The MSI 790X-G45 motherboard uses the AMD 790X North Bridge and AMD SB710 South Bridge chipsets. It supports the Phenom II, Athlon II, and Sempron 100 Series Socket AM3 processors. It has four DDR3 RAM slots and has onboard audio and Ethernet. There are a couple of things that may cause problems with the integrated audio which may be remedied in the BIOS or with software. Of course, there is always the possibility that the audio portion of the motherboard is bad.
Integrated Audio
The G45 motherboard uses the VIA VT1826S integrated audio chip, which provides 8-channel audio. All modern motherboards are equipped with integrated audio. This saves the user the expense of having to install an add-on sound card.
BIOS Audio Control
The integrated audio function on the G45 can be turned on and off in the BIOS. Sometimes, a user desires higher quality audio by way of an add-on sound card which would be installed in either a PCI or PCI-E slot. If an add-on card has been previously installed, the integrated audio is possibly disabled. To check this, turn on the computer and when prompted, press "Delete" to enter the BIOS. Use the arrow keys to navigate to "Integrated Peripherals," press "Enter." Navigate to "HD Audio Controller." It should say "Enabled." If not, press the "+" key to change it to "Enabled." Press "Esc" twice to move to the exit screen. Press "Enter" to save the changes and exit.
Audio Drivers
Even if your integrated audio is enabled in the BIOS, it will not work without the drivers. If you have the motherboard installation disc, insert the disc in your DVD drive. Locate the audio driver and follow the prompts to install it. If you do not have the disc, you can download and install the driver from the MSI website.
Input and Output
Make sure you are plugging your speakers into the right jack. The "Line-out" jack is the yellow one, in the middle row. The microphone jack is the one below it. The G45 has six jacks, so it's important to be sure your are using the right ones.
Using an Add-On Card
There is always the possibility that the integrated audio chip is bad. Your only alternative would be to purchase an add-on sound card. There are many cards available, ranging in price from about $20 to more than $100. An add-on card will come with easy-to-follow installation instructions and a driver disc. It may even come with some nice sound enhancement and recording utilities. If you do resort to an add-on card, be sure to disable the audio in the BIOS.
Tags: integrated audio, add-on sound, add-on sound card, integrated audio, sound card, add-on card