Motherboard audio connectors/jacks explained by color (2023)

If you've ever connected anything audio related to your motherboard, I'm sure you've seen the myriad of audio connectors scattered around the side of your motherboard.

What are they for anyway? And why do you need so many damn?

And that is exactly what I am going to explain in this article.

Main motherboard audio connectors

These are the three main audio connectors you'll find on virtually every motherboard. They offer all the essential audio features.

Light blue - Line input

The light blue connector, or "Line In" connector as it's technically known, is the connector you use if you want to connect any type of audio.forthe computer.

That means anything from CD/DVD players, amplifiers, mixers, certain instruments, microphones, and pretty much anything you canoutput soundcan be connected to the line input port.

But just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

For example, you can plug a microphone into your line-in port and it will probably work, but your line-in port probably won't have the same gain as the actual microphone input.

So you are likely to get very quiet audio through the line-in port compared to the mic-in port.

Lime Green: Line Out/Front Speakers/Headphones

The light green jack, or "line out" jack as it's technically known, is the jack you use when you want some sort of audio output.Formake pc

So the line-out port can be used to connect anything from headphones, speakers, or anything else that can play audio.

In a surround sound setup, the line out jack is also where you would connect your front speakers.

Pink – Microphone

And the main trifecta is rounded out by the pink jack, or "mic-in jack" as it's technically called.

As the name suggests, this is the connector you use when you want to connect some kind of microphone.forthe computer.

As simple as that.

surround sound motherboard audio connectors

These are the audio connectors that most motherboards have, but some choose to omit them.

They offer surround sound features that allow you to split the sound between front, rear, and sides for a more immersive experience.

Orange - Output CS/Center/Subwoofer

The orange connector or "CS Out" connector is the connector you use when you have a dedicated subwoofer or center speaker in your audio setup and you want to send the isolated bass/center channel signal you want from the center speaker. Supports multimedia surround sound.

If you have any type of front facing speakers or sound bar, or a dedicated subwoofer, you should connect them to this connector.

Black - RS Out/Rear Speakers

The black connector or "RS-Out" connector is the connector you use if you have rear speakers in your audio setup and want to send them the isolated rear channel signals that you receive on your sound-carrying media.

If you have rear speakers, you must connect them to this connector.

Grey/White - SS Out/Side Speakers

The grey/white connector or "SS Out" connector is the connector you use if you have side speakers in your audio setup and you want to send them the isolated side channel signals you receive from compatible media.

If you have any type of side speakers (left and right,not from the front) This is the port you should connect them to.

Other motherboard audio connectors

These are more exotic audio connectors that are basically a matter of whether or not a motherboard can have them, since not many people use these connectors.

1/4" high power output

This is an audio jack only found on some high-end motherboards. It's basically a line-out port, but it can put out a lot more power to drive high-end headphones.

Most people with high-end headphones tend to choose dedicated DACs and amps, so a connection like this is pretty useless, but it's still cool to look at.

S/PDIF output

S/PDIF or "Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format" is another type of audio connector you might find on your motherboard.

It's similar to your line-out port, but instead of analog signals, it outputs digital signals directly from your PC without converting them.

It is mainly used for home theater and other audio applications where high-quality audio transmission is required.

An S/PDIF connection can be useful if you have a home theater surround sound setup with an S/PDIF connection.

In this situation, you can simply connect the two together with a single cable instead of having to connect all the different speakers individually to the analog ports.

Salida coaxial

The coaxial out port is the same as the S/PDIF port, just with a different connector.

What if your motherboard doesn't have color-coded audio jacks or only has one?

If your motherboard doesn't have a color code and symbol to identify which connector it is, your best bet is to consult your motherboard manual.

If you don't have the physical manual available, just google itmotherboard model, and you can find a download for the manual on the manufacturer's website.

And if your motherboard only has one color port, it's probably the output port.

That should give you a good frame of reference for figuring out where the other ports are, but it's still best to check the manual to figure out exactly which port is which.

Frequent questions

What ports should you connect to if you have a two speaker setup?

If you have a two-speaker setup with two RCA cables or bare copper wires for each speaker, you'll need an amplifier first.

Connect the speakers to the amplifier, and then connect the amplifier to your line out jack.

If you have powered speakers that connect to each other via a 3.5mm jack plug, simply plug it into your line out port.

What ports should you connect to if you have a 3.1 setup?

Connect the speakers to your amplifier, then connect the appropriate input (rear, side, or front) to the RS Out/SS Out/Line Out connectors.

Then connect your center/subwoofer to your CS output port.

What ports should you connect to if you have a 5.1 setup?

It's the same as if you had a 3.1 setup. Just make sure you connect the correct speakers to the correct port.

For example. Back to back, side to side.

What ports should you connect to if you have a 7.1 setup?

Connect the speakers to your amplifier, then connect the rear speakers to the RS output port, the side speakers to the SS output port, the center speaker/subwoofer to the CS output port, and the front speakers to the Line output port.

What ports should you connect your headphones to?

You must connect your headphones to the line out port.

If you have a 6.35mm jack and your motherboard has a 6.35mm jack as well, I suggest you plug it in.

Are all motherboard audio ports the same?

Motherboard layout and number of audio jacks are not really standardized, but most motherboard manufacturers follow thisDesign Guide for PC Systemsdeveloped by Microsoft and Intel in the 1990s.

Therefore, most motherboards have around 6-5 audio jacks, usually in the same place (on one side of the rear I/O), with the same connector layout.

But there are some variant motherboards that may have more or fewer ports and weird layouts.

However, this shouldn't worry you unless you're buying an extremely exotic motherboard.

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Hopefully that explains everything you need to know about every possible audio jack you might find on your motherboard!

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