVI) has audio capability (and headphone jacks in the back), but I can’t hear anything from them. How can I change from my sound card to my motherboard’s sound output? I’ve looked in Sounds and Audio devices but it only has the one listed; I can’t change to anything. The reason being, the jack on my sound card has broken (so everything sounds somewhat garbled) and I don’t really fancy forking out for a new one if it can be helped. DXDiag says my sound card is an “SB Live! Wave Device”. I’m running XP, SP3. ---
**Author:** ![Stathol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71e660/32.png) [@Stathol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stathol)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164/2 "2009-03-20T15:24:01Z")
You need to enable the on-board sound device from the BIOS setup program. Specific instructions will vary from one motherboard to another. In most cases, you access the BIOS setup by hitting Del during system POST (i.e. before the OS begins to load), but some of the major OEMs (Dell, etc.) like to reassign this to F2 for some damn reason. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like 95% of the machines I build these days have Phoenix/Award BIOS. If that’s the case, try looking under the “Integrated Peripherals” heading, or possibly “Advanced Chipset Features”. If you don’t have a motherboard that uses an Award BIOS chip, you’re kind of on your own. You’ll just have to poke around until you find the option to enable the on-board sound. While you’re at it, you may want to yank your SB Live! so that you don’t have to deal with two different sound devices at once. You can certainly do that, but it’s kind of confusing. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164/3 "2009-03-20T15:27:43Z")
In addition to making sure it’s enabled in BIOS, you need to remove the add-on sound card and check/install the motherboard sound chip drivers. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164/4 "2009-03-20T15:28:05Z")
Just dumb your sound card. You should anyway if you aren’t going to use it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164/5 "2009-03-20T15:53:27Z")
Thanks for the help - I’m a little reticent about poking around in the BIOS again, but I’ll have a looksie. Ta! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164/6 "2009-03-20T15:56:01Z")
\*Dump, not dumb. Though you may want to do that as well 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164/7 "2009-03-21T19:24:18Z")
Good news: it worked! Enabled it in the BIOS then downloaded the driver for it, works fine. I’ve still got the old one in; is it absolutely necessary to take out the old sound card? I ask because it would leave an unsightly hole in the back of the computer. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164/8 "2009-03-21T23:22:35Z")
Not if it works with it in. Usually installing an add-in card disables the onboard sound. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-heck-fire-do-i-change-to-my-motherboards-sound-output/490164/9 "2009-03-21T23:52:49Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Good news: it worked! Enabled it in the BIOS then downloaded the driver for it, works fine. > > I’ve still got the old one in; is it absolutely necessary to take out the old sound card? I ask because it would leave an unsightly hole in the back of the computer. If unused I’d definitely pull it. Less potential complication & hardware issues re playing or recording sounds and what inputs and outputs need to be addressed by the system.