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Realtek HD Audio Manager is a graphical user interface. It allows you to control the audio functions and is installed with the driver.
What Realtek HD Audio Manager does: manage sound
Almost all major motherboard manufacturers such as ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock and Biostar use Realtek chips to control audio functions. They are used in almost every price range. The software consists of two modules.
- The Realtek HD Audio Manager is provided with the audio driver. The driver is a special software. It allows a computer’s operating system to communicate with the audio hardware and is necessary to properly manage audio input and output.
- In contrast, the Realtek HD Audio Manager communicates with the user. The program provides a graphical user interface for the PC’s audio hardware, allowing you to manage settings, effects and devices. You can access it via the system tray in the bottom right of the taskbar.
- With Realtek HD Audio Manager, you can manage various speaker configurations. These can be stereo, quadraphonic, 5.1 surround or 7.1 surround, depending on the speaker system you are using. The speaker level allows you to adjust the volume of each individual speaker.
- An equalizer is available to enhance the sound by boosting or attenuating various frequencies. Environmental effects such as “concert hall”, “living room” or “underwater” allow you to add certain acoustic properties to the sound. Minimize volume differences using the volume equalizer.
- In addition to output devices, input devices such as microphones can also be controlled. The sensitivity, known as the microphone level, can be set under “Microphone”. Noise suppression reduces background noise during recordings, while echo cancellation eliminates unwanted echo effects.
- The Audio Manager automatically detects when new audio devices such as headphones or microphones are connected. It automatically offers the appropriate configuration.
Find the right Realtek HD Audio Manager
Your Realtek HD Audio driver must match your operating system exactly. There are different drivers for Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux, etc. Each driver must be compatible with the version and architecture of the operating system (32-bit or 64-bit).
- For Windows Vista, 7 or 8, download the following driver: this driver.
- If you are using a 64-bit version of Windows, this driver manages the sound.
- Windows XP users should access this version of the Realtek HD Audio Manager.
- You can find a driver for Linux on the homepage of the respective manufacturer.
- Tip: If you have a desktop PC or laptop from a specific manufacturer (e.g. Dell, HP, ASUS), you should also visit the manufacturer’s support website. Manufacturers often offer specially adapted drivers for their devices.
