There is only a single 3.5mm output jack and 1 mic input on the back of it. The optical output doesn’t have enough bandwidth for 5.1 PCM, so you have to use lossy compression to get surround sound from it. That also adds latency unless you’re watching a movie with AC3 or DTS audio that can be passed through.
One thing to consider is inflation. $100 dollars in 1999 is like $185 today. And you had to get a separate sound card back in the day.
That being said, the prices on the higher end are getting outrageous.
You still have to get a separate sound card for this unless you only want stereo output.
The audio chip in this one supports 7.1, no?
My older x570 definitely supports 5.1.
I have a upper-mid range Asus and it supports 7.1
There is only a single 3.5mm output jack and 1 mic input on the back of it. The optical output doesn’t have enough bandwidth for 5.1 PCM, so you have to use lossy compression to get surround sound from it. That also adds latency unless you’re watching a movie with AC3 or DTS audio that can be passed through.