Need Optical out for mini-itx. Asus Rog Strix B460-I Gaming VS ASRock Fatal1ty B450 GAMING-ITX/AC?

[alpharalpha]

Real dilemma here; the Asus B460 has an spdif header and I can get a optical out bracket for it--and it's in stock. Then there's the AsRock B450 which has the optical out onboard, but not currently in stock and when comes back looks like is going to be more expensive so cost difference between the 2 boards not an issue. I've been leaning towards an intel build with an i3-10100 but had considered an amd 3400G for the better igpu. Also, while I don't have plans to add a gpu right away the case has 2 brackets but the new gpus usually take both so that asus bracket will take that space. But really what is comes down to is which motherboard do you think is better? I need/want the optical out as it's going to also be my htpc for streaming and my surround system doesn't have hdmi in, only optical.coax, and av rca. I'm stumped, need objective advice please.

 

[Wade88]

New AVR

 

[Format _C:]

Other then getting a new AVR (Audio Video Receiver) the optical bracket is just a PCB mounted to a case slot bracket.
So if you are handy I suppose you can cut a hole in the case somewhere and mount that board in the case. That is the only way that I can think of other then getting a new AVR or a different motherboard

 

[Deleted member 89018]

Alpha I didn’t think to ask in your other thread - does your receiver only have stereo rca inputs or does it have a set of 5/6 for analog 5.1 input?

I had an old one for a while that actually had a set of inputs for analog connection of surround sound - center/sub, left/right and surround left / surround right.

I don’t know how common it was but maybe yours has it? If so you could just use three of the 1/8” to rca stereo cables going to your receiver from the motherboard.

optical would be easiest though.

 

[alpharalpha]

Currently attaching an optical bracket to the spdif header is my plan and while there is space to mod it into the case, I can also just use one of the 2 slots, if I get a gpu later on either get single slot one or put the optical out somewhere else.
And no, unfortunately I only have the 2 rca inputs and digital optical & coax on the receiver. Right now am planning on getting the Asus Rog Strix B460 and who knows, it has so much dedicated to audio I might not even notice the difference the digital optical would provide, (and it's just used for streaming, I use my surround system for dvds.) thougth I am going to pick up an optical/coax bracket as it's inexpensive and my motherboard does state has spdif header; no gpu at the moment so free slot. If amd's new line includes a mini-itx with optical out I can easily enough switch over. The amd's 3400g has better igpu, I was considering going that way but the i3-10100 seems better otherwise and looking at youtube videos I couldn't tell a difference in either's igpu so figure if I ever need improved graphics I'll just buy a card. I'm not really a gamer; my young son is but the games he plays like goat simulator, spyro etc run fine without gpu.