Does Onboard Sound Slow the Computer Down at all?

[jacktesterson]

Hi,

Im currently using the onboard sound (AC 97) that came on my mobo. Im just wondering if Onboard sound is actually on the PCI bus or does it slow the machine down? I have an older PCI sound card, its a FX-3D Sound Blaster, probably 3 to 4 years old....would it be better? I am using a 33 watt Logitech Z-340 Subwoofer system on my PC.

 

[bjc112]

Yes, Not Extremly but it does pull more CPU cycles...

With a decent set of speakers (like yours ) GET A SOUNDCARD!!

 

[Lezboy]

Yes it does use the PCI bus. Integrated audio, even C-media is okay for generale use but as you can see in tom's latest article here (same chipset as C-media integrated) as soon as you start playing games that use a lot of voices it will draw a lot of CPU power.

 

[Ausm]

Yes it does...I even read someplace on the net where it ranked the different audio chipsets for CPU usage,Noise and a plethora of other things. Try firingsquad.com or sharkeyextreme.com I think that is where I came across them


Ausm

 

[amdskip]

hmmm, I may have to get myself a soundcard then

 

[nord1899]

Follow up question:

What about on-board sound with digital outs (Shuttle Barebones for example)? Is the sound quality affected? (I would think not) Is there much load on the CPU?

 

[bjc112]

Still pulling CPU wieght... Quality? eh, its hard to tell unless you have Wicked speakers...

Myself, the only onboard sound that i would recommend is the sound on the nForce...

Pretty much up to par with most Soundcards...

 

[Kingofcomputer]

4 kinds -

hardware sound card - a powerful sound processing chip with codec built-in or separate codec chip.
example: Santa Cruz (Crystal CS4630 single chip)

software sound card - just an audio controller chip with separate codec chip, uses your system cpu to process.
example: Crystal CS4281 (controller) + CS4297A (AC97 codec)

onboard sound chip - same as regular sound card, just put the chip onto the motherboard.
example: Creative PC's motherboard with SB Live chip onboard.

chipset embedded sound - some are like software sound card, some are like hardware sound card.
example:
like software sound card = Intel ICH or VIA southbridge.
like hardware sound card = nForce's APU in MCP.


Onboard or individual card is not a big deal,
you should concern on cpu utilizaton, how many audio stream can play at the same time, wavetable synthesis midi or FM synthesis midi, number of midi voice, downloadable midi bank, etc.