What sound card do I have? Sound card diagnostics
First, how to find out which sound card is on your computer using the operating system itself. In Windows 7/8: in the “Start” menu, open “Control Panel” → “System and Security” → “System” (or press the Win+PauseBreak key combination, or right-click on the “Computer” icon on the desktop, then "Properties") . Here in the left panel there will be an item “Device Manager” - left click on it: a device manager window will open, where, among other things, there is a line “Sound, video and game devices” - left click on it. Audio devices can be recognized by the word "Audio" that usually appears in their name. Not every sound device is a sound card, so it is better to rewrite all the device names in this section and use them to search for drivers on the Internet, if that is the task. Usually this is still the very top line on this list.
Of course, the easiest way to identify a sound card is to look in the documentation for your computer. In modern computers, the sound card is usually built into the motherboard, so you need to look there. Also, many companies that sell computers describe in detail the parts included in the computer on the receipt itself. In the latter case, you need to search in the line “Motherboard”; the word “Audio” usually appears in the name of the component. Another “hard” way is to open the system unit and look. But there are two difficulties here: firstly, many companies that sell computers seal the system unit, and if the seal is broken, they refuse further warranty service. Secondly, if the sound card is plug-in, then without special knowledge you can still find it yourself, but with a built-in one this is already problematic.
More accurate ways to find out the sound card on a computer require installing special software. Most of these programs are paid, but there are also a few free ones. For example, you can use DirectX, a free software package from Microsoft: it is necessary for most multimedia applications, especially games. Its installer can be found on any game disc or downloaded directly from the company’s website: http: //www. microsoft. com/ru-ru/download/details. aspx? id=35 - then in the "Start" menu select "Run..." and enter "Dxdiag" - the DirectX hardware check will start and the diagnostic window will appear. On the “Sound” tab, the first line will display the name of the sound device (in brackets). And the last way is using the paid program Everest (Ultimate or Corporation Edition). After installation, you need to launch it, in the program window follow “Computer” → “Summary information”. In the “Multimedia” section, find the “Sound Adapter” item - this is the name of the sound card.
PC users very rarely pay attention to such a component as a sound card. Perhaps with the exception of those who are involved in sound recordings, creating musical compositions, etc. In general, all those whose hobbies or work involve sounds.
Why do you need to know what sound card you have? For example, so that you can find and download a driver for it or buy an identical one in case of its breakdown (failure). All information about the equipment that is installed on your PC can be found in the Device Manager, so there we will find out the model of your sound card.
Open the Start menu, find Control Panel and click on it. As an alternative, you can use the search bar in the Start menu and enter the desired “Control Panel” into it. Usually the first search result will be the panel we need.
Next, we find the aforementioned “Device Manager”, in which we will find all the necessary information about the equipment and its drivers. Let's click on it.
In the window that opens, find the “Sound, video and gaming devices” section and double-click on it with the left mouse button. More subsections will open, the number of which depends on the configuration of your PC.
In the image with an arrow, I showed that “AMD High Definition Audio Device” is used as the sound card on my laptop. Accordingly, the sound card is manufactured by AMD (Advanced Micro Devices).
Now, to find out more detailed information about your sound card, you need to use the Everest program or any other similar software. In Everest, in the “Multimedia” section we find the “HD Audio” subsection. Here you will find all the detailed information about your sound card (device description, device ID, bus type, version, etc.).
In similar ways, you can obtain any other information about the sound devices that are installed on your computer, and accordingly you can easily replace them or install the necessary drivers.
Very often, owners of a personal or laptop computer are faced with the task of identifying their sound card. Indeed, the times are long gone when the only mass-produced audio adapter that became truly popular was the “Sound Blaster” and its modifications “Pro”, “32”, etc.
Nowadays, embedded solutions reign in computing systems. You can argue for a long time about where the sound is better: integrated or discrete cards. However, the proliferation of laptops and similar portable solutions has led to the fact that a chip soldered on a board is the most optimal option in terms of ergonomics and power consumption. Why then does the question arise: “How to find out your sound card?” - if there is a standard? Alas, despite the small number of sound solution manufacturers, each of them has a whole line of models. Each of them has its own characteristics, its own driver. It's no surprise that it's so important to figure out how to recognize your sound card. So let's get started...
Studying the specifics
One of the easiest ways to find out your sound card is to study the packaging and the manufacturer's website. Let's assume that the computer is stationary and the card is discrete. The device packaging always indicates the model name. For example, it could be a copy from the Creative company - “X-Fi Titanium HD”. If the box is lost or you need to figure out how to find out your sound card placed by the manufacturer in the laptop, then you can use another method.
In the case of a laptop computer, read the model and manufacturer name on the sticker on the back side. Next, you need to find the characteristics of this model (for example, Acer 7720G). For this example, this is a sound chip made by Realtek. In a similar way, you can determine the type of sound chip integrated on the motherboard of a desktop computer: knowing its type (for example, Gigabyte H61M-S2PV), you need to open the manufacturer’s website, find your “motherboard” and look at the sound chip in the “Characteristics” section. For the example board, this is "Realtek ALC887" audio codec.
Software method
An equally popular method of identifying a sound chip is using programs. One of the most famous is "AIDA64". After launching it, you need to go to the “Multimedia” section, where you select “Audio PCI/PnP”.
If it is not possible to install third-party applications, then you can use the tools of the operating system itself. Let's look at how to find out your Windows 7 sound card. You need to right-click on the system desktop shortcut “My Computer” and select the bottom one in the list of menu items that appears - “Properties”. Next, you should open Device Manager. If the driver was installed automatically (that is, it needs to be updated), then the required solution will be located in the “Sound, game and video devices” tab. Having opened “Details”, you need to select “Equipment ID” from the drop-down list. Next, you need to copy the line, paste it into the browser and start searching on the Internet. If you have problems, you can reduce the number of characters. For example, for the line HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0887&SUBSYS_1458A002&REV_1003, you need to delete everything after “DEV_0887”. This method is one of the most convenient and accurate. If the driver has not been installed at all, the sound card will be located in the “Unknown devices” section. In this case, you need to perform the same operations with a search using the “ID” string.
Click the “Start” button, then select the “My Computer” tab, in the window that opens, find “Properties” and go to the next menu called “System Properties”. In the window that appears, open the “Equipment” tab - you will see a window consisting of four tabs. You need the first one - “Device Manager”. In the list that appears, find and open “Sound and gaming devices.” The top line will be the name of your sound.
Another option for finding information on your sound card is programs such as “SISandra” and “Everest”. These programs provide complete information on your computer, including even the manufacturers and release date of devices installed on your computer.
Video on the topic
Helpful advice
Now that you know everything about your sound card, you can find the driver you are interested in on the Internet by simply entering the model of your sound card in a search engine and following the links that will be shown to you. Install new drivers on your computer and restart it. After installing the driver, your multimedia programs will work correctly and will not cause you a lot of inconvenience.
Sources:
- How do I find out which directx I have?
- Best sound card of 2013
The purpose of the sound is revealed in its very name. It is designed to work with sound: converting from digital to analog (playback) and from analog to digital (recording).
The concept of “sound card” is now firmly established in all dictionaries and is used even by people who do not have much knowledge in the computer field. Therefore, it is worth clarifying and examining in more detail the purpose of this small device.
Purpose of the sound card
The presence of a sound card is a prerequisite for creating sound and its subsequent reproduction by speakers connected to the computer. You can compare its functions with the functions of a video card, which creates an image and ensures its subsequent output to the monitor. Only in the case of a sound card, the created object will be sound. Among the huge variety of existing sound cards, there are also separate classes that differ in some respects.
The first external sound card went on sale in 1986. It was simple in design and allowed the reproduction of monophonic digital sound.
Types of sound cards
The main difference separating the cards is the installation method used. According to this parameter, they are divided into cards that are built into the motherboard itself, and into cards that perform their functions as a separate device.
The motherboard is a complex multi-layer printed circuit board. It is the basis for building a personal computer.The second type of card is much more expensive, but the quality of the sound they reproduce is significantly higher. For users who do not have any special requirements for sound quality, a regular built-in sound card that produces fairly good sound is quite suitable. Their use will relieve the user of the need to configure the card and look for suitable drivers. Such a card, by and large, is another additional device placed on the motherboard.
Professional-level sound cards will be necessary for professional musicians and other people involved in the world of music. Such cards have many additional features and provide customization to the individual preferences of the user. The sold kit of such a card usually includes a control panel. They can be equipped with other useful options.
For the majority of the population, a more or less functional built-in sound card is quite suitable. Additional capabilities will only be an expensive burden, the capabilities of which are unlikely to be assessed and put into practice.
Video on the topic
You can use a computer for years and not know what it consists of. In general, in most cases, the average user does not need to know what processor is inside the computer or whose manufacturer the RAM is. But sometimes situations arise when this information becomes necessary. For example, you need to find out what sound map installed on the computer.
You will need
- Computer, sound card, AIDA64 Extreme Edition program or Internet access to download it, basic skills in installing programs and working with a computer.
Instructions
If you still have a complete package, which includes a detailed list of components and instructions for the motherboard, it will not be difficult to find out the model of the installed sound card. It will be indicated in the list of components. Or, if it is built into the motherboard, the instructions will definitely indicate which sound is integrated into it. However, this simple method is often. Documents tend to get lost, and other identification methods are necessary.
If there are no sources of information about him other than himself, don’t worry. He will “tell everything himself.” Download and install the AIDA64 Extreme Edition hardware testing program. The installation file is available from the developer http://www.aida64.com/downloads, the installation process itself is simple and does not require additional settings.
Launch the program. A list of main menu items will be displayed on the left side of the program working window. Select "Multimedia". In the submenu that drops down, select “Audio PCI / PnP”. A line will appear on the right side of the window with the full name of your sound. In the remaining items of this submenu you can find detailed information about the version and sound codecs installed in the operating system.
Sources:
- Sound cards
- how to determine what kind of computer I have
In modern offices, almost every workplace is equipped with a personal computer. Employees store important financial, personnel or personal information on them, and therefore try to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing them. If one day you find that the computer is already turned on, do not be discouraged - all its work is logged by special programs, the actions of the operating system are recorded in a separate log, which reflects all successful or erroneous launches of certain services. This includes data about when and how many times the computer was turned on. To find out, you need to get into the event log.
The sound card is a component that gets very little attention. Quite often, even experienced users do not know what sound card is on their computer.
If you also no longer remember what is responsible for sound playback on your computer, then this article should help you. Here we will look at three ways to get information about a sound card.
Method No. 1. We use the AIDA64 program.
The most reliable way to find out which one is on your computer is to use the AIDA64 program (previously this program was called Everest). This program is paid, but you can download its TRIAL version, which works for 30 days. The TRIAL version is enough for you to view information about your sound card.
So, download the AIDA64 program, install and run it on your computer. After that, open the “Multimedia - HD Audio” section. This section will display information about your sound card.
In order to get the exact name of the sound card, you need to study the information that is displayed at the bottom of the window. In our case, the correct name of the sound card was displayed only if the name of the chip (Realtek ALC899) was highlighted.
Method number 2. We use the Piriform Speccy program.
Another way to find out what sound card is on your computer is the Piriform Speccy program. Unlike AIDA64, this program is completely free.
After launching Piriform Speccy, go to the "Sound Devices" section. Here in the “Sound Cards” block, the name of your sound card should be displayed.
Method number 3. Use built-in Windows tools.
This method may not work if the sound card drivers are not installed on the computer. Therefore, it can be considered an additional option.
If you want to find out which sound card is on your computer using the built-in Windows tools, then you need to press the Windows + R key combination and enter the command “mmc devmgmt.msc” in the menu that appears.
This will open the "" window. Here, under "Sound, Game and Video Devices" the name of your sound card will be displayed.
If there is nothing in the “Sound, game and video devices” section or an unknown device is displayed, then most likely the problem is that the drivers for the sound card are not installed on the computer. Try the first two methods.
