Realtek High Definition Audio Drivers

About this release

Almost every desktop board and a large share of laptops use a Realtek codec for their onboard sound, which makes this the most widely needed driver package there is. It is also the one most often missing, because the generic driver the system installs on its own produces sound but not the rest of it: no jack detection, no front panel behaviour, no multichannel output and none of the control panel that makes any of it configurable.

This package installs the proper driver along with its control application. Once it is on, the jacks are detected and can be retasked, so a rear jack can be told it is a microphone or a line input rather than whatever the board decided it was. Front panel connectors work the way the case wired them. Multichannel output is available for anything past a stereo pair, and speaker configuration, testing and channel assignment are exposed properly.

The processing side covers the parts people actually adjust. A graphic equaliser with presets, room correction, loudness compensation for quiet listening, microphone noise suppression and echo cancellation for calls, and per device level control that survives a reboot instead of resetting itself. Sample rate and bit depth are selectable rather than fixed at whatever default was chosen for you.

The package covers the full range of codec models in one installer, so there is no need to work out which specific chip a board carries first. It replaces an existing generic driver cleanly and can be removed the same way if a board turns out to want its manufacturer's own build instead.

What it does

Full codec support

One installer covers the range of Realtek models rather than needing the exact chip identified first.

Jack detection and retasking

Sockets are detected and can be reassigned to a different role than the board assumed.

Front panel handling

Case front connectors behave correctly instead of being silent or misdetected.

Multichannel output

Speaker configuration, channel assignment and testing for anything past a stereo pair.

Equaliser and processing

Graphic equaliser, room correction, loudness compensation and microphone noise suppression.

Settings that persist

Levels and device configuration survive a reboot instead of resetting.

Changed in this version

• Support added for recent codec revisions on current boards.
• Fixed crackling on certain configurations at high sample rates.
• Control application interface rescaled correctly on high density displays.
• Improved microphone noise suppression on call oriented profiles.
• Cleaner removal of previously installed generic drivers.

System requirements

Install order

1. Unpack the archive and run the installer with administrator rights.
2. Let it remove any existing generic audio driver when it offers to.
3. Restart when prompted, the driver does not fully load until you do.
4. Open the control application and set the jack roles and speaker configuration for your setup.

Worth knowing before you start

File details