last Update : just want to add - if you select a hdtv resolution -lrb- 720p\/1080i\/1080p -rrb- in CCC , the audio will not drop out . unfortunately for I , my lcd 's native resolution be 1360x768 so I have to choose that resolution which be consider a basic resolution in CCC . for any basic resolution , the audio will cut out . one workaround would be to run a digital coax\/optical from my mobo to the receiver , but this add a extra cable lol . I be still just use my 5770 since I be have a hard time justify the price of a 6950 since you can find a 7850 for the same price . I be hold out for the hope that AMD will release a driver fix , in which case I would repurchase the 7850 . or if Amazon would put out a deal on the LG 55LM7600 , I would get that , rebuy this card , run 1080p , and call it a day . Update 2 : well my new receiver come , Denon 2312CI , and unfortunately that receiver experience the same issue with the Sapphire 7850 as my Onkyo do , confirm by testing in 2 different computer . my old Radeon 5770 still work perfectly in both computer and with both receiver . I have come to the conclusion , that this 7850 , at least the 2 particular Sapphire 7850 card I receive , do not smoothly stream audio to a receiver over hdmus without cut out every now and then . Update : I also try Catalyst 12.6 beta , a new HDMI cable , and a different input on my receiver . I try everything except hook the 7850 straight up to my lcd and use my lcd 's speaker . this be what I just do and so far , 10 song , I do not think I have hear it skip , unless it happen so fast that I be not pick up on it . on the Onkyo receiver , when it would skip , the no audio source would show up for a second while the receiver look for the audio . I do not understand why my hd5770 would work fine with the Onkyo 707 and the 7850 would not . be it a problem with the receiver or the 7850 ? I would need either another 7850 or another receiver to confirm , both of which I do not have . I 'll do more research and update soon . : End Edit I be so stoke to upgrade my Radeon hd5770 with this card for summertime gaming . my gaming\/htpc consist of a Intel i7-860 , Asus P7P55D , G. Skill 8gb ddr3 , crucial 256gb m4 , Onkyo TX-SR707 , AV123 ELT525T speaker , and Samsung 40 '' lcd -lrb- upgrade to 55 '' lead soon -rrb- . I slap this silent beast into my computer and reinstall the newest Catalyst 12.4 driver and off I be . I do some video benchmark and then watch some YouTube video since I have a couple friend over . then something weird start happen . in about every YouTube video I play , the audio would cut out for a second , and then come back in . I have my setup as follow Video Card HDMI - -rrb- Receiver HDMI in and then HDMI out - -rrb- tv . with my previous hd5770 , all other component be the same , I never have audio cut out ever . I think it might have be a problem with flash 's hardware acceleration , so I unchecked that , but the audio still cut out for a second . I then think it be a problem with flash so I play some html5 YouTube video , still the audio would cut out for a second and then resume . then I think it be maybe a problem with Firefox , so I play iTunes on repeat , and about every 5 minute or so -lrb- sometimes less , sometimes more -rrb- , the audio would drop out for a second and then come back . so then I think it be maybe a problem with Catalyst 12.4 so I try Catalyst 12.3 and Catalyst 12.5 beta , still same problem . then I try format and reinstall Windows 7 pro 64bit , still the same problem in every application . at this point , I swap my hd5770 card back in , watch a dozen YouTube video and play iTunes for a hour or so , no skip , no drop out , everything play perfectly . so then I think maybe there be some other component in my computer that just do not play nicely with the hd7850 , so I install it in my office comp -lrb- Intel c2d e6600 , Gigabyte p35-ds3l , 4gb ddr2 , Intel X25-M 80gb , this be the computer that my hd5770 will be go in -rrb- . and in this computer too , the audio from Sapphire 's 7850 would cut out for a second and then resume in every application I try . swap the hd5770 back in and no problem . at this point , I have determine that it must be a problem within the Sapphire hd7850 . the HDMI in the card I receive just can not play media without the audio randomly cut out\/skipping . this be very unfortunate since otherwise , this be a powerful and quiet card . I have not send it back yet , still google for answer -lrb- Sapphire 's Community Run support Forum be a joke -rrb- , but I will most likely end up send it back within the next 2 week . I be weary of try another hd7850 card from a different manufacturer for fear of the same thing happen , so I may get a NVIDIA GeForce 570 GTX , even though it will run hotter and probably louder ... unless I build up the courage and money to try a radeon hd7870 .