My Omen 40L Desktop (7P4K8AA) says it has 5.1 surround sound, but I can't connect to my 5.1 soundbar

[RockawayBrian]

My HP 40L Omen says it comes with. 5.1 Surround sound. But I cannot hook my Sound bar to the computer except through Bluetooth, which kills the surround sound. So my two-part question is.; a. How can I connect my 5.1 surround sound/Sound bar to my computer, to get. 5.1 Surround sound.?. B. Alternatively, Is there some way to install? Or upgrade. A sound card that includes. A Digital optical. Or dedicated. 5.1 system. That would be able to play on my sound bar and. Sound system.?

[RandomUserPC]

ALL THESE COMMENTS saying you can't use 5.1 with the standard 3 audio jacks could be MISLEADING.  To use 5.1 on the standard 3 audio jacks you need three stereo RCA cables and a receiver that supports analog 5.1 input to do this.  It goes something like, Front R L, Surround R L and Center Sub.  So three cables, like three pairs of speakers.  A mini plug to RCA or adapter.  When you plug the cable in to the line and mic jacks it shows in the system as center, surround etc.  No audio manager is needed, only the audio drivers and the windows audio settings.  These motherboards DO SUPPORT 5.1 surround through the standard audio jacks WITHOUT additional hardware just like the motherboards with five audio jacks.  There will also be a crossover setting for sub woofer.  Motherboards that support digital audio out may or may not output that digital in stereo only so you will have to check specs on motherboard and or sound cards to ensure they support surround output through digital.  Then you would obviously need a receiver to decode or the sound card can decode and pass to the audio receiver.  An amplified speaker set could also achieve this but the speaker channels may be wired differently.  Regarding your soundbar, depends on the audio jacks it has.  Not sure if you can get surround over bluetooth and it's not true surround if it's just a soundbar anyway.