Realtek HD Audio Driver missing on new PC

[Iggy Wolf]

After buying a new prebuilt from ABS, I installed Windows 10 that it came with. But audio for Speakers says "Realtek R Audio" instead of the usual Realtek High Definition Audio that usually comes with most mobos.

Is there a way for me to get Audio Manager back? Do I need to update Mobo drivers or installed separately Audio Manager from Realtek's site?

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Really Wish i Cared.:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Iggy Wolf:

Thanks. I was actually gonna ask. Btw, if I want to connect a 2 TB HDD in addition to the SSD I already have, should I install the SATA drivers too?

other then GPU drivers you really shouldn't need to install any other drivers.
windows gets all of these automatically.


so no, you don't need "sata" drivers, the drive will just work after you connect it and initialize/partition it.

No it doesn't. The Windows built-in drivers are not technically correct. They are not "full-featured" like the drivers that come from the hardware makers themselves, which are written for YOUR actual hardware, not a generic driver for a wide range of hardware like the dumbed-down MS released drivers. Yes MS does get drivers from hardware makers, but they also edit them and thus can't really be trusted unless perhaps you have an OEM Pre-Build or the hardware in question is a MS product (like a MS Keyboard, Mouse, Controller, Webcam for example)

You DO NEED all of the system hardware drivers, downloaded and installed by you; in order to have both the full features of all hardware available to the user, along with the proper performance that goes along with said hardware.

As far as SATA Drivers go, usually you do not install these as a separate package. They should be included as part of the Chipset Driver package; such as Intel Chipset INF or AMD Ryzen AM4 Chipset Driver.

If you use a PC for something where performance matters to you and you are not being lazy about all of this, you should disable the auto driver install feature in Windows OS, which has been something to turn off in the OS after installing it ever since Vista came out. By turning that off, it will not auto grab Drivers through Windows Updates, which is exactly what you do not want to happen. This is much more of an issue in Win10, where MS pushes Drivers like never before. Do yourself a favor and handle that all on your own. It's not hard to do and its how to properly configure any PC since Windows 3.1 came out and still remains the correct way to handle a PC. The wrong way is letting MS handle all of that for you.

So at the very least, the user should be downloading these drivers and installing them; from the hardware or chipset makers website based provided driver downloads.
> Motherboard Chipset (this includes the core parts of the chipset, along with things like NVME, AHCI-SATA. USB)
> GPU
> AUDIO
> Wired / Wireless LAN
> BlueTooth
> Game Controller (such as Xbox, DualShock/Sense, Nintendo Switch types; Steering Wheels and alike. Most Joysticks are plug&play and should not need any drivers)
> TouchPad (if using a Laptop)

Win10/11 already has correct drivers though to cover USB 3.x chipsets/hubs.

Optional things would be:
> Software for Keyboard / Mouse
> Software to configure Steering Wheel + Pedals / Sim Flight Sticks + Throttle
> Things like Realtek Audio Manager, which no one really needs because after the official drivers from Realtek are installed, you can configure everything from Windows Playback/Recording. If you have a dedicated sound card from Creative or ASUS however, you most likely will want their latest software for that, as it is a bit more in-depth and as far as audio settings goes.

[Jamebonds1]

Początkowo opublikowane przez MonkehMaster:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Really Wish i Cared.:

other then GPU drivers you really shouldn't need to install any other drivers.
windows gets all of these automatically.


so no, you don't need "sata" drivers, the drive will just work after you connect it and initialize/partition it.

no, the OP should install all the drivers, using windows to get your drivers is always the wrong thing to do.

No, don't installing all driver you don't use it. Not using onboard audio or not using RAID are an example.

[MonkehMaster]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

Początkowo opublikowane przez MonkehMaster:

no, the OP should install all the drivers, using windows to get your drivers is always the wrong thing to do.

No, don't installing all driver you don't use it.

yes, you always install all drivers and from their respective websites according to brand.

example, asus mobo, go to asus website and download the driver and install it (that mobo will have all drivers for anything built into the mobo), same goes for gpu, peripherals and whatever else is connected to that mobo, ect.. ect..

[Jamebonds1]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Bad 💀 Motha:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

No, don't installing all driver you don't use it.

^ We get it, you don't know much about PCs and/or are not a PC Tech.

*Noted*

I just fixed comment that I left out. Look again. And yes I know about PC a lot.

Początkowo opublikowane przez MonkehMaster:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

No, don't installing all driver you don't use it.

yes, you always install all drivers and from their respective websites according to brand.

No, if you have sound card and not use on-board audio then you don't need on-board audio driver.

[Iggy Wolf]

Question again: So if I do connect my 2 TB internal HDD into a SATA port, it will simply read it as a separate drive (e.g. G Drive), correct? My D drive is already partitioned in my SSD. So anything extra I add would probably automatically get the G drive letter. I don't have to make it a RAID config though with the SSD, since the SDD is already attached to the mobo and doesn't require connections with an SSD just to increase space? And just to make sure, Steam WILL let me install future games onto the HDD in the G drive? I shouldn't worry about conflicts or incompatibilities?

[MonkehMaster]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Bad 💀 Motha:

^ We get it, you don't know much about PCs and/or are not a PC Tech.

*Noted*

I just fixed comment that I left out. Look again. And yes I know about PC a lot.

Początkowo opublikowane przez MonkehMaster:

yes, you always install all drivers and from their respective websites according to brand.

No, if you have sound card and not use on-board audio then you don't need on-board audio driver.

that doesnt matter, you install all drivers, just because you might not be using it, doesnt mean you dont have to install the driver.

[Carlsberg]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

I just fixed comment that I left out. Look again.

I like reading your comments, always something to laugh about and it brightens up my day!

[MonkehMaster]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Iggy Wolf:

Question again: So if I do connect my 2 TB internal HDD into a SATA port, it will simply read it as a separate drive (e.g. G Drive), correct? My D drive is already partitioned in my SSD. So anything extra I add would probably automatically get the G drive letter. I don't have to make it a RAID config though with the SSD, since the SDD is already attached to the mobo and doesn't require connections with an SSD just to increase space? And just to make sure, Steam WILL let me install future games onto the HDD in the G drive? I shouldn't worry about conflicts or incompatibilities?

you do know you can unpartition that drive right?

[Jamebonds1]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Carlsberg:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

I just fixed comment that I left out. Look again.

I like reading your comments, always something to laugh about and it brightens up my day!

Okay. It doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Początkowo opublikowane przez MonkehMaster:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

I just fixed comment that I left out. Look again. And yes I know about PC a lot.


No, if you have sound card and not use on-board audio then you don't need on-board audio driver.

that doesnt matter, you install all drivers, just because you might not be using it, doesnt mean you dont have to install the driver.

Why would people need to install all driver when a few are not in using? I turned off audio onboard in BIOS, I skipped audio onboard driver, and I installed sound card driver that is it.

[MonkehMaster]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Carlsberg:

I like reading your comments, always something to laugh about and it brightens up my day!

Okay. It doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Początkowo opublikowane przez MonkehMaster:

that doesnt matter, you install all drivers, just because you might not be using it, doesnt mean you dont have to install the driver.

Why would people need to install all driver when a few are not in using? I turned off audio onboard in BIOS, and I installed sound card driver that is it.

takes like 2 seconds to install a driver, not going to hurt you, if your not going to use the device then disable it.

[Iggy Wolf]

Początkowo opublikowane przez MonkehMaster:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Iggy Wolf:

Question again: So if I do connect my 2 TB internal HDD into a SATA port, it will simply read it as a separate drive (e.g. G Drive), correct? My D drive is already partitioned in my SSD. So anything extra I add would probably automatically get the G drive letter. I don't have to make it a RAID config though with the SSD, since the SDD is already attached to the mobo and doesn't require connections with an SSD just to increase space? And just to make sure, Steam WILL let me install future games onto the HDD in the G drive? I shouldn't worry about conflicts or incompatibilities?

you do know you can unpartition that drive right?

Maybe, but I'd rather not. I thought 150 GB was enough for C on my last PC. Now it's down to 40 GB after all the Windows 10 updates, all the mods, saves, downloads, music, videos, etc. that ended up eating 60 GB after it only left me with 100 GB since the other 50 got allocated to the system. I figure having 425 GB for my C drive now is better. Better to have more space and not need it than be worrying about running short, especially if and when the pagefile decides to grow, even if it is on an SSD.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Well yes, if you do not use RAID, no need to install anything for this.
If you do not use a Motherboard onboard provided Audio, LAN, WIFI, BT... you can and should disable it then in the BIOS, to avoid the OS even seeing it. For example if you have a dedicated Sound Card, disable the Motherboard Audio in the BIOS. This avoids the OS ever seeing it and thus having something else to install a driver for. If you were using onboard audio and then want to switch to a dedicated sound card, first uninstall everything to do with the onboard audio, then reboot, enter bios and disable onboard audio. Then once back inside your OS, install drivers + software for the PCI/PCIE/USB sound card.

[Jamebonds1]

Początkowo opublikowane przez MonkehMaster:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

Okay. It doesn't mean I'm wrong.


Why would people need to install all driver when a few are not in using? I turned off audio onboard in BIOS, and I installed sound card driver that is it.

takes like 2 seconds to install a driver, not going to hurt you, if your not going to use the device then disable it.

This proved my point that I have a good reason to advice not to install driver for any disabled controller.

[Jamebonds1]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Bad 💀 Motha:

Well yes, if you do not use RAID, no need to install anything for this.
If you do not use a Motherboard onboard provided Audio, LAN, WIFI, BT... you can and should disable it then in the BIOS, to avoid the OS even seeing it. For example if you have a dedicated Sound Card, disable the Motherboard Audio in the BIOS. This avoids the OS ever seeing it and thus having something else to install a driver for. If you were using onboard audio and then want to switch to a dedicated sound card, first uninstall everything to do with the onboard audio, then reboot, enter bios and disable onboard audio. Then once back inside your OS, install drivers + software for the PCI/PCIE/USB sound card.

I had too many driver for un-used controller on my old computer, it was unpleasant.

[MonkehMaster]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Jamebonds1:

Początkowo opublikowane przez MonkehMaster:

takes like 2 seconds to install a driver, not going to hurt you, if your not going to use the device then disable it.

This proved my point that I have a good reason to advice not to install driver for any disabled controller.

it proved your point? what point was that?