The third and fourth option are simply there for people who are looking for them essentially. If you are looking for additional functionality like sound effects, get the first option. If you are looking to just fix sound issues, pick the second option. Yes, Realtek HD Audio Drivers is free to download and use. This audio driver is required if you plan to connect a microphone or headset to the audio jack. Audio driver is the software that helps your operating system to communicate with audio devices such as internal sound cards, speakers, headsets, and microphones.

Realtek High Definition Audio Drivers appears to be a legacy driver for Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP. This download provides the Realtek High Definition Audio Driver for the 3.5mm audio jack on the Intel® NUC Kit NUC8i7BE, NUC8i5BE and NUC8i3BE running Windows® 10 or Windows 11. This package contains the Realtek High Definition ALC32xx audio driver. I wouldn't recommend this unless you already know why you would need this as it for most users just adds unnecessary headache. Contents of this zip file may just be a compressed executable or it may require an alternative way to install the driver. this comes also in an executable, which means it is a one-click install as well.ĭriver only (ZIP File) is the above, except it comes in a ZIP file. At the 'Finished' screen, click 'Finish'. At the 'License Agreement' dialog, read the agreement, then, if you agree, click 'I Agree' to continue with the installation. At the 'Realtek High Definition Audio Update Ver. It comes as an executable so it is an installer for ease of use.ĭriver only (Executable file) is the audio drivers to allow your sound to work, but does not come with the optional program that allows you to configure volume and effects, you would have to use the default Windows 10 volume slider. At the 'Select Country' screen, select the country for this installation, and then click 'Next'. Realtek HD Audio Driver is a driver with a companion program that comes with it for configuring sound options. Allow me to explain the differences between each as they appear and post a conclusion on which one you should choose.

Download realtek hd audio driver