Abit NF7 Mobo Onboard Sound vs SB Live

[RallosZek]

Hello
i have an Abit NF7 mobo with Ac97 6 channel sound, im wondering if this new style sound is better than my old Original SB Live! Value card.

thanks

 

[MDE]

Try both and see, only your ears can tell what you like better.

 

[MichaelD]

Are you talking about the OLD, old SBLIVE 16 card? It's real small and only has three jacks on the back?

If so, then there is no comparision at all. The sound on the NF2 boards is actually pretty darn good.

Even if you just have smallish PC speakers, or just a basic 2.1 system, the difference in sound will be immediately audible to you.

A nicer SB card like the XGamer/MP3 would give the NF sound a run for it's money...the new Audigy2 is better, IMO, but it's also $100 and you have to deal w/Creative's Still Crappy After All These Years drivers.

Go w/the onboard sound; you won't be disappointed.

 

[RallosZek]

Are you talking about the OLD, old SBLIVE 16 card? It's real small and only has three jacks on the back?

No =p the SB Live! Value card
its old to me..seeing as i got it like 5 or 6 years ago

 

[Odeen]

The SB Live! is still a hardware sound card. Sure, it doesn't support EAX 4.0, and it's limited to 4 channels, but it's still not bad, and it's hardware accelerated.

The AC'97 on a non-MCP-T board, which the NF7 isn't, is a) fully software controlled, i.e. your CPU has to run the sound hardware as well as figuring out where the guy's head you just blew off in Unreal Tourney will go and b) is run through the (((WORST)))(((DAC)))(((EVAR))) that is the Realtek ALC650.

Basically, AC'97 means 3d sound will inflict a sizeable CPU utilization hit on you, and the ALC650 is a lousy fidelity sound chip, even when coupled with a stronger DSP, such as the one built into the MCP-T southbridge.

I'd use the Live!.