Surround sound on games through external amp???

[SirCanealot]

So does anyone know exactly HOW on EARTH I get games to output in 5.1 through an external amp in Windows 7?
(note: I can bitstream DD/DTS to the amp fine and 5.1 works)

I'm currently outputting from my PC to the Yamaha amp via the HDMI out on my ATI 4870. Stereo and it sounds great. My other options for output are an optical out from the on-board sound on the motherboard (SoundMax or something) which I can't get out of stereo either.

I also have a X-Fi Elite (unfortunately the desktop box broke, so I don't have the optical outputs from that), but it doesn't have an optical or a co-ax on it. I've tried one of those things that converts the optical to minijack (and even BOUGHT a dolby digital live licence!), but I never got any audio...

Somebody told me to get the Realtek HDMI audio drive for ATI's HDMI output, but that seems to have made no difference... I've also seem AC3 filter thrown around as the solution, but that didn't seem to make any difference... (not that I have any idea how to set it up for this; nobody's said!)

Seems kinda silly that I can take the PC upstairs to our 52" LCD and make it look 100x better than my Ps3, but be stuck in stereo. Got a Ps3 game recently that's made me hook it up again, and it's REALLY made me miss 5.1 on PC games!

Any one have any ideas? I only run in stereo in my bedroom, but there's two grand worth of audio equipment in the living room, and it's crap I can't work out how to use it properly

 

[Akempster]

you need a card compatible with it but you connect your following cables to the comp:

1.Front pair (green headphone jack)
2.Rear pair
3.side pair
4.center and sub

then you just need to connect these cables to the relative inputs on the back (usually 6 channel direct) then go to your audio manager on computer and check that all speakers are connect properly - you should get a diagram, click on each one and recconnect wires as appropriate (or restake tem if you have the ability).

Ojnce you have done this your computer is set up for surround sound. To use it in games you need to go to the in game menu go to settings then audio settings and then adjust number of speakers/sound type etc. to 5.1 surround (or 8 speakers). Each game sets it up differently but there is almost always an audio settings option. Once this is change you may need to reload the game and there you are: surround sound PC gaming.