I’m connecting my surround system directly into the motherboard’s audio ports (meaning I’m not using audio over GPU’s HDMI/DP port) and I want to ensure that I get the best possible audio quality. With Windows, you’re supposed to install Realtek Audio Drivers from ASUS’ website to achieve this. What about Linux?
My motherboard comes with SupremeFX8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC S1220A which from my understanding is a re-branded/customized version of Realtek® *ALC1220 codec:
$ grep Codec /proc/asound/card*/codec*
/proc/asound/card0/codec#0:Codec: Nvidia GPU 9a HDMI/DP
/proc/asound/card1/codec#0:Codec: Realtek ALC1220
If I investigate available audio interfaces I get:
$ nix-shell -p hwinfo --run "hwinfo --sound"
29: PCI 900.1: 0403 Audio device
[Created at pci.386]
Unique ID: oM_+.mQ47OqZy502
Parent ID: w+J7.wfd8oV4+v2B
SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.1/0000:09:00.1
SysFS BusID: 0000:09:00.1
Hardware Class: sound
Model: "nVidia GA102 High Definition Audio Controller"
Vendor: pci 0x10de "nVidia Corporation"
Device: pci 0x1aef "GA102 High Definition Audio Controller"
SubVendor: pci 0x1043 "ASUSTeK Computer Inc."
SubDevice: pci 0x8802
Revision: 0xa1
Driver: "snd_hda_intel"
Driver Modules: "snd_hda_intel"
Memory Range: 0xfc080000-0xfc083fff (rw,non-prefetchable)
IRQ: 134 (1294 events)
Module Alias: "pci:v000010DEd00001AEFsv00001043sd00008802bc04sc03i00"
Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
Attached to: #6 (PCI bridge)
49: PCI b00.4: 0403 Audio device
[Created at pci.386]
Unique ID: l2so.Fd4pBJ95he8
Parent ID: JZZT.R4auG4CiRRB
SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.1/0000:0b:00.4
SysFS BusID: 0000:0b:00.4
Hardware Class: sound
Model: "AMD Starship/Matisse HD Audio Controller"
Vendor: pci 0x1022 "AMD"
Device: pci 0x1487 "Starship/Matisse HD Audio Controller"
SubVendor: pci 0x1043 "ASUSTeK Computer Inc."
SubDevice: pci 0x87c5
Driver: "snd_hda_intel"
Driver Modules: "snd_hda_intel"
Memory Range: 0xfca00000-0xfca07fff (rw,non-prefetchable)
IRQ: 136 (5442 events)
Module Alias: "pci:v00001022d00001487sv00001043sd000087C5bc04sc03i00"
Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
Attached to: #26 (PCI bridge)
$ lsmod
Module Size Used by
snd_seq_dummy 16384 0
snd_hrtimer 16384 1
snd_seq 102400 7 snd_seq_dummy
snd_seq_device 16384 1 snd_seq
msr 16384 0
btrfs 1953792 0
snd_hda_codec_realtek 192512 1
snd_hda_codec_generic 110592 1 snd_hda_codec_realtek
snd_hda_codec_hdmi 90112 1
nls_iso8859_1 16384 1
nls_cp437 20480 1
vfat 24576 1
fat 98304 1 vfat
snd_hda_intel 61440 4
snd_intel_dspcfg 36864 1 snd_hda_intel
edac_mce_amd 40960 0
snd_intel_sdw_acpi 20480 1 snd_intel_dspcfg
edac_core 86016 0
intel_rapl_msr 20480 0
snd_hda_codec 208896 4 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec_realtek
intel_rapl_common 32768 1 intel_rapl_msr
polyval_clmulni 16384 0
polyval_generic 16384 1 polyval_clmulni
gf128mul 16384 1 polyval_generic
ghash_clmulni_intel 16384 0
sha512_ssse3 53248 0
sha512_generic 16384 1 sha512_ssse3
snd_hda_core 135168 5 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_codec_realtek
eeepc_wmi 16384 0
aesni_intel 401408 0
asus_wmi 69632 1 eeepc_wmi
snd_hwdep 20480 1 snd_hda_codec
libaes 16384 1 aesni_intel
battery 28672 1 asus_wmi
crypto_simd 16384 1 aesni_intel
blake2b_generic 20480 0
sparse_keymap 16384 1 asus_wmi
snd_pcm 184320 5 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_core
cryptd 28672 2 crypto_simd,ghash_clmulni_intel
xor 24576 1 btrfs
ledtrig_audio 16384 2 snd_hda_codec_generic,asus_wmi
asus_ec_sensors 24576 0
platform_profile 16384 1 asus_wmi
snd_timer 53248 3 snd_seq,snd_hrtimer,snd_pcm
r8169 110592 0
rfkill 40960 2 asus_wmi
raid6_pq 122880 1 btrfs
rapl 16384 0
snd 143360 19 snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hwdep,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_timer,snd_pcm
mxm_wmi 16384 0
sp5100_tco 20480 0
wmi_bmof 16384 0
realtek 40960 1
mdio_devres 16384 1 r8169
libcrc32c 16384 1 btrfs
watchdog 40960 1 sp5100_tco
soundcore 16384 1 snd
crc32c_generic 16384 0
k10temp 16384 0
libphy 184320 3 r8169,mdio_devres,realtek
crc32c_intel 24576 1
evdev 28672 40
input_leds 16384 0
mousedev 24576 0
led_class 20480 3 snd_hda_codec_generic,input_leds,asus_wmi
joydev 28672 0
mac_hid 16384 0
tiny_power_button 16384 0
button 24576 0
acpi_cpufreq 32768 0
sch_fq_codel 20480 2
atkbd 36864 0
libps2 20480 1 atkbd
serio 28672 1 atkbd
vivaldi_fmap 16384 1 atkbd
loop 36864 0
tun 69632 0
tap 32768 0
macvlan 36864 0
bridge 380928 0
stp 16384 1 bridge
llc 16384 2 bridge,stp
i2c_piix4 28672 0
i2c_dev 28672 0
kvm_amd 188416 0
ccp 135168 1 kvm_amd
rng_core 24576 1 ccp
kvm 1290240 1 kvm_amd
fuse 180224 3
deflate 16384 1
efi_pstore 16384 0
configfs 65536 1
efivarfs 28672 1
dmi_sysfs 24576 0
ip_tables 36864 0
x_tables 61440 1 ip_tables
dm_mod 180224 0
dax 53248 1 dm_mod
nvidia_uvm 1572864 0
nvidia_drm 81920 26
nvidia_modeset 1712128 6 nvidia_drm
f2fs 901120 1
sd_mod 61440 0
video 73728 2 asus_wmi,nvidia_modeset
hid_generic 16384 0
crc32_generic 16384 0
lz4hc_compress 24576 1 f2fs
usbhid 69632 0
hid 163840 2 usbhid,hid_generic
nvidia 7106560 465 nvidia_uvm,nvidia_modeset
lz4_compress 28672 1 f2fs
ahci 49152 0
libahci 53248 1 ahci
xhci_pci 24576 0
xhci_pci_renesas 20480 1 xhci_pci
libata 430080 2 libahci,ahci
xhci_hcd 352256 1 xhci_pci
nvme 61440 3
usbcore 385024 3 xhci_hcd,usbhid,xhci_pci
nvme_core 180224 5 nvme
scsi_mod 307200 2 sd_mod,libata
drm_kms_helper 233472 1 nvidia_drm
t10_pi 20480 2 sd_mod,nvme_core
crc32_pclmul 16384 1
syscopyarea 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
crc64_rocksoft 20480 1 t10_pi
sysfillrect 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
crc64 20480 1 crc64_rocksoft
sysimgblt 16384 1 drm_kms_helper
crc_t10dif 20480 1 t10_pi
crct10dif_generic 16384 0
usb_common 16384 2 xhci_hcd,usbcore
scsi_common 16384 2 scsi_mod,libata
crct10dif_pclmul 16384 1
crct10dif_common 16384 3 crct10dif_generic,crc_t10dif,crct10dif_pclmul
rtc_cmos 28672 1
wmi 36864 4 video,asus_wmi,wmi_bmof,mxm_wmi
drm 675840 21 drm_kms_helper,nvidia,nvidia_drm
i2c_core 131072 5 drm_kms_helper,nvidia,i2c_piix4,i2c_dev,drm
backlight 28672 4 video,asus_wmi,drm,nvidia_modeset
vfio_pci 16384 0
vfio_pci_core 86016 1 vfio_pci
irqbypass 16384 2 vfio_pci_core,kvm
vfio_iommu_type1 49152 0
vfio 61440 3 vfio_pci_core,vfio_iommu_type1,vfio_pci
iommufd 81920 1 vfio
autofs4 57344 0
There’s actually a snd_hda_codec_realtek module loaded but it seems like my Realtek audio controller is using the snd_hda_intel driver?
For reference, audio works after enabling Digital Stereo (IC958) Output (what about surround though?) for Starship/Matisse HD Audio Controller in pavucontrol (since no other option works). Nix configuration:
security.rtkit.enable = true; # Realtime audio support
services.pipewire = {
enable = true;
# Kernel-level API support
alsa.enable = true;
# 3rd party support
pulse.enable = true;
# Todo add realtime audio conf here
};
Is there actually a Linux driver for Realtek which I should install or/and should I configure it to use different drivers (like snd_hda_codec_realtek) to get the best possible audio?