Is my computer 5.1 compatible?

[jane2]

Hi, I have a very limited knowledge about computers but one thing I do know is that I need some new speakers. I found some I like which are these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-X-...LCMK4/ref=sr_11_1/026-4825589-7093230?ie=UTF8

which I think are 5.1 speakers. I understand that this means you need some kind of a driver in order to use all of the speakers. I have a laptop (Asus M5N) which has an internal sound card driver thing of some kind, which is a Soundmax Integrated Audio 5.12.01.4010 - is there any way I can tell whether this is 5.1 compatible?

I don't want to have to buy a new soundcard. When I looked on the soundmax website, it seemed to say that if I used a codec AD1980 then I would be able to use 5.1, however, I could not figure out where to get this codec from (or whether it was a physical thing, or a downloadable thing (which is what I had assumed it would be, having downloaded codecs in the past)).

I hope my question makes vague sense. I would be really grateful for some help with what is probably an incredibly dumb question.

Many many thanks in advance

Jane

 

[Law]

Actually your problem is quite simple, get an external 5.1 sound card because your laptop doesn't have a compatible one. I've already look over your laptop's spec

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2463

Simply get one of these.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102174

Install the driver's and software from it, and plug in your speakers. That's it.

 

[jane2]

Thanks so much for that. Does the external sound card have extra plugs for me to plug the lines from the speakers into? I understand that 5.1 speakers have a few more wires than I can currently plug into my laptop (which just has a headphone socket)? Are the sockets actually on the card..?

 

[Law]

Yes it does, conventional 5.1 speakers have 3 plugs, the card uses a USB to connect to your computer and it has 3 other color or wording coordinated plugs for the 5.1 speaker.

 

[computerwiz_222]

If you don't want to shell out the extra bucks, you can use a three way headphone splitter and then have "fake" surround sound but I assume you want the real thing.

 

[deelip]

three way headphone splitter.
bit new for me.
Whats that.