I've been looking at upgrading to a Haswell system. Quite straightforward I thought but I've been really surprised at the number of motherboards with no SPDIF outputs. What I currently do is use an SPDIF connection that goes straight into the equivalent socket on my hifi, something I'd like to continue doing. Why are so many modern mobos missing an SPDIF? Have these connections been replaced by another optical compatible output?
TIA