The Realtek HD Manager is an optional software yet powerful audio tool built-in for your PC. However, it’s not important to run this software at a startup.
Even I don’t like extra icons on my desktop, so have mine off. There weren’t any problems as the audio driver still loaded, just not this extra Audio Manager.
Keep Reading to find out if Realtek is needed to run at startup for your PC.
Is HD Audio background process needed at startup?
HD Audio background processes are not required at startup although several apps are in the queue. Some apps like the Realtek Audio Manager/HD Audio, Adobe, and Win Amp Agent aren’t required to run in the background. You can disable them and not see any major differences.
Startup programs can safely be removed. However, The Intel programs should be left alone. For example Intel Common User Interface. I have made a complete guide on What happens if you uninstall Realtek HD Audio Manager. Do check the full guide to learn more.
You may ask:
Do I need GPU drivers to run at startup?
The answer is no. Nvidia and Geforce Experience are both for shadowplays. You can load them later on. These programs have nothing to do with the graphics card not working. Other programs won’t conflict if you disable startup processes.
Should You disable Realtek HD Audio Manager?
You won’t see any performance drop for disabling the Realtek HDA. The Audio Manager acts as a control panel for your audio adapters, so it’s completely safe to disable Realtek Audio Manager.
Does that mean you don’t have to install any Realtek HD Audio drivers?
The answer is Yes, you do have to install at least one audio driver. Nowadays, the motherboard comes with a built-in audio card and that’s Realtek. So, I don’t recommend installing any third-party audio drivers and using up your hard disk space.
I made an Ultimate A-Z Guide on which Realtek driver do you need? The requirements change with PC Specs, so you better read the guide carefully. You may need to install Nahimic in some cases, but it’s not mandatory.
How to Disable Realtek HD Audio Manager from startup
The Realtek High Definition Audio Manager processes can be disabled from startup using the Task Manager.
Before commencing the steps, make sure to check out how to remove the Realtek Audio manager from the taskbar.
Here are the steps to disable Realtek HDA from startup:
For Windows 11 PCs or lower, search for the Task Manager from the Windows Search Option. Go to the Startup Tab and search for Realtek processes. Right-click on the program and select disable.
If for any reason you are facing any performance issue for disabling the audio process, go to the task manager one more time. Open the Startup Tab and right-click on Realtek processes to enable it.
You may see another similar program named audio console. There is a slight difference between the Realtek Audio Console and Audio Manager. Do check out our separate post to find out.
Final Words
After disabling the Realtek Audio for nearly 7 months, I haven’t faced any sound issues at all. I am a hardcore gamer and play Valorant most often. Didn’t notice any sort of performance drop for disabling the program. Actually, the startup processes are optional to use. But, since the Realtek Audio driver comes built-in with the ASUS Motherboard, I didn’t install any more audio drivers for my PC.
Do mention in the comments section if any problem occurred with disabling Realtek.
