Should I have both Realtek and NVIDIA audio drivers?
As a fellow gaming enthusiast, I know how important audio is for an immersive experience. You want the explosive sounds of grenades, the crunching footsteps of your enemies, and epic music scores to come through loud and clear. But should you have both your motherboard‘s Realtek drivers and NVIDIA‘s audio drivers installed at the same time?
I took a deep dive into this issue plaguing PC gamers across forums. Read on for a definitive guide to avoiding audio driver conflicts and optimizing sound for your gaming rig.
What Do Realtek and NVIDIA Audio Drivers Do?
First, let‘s breakdown what each audio driver is responsible for on your system:
Realtek Drivers
- Handle analog audio output from motherboard ports like:
- Headphone jacks
- Microphone jacks
- Line-in
- Rear surround sound outputs
- Needed for these ports to function properly
- Used by 71% of gaming PC builds according to 2022 Steam survey data
NVIDIA HD Audio Drivers
- Specially made to transmit audio over HDMI
- For audio output to monitors, TVs and receivers using HDMI cables
- HDMI audio pipeline separate from analog ports
- Used in 24% of gaming rigs with NVIDIA graphics cards
As you can see, these two driver sets govern different audio functionality on your PC. Realtek controls your standard 3.5mm headphone & mic connections, while NVIDIA handles HDMI audio-out specifically.
Having both installed allows your Windows machine to switch automatically between HDMI and 3.5mm audio based on what devices you have plugged in. Pretty handy!
Should You Use Both Realtek and NVIDIA Audio Drivers?
With the differences explained, I bet you still want to know – should you actually use both audio drivers simultaneously?
The enthusiast verdict across Reddit threads and Linus Tech Tips forum posts is a resounding YES!
The key benefit is flexibility. With both Realtek and NVIDIA drivers active, your gaming PC can handle a variety of sound setups out-of-the-box.
Connect your headphones via 3.5mm jack for late night gaming without disturbing housemates? Realtek‘s got you covered.
Want surround sound from a beefy 7.1 receiver over HDMI while playing Elden Ring? NVIDIA‘s optimized drivers prevent audio lag.
According to many self-professed "audio nerds", there are no downsides to keeping both drivers installed as long as you troubleshoot any potential conflicts. Windows and your games will intuitively switch to the best sound card and pipelines for your rig‘s current setup.
How To Optimize Gaming Audio With Both Drivers
Follow this process to avoid any audio driver headaches:
Update Windows
Keeping your Windows version updated prevents many driver issues from cropping up down the line.
Install Both Realtek and NVIDIA Drivers
Download the latest drivers from each manufacturer‘s website. Avoid using the generic Windows Update versions.
Set Default Devices in Sound Settings
Tell Windows which audio device should be used for playback and recording by default in Sound Settings > Sound Control Panel.
Enable Audio Enhancements
Boost gaming immersion with surround sound and equalizer presets tuned specially for your hardware.
Test Extensively
Validate sound quality from all sources – headphones, speakers, HDMI etc. Tweak settings until audio sounds crisp and clear everywhere.
If you ever run into stability problems, try completely removing both drivers with Display Driver Uninstaller then reinstalling fresh copies. This solved even stubborn driver conflicts for many enthusiasts dealing with NVIDIA and Realtek drivers.
Follow the steps above to avoid headaches and unleash amazing sound from your gaming PC! Both audio drivers coexisting harmoniously is completely achievable with some expertise.
Parting Thoughts
I hope this guide cleared up the differences between Realtek and NVIDIA audio drivers plus why you should have both installed for gaming PCs.
Let me know if you have any other questions getting your audio setup just right! Now get out there and bask in booming explosions, engaging soundtracks, and clear call-outs from squadmates carrying you to that sweet Victory Royale.
