Realtek Audio Console REQUIRES a Realtek HD (UAD) Driver!!

sandyt said:

8855 HDA had a security vulnerability, 8855 UAD didn't.

The migration to DCH drivers (which is the formal name Microsoft uses) is a strictly security exercise mandated by Microsoft.

8855 HDA AND older versions had the security problem and only few PC manufacturers (like Dell, HP & Lenovo) are aware of it and released updated HDA drivers to deal with the problem

Ozzy33 said:

With realtek being the number one onboard sound solution, whats the reason the drivers are such a mess

no real reason for that one, Ozzy33

BS --- all the pc manufacturers know, they just don't care.

It's not like all the other pc manufacturers stop making computers right now. They continue to make computers, that means that they continue to buy realtek chips, and that they continue to have regular contacts with realtek.

erpster4 said:

no real reason for that one, Ozzy33

Yea, do to frustration/experience, probably should not of worded it that way, but it's still valid.

I guess it's because Realtek basically only sells to oem, and lets them figure it out, and times they do the required homework. I am guessing RT is mostly a hardware company, they would definitely take a step up if they cleaned up the driver issues and polished features like the video card companies mostly do. I think they got where they are because they sell so cheap and people like cheap (low cost speaking).

Ozzy33 said:

Does the audio console give any more features or is it just a face-lift for the same options in HD audio manager?
Thanks again.

Reatlek Audio Console usually has the same features found in the Realtek HD Audio Manager app - no need to get that audio console app when you're running HDA drivers as the audio console app only works with UAD drivers.
Most PC manufacturers chose to use UAD drivers on many modern/recent computers. a few manufacturers like Biostar still use HDA drivers, even with recent Biostar mobos like B550MH.

you're better off using HDA (non-UAD) drivers on your computer, Ozzy33 (cause the chipset is old)
only way you could use UAD drivers is if you were using any of pal1000's unofficial realtek uad drivers, but I seldomly use them on some of my old PCs - I don't use those long-term as I went back to using HDA drivers.

erpster4 said:

you're better off using HDA (non-UAD) drivers on your computer, Ozzy33 (cause the chipset is old)
only way you could use UAD drivers is if you were using any of pal1000's unofficial realtek uad drivers, but I seldomly use them on some of my old PCs - I don't use those long-term as I went back to using HDA drivers.

Did you mean my x99 motherboard chipset is old or the realtek 892 chip is old? (I know the first one is)

If its the x99 your talking about, curious why it matters what the sound chip is processing? tia

@Ozzy33 simple older chips from Realtek take older drivers legacy ones, and newer drivers take UAD ones , the older the chip the older the driver, its like comparing apples to oranges , new technology new drivers, older technology older drivers. the older chip the new UAD driver wont even see it it won't work. unless you use a mod driver then who is to say how well it will work.

well Ozzy33, I think Tonyb's explanation says it all.

you don't need the Realtek Audio Console app if your X99 board uses legacy HDA (nonUAD) drivers - your board (maybe not the ALC892 chip) is several years old that pre-dates the Win10 OS (before Win10 was released).

on the other hand, my Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3-R2 board (manufactured in late 2017) uses a Realtek ALC892 chip but it's HWID "HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0892&SUBSYS_1458A182" is supported by both HDA & UAD drivers (HDA driver from HDXRtGi.INF file; UAD driver from HDXGigabyte.INF file - I use the UAD driver on that Gigabyte board because the hardware device ID is listed & supported by it)

as Tonyb was saying - it's like comparing apples & oranges

----

moving on - Microsoft has posted 8960 & 8963 UAD driver versions on MUC (of course without the generic hdxrt.inf & hdxrtsst.inf files included as they have dropped them after the 8904 version)

erpster4 said:

- your board (maybe not the ALC892 chip) is several years old that pre-dates the Win10 OS (before Win10 was released).

Thanks guys for your answers.

My motherboard is designed and manufactured in late 2019, so it's new. The reason for this old/new issue, the Chinese are buying/selling used server cpus by designing motherboards for desktop form factor and of course using the correct motherboard chipset for the server cpu. My first xeon is 8 years old and used x79 chipset, the e5-2689 (8core/16thread) is $49 and rates 40% faster than a i7-6700 that costs north of $250. My second xeon is the e5-2678v3 and is 90% faster than the i7-6700 (multithread) and is only $97, it sold for $1750 (1000 pc qty) 6 years ago, it's 12core/24thread is great bang for buck, and the motherboard is only $102. Of course china likes cheap, thats where skimping on peripherally components comes in (sound solution). After being long time hard core gamer, my experience, realtek works fine for most, but not for my preformance application. Thanks for all your info guys!

you're welcome, Ozzy33.

HUANANZHI is not a well known motherboard maker unlike with ASUS, ASRock, Gigabyte, MSI, etc.
Huananzhi chose to use traditional/legacy Realtek HDA audio drivers on many of their boards (even with their H310C-D4 board) and not the UAD/DCH ones.
same thing with Biostar with their recent boards like B550MH & B550GTA which use an 8924 HDA driver, although their H410MHG board uses a UAD driver but most of the Biostar mobos use HDA drivers.

Don't worry about not having the Realtek Audio Console uwp app and/or not using UAD drivers on your Huananzhi X99 board as the sound options are built in the standard Realtek HDA drivers that come with the Realtek HD Audio manager app.

erpster4 said:

Don't worry about not having the Realtek Audio Console uwp app and/or not using UAD drivers on your Huananzhi X99 board as the sound options are built in the standard Realtek HDA drivers that come with the Realtek HD Audio manager app.

I wasn't worried about the app, just the functionality, or lack of:
1. Play 4ch audio in games
2. Upmix stereo to 4ch

1. only happens sometimes, and of all things, when I am watching TV on my hdhomerun quarto tuner and only sometimes on useless commercials, but it does not sound correct, like only the upper freq are getting through. In FPS games and racing sims, being able to hear from the 4 speaker points is a large advantage, realtek seems to never work correctly, with the help of you guys, I now randomly hear 4.1, but not when i need it (games). This worked perfectly with sound blaster X-fi on Win7 and same 400W logitech Z560 4.1 speaker system, but creative stopped supporting my X-fi with win10 (yea I can hear audio as good as the realtek, actually better), but I lost the sound advantage. I do miss SB crystalizer for music too. I was hoping the realtek control panel had these functions, but I learned from you guys, this is not true, so i am going to stop beating my dead horse.

2. never happens, even with the extend box checked (so this seems broken in my setup/configuration).

Its not a big deal, I tried to get the X-fi working as well as it was in win7 after 6~8 weeks, i decided to give realtek a chance, i learned a lot from this forum and discord thread, and it sums it up, i need to buy a new sound card, looking at the SB AE-5 or one of its varieties, thanks guys. the X-fi will get its new life in the garage where i still run win7 for compatibility reasons with software and game on my 65".