Gigabyte nForce 2 Motherboards: RealTek vs. Nvidia

[Glonk]

Can someone please explain the relationship between a "Realtek AC650 AC97 Codec" and "Nvidia MCP"?

I'm having major problems with sound (it's defaulting to software sound, Nvidia ForceWare say I don't have an Nvidia MCP, etc.

How do I disable RealTek and enable Nvidia? Anyone know? ...

 

[Vette73]

If you have the MCP then the reltek is your soundcard. The MCP-T has the soundstorm sound, which you do NOT have.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
If you have the MCP then the reltek is your soundcard. The MCP-T has the soundstorm sound, which you do NOT have.

Precisely. I've found with the ALC650 that using the realtek drivers works much better overall. Big difference in Halo *able to use EAX despite warning about it in Halo readme using A3.55's* and BF1942 *nV drivers were muffled and sounds that you should hear, say driving a tank, were completely missing. Very clear and complex sounds using A3.55's*

 

[Glonk]

Oh, I see. Duh.

I didn't realize that only the MCP-T had SoundStorm. Makes sense now, thanks!

 

[Wigwam]

even so, i thought the sounstorm codec was only used if you use digital output;if you use analog output to speakers then you still use the realtek chip?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Wigwam
even so, i thought the sounstorm codec was only used if you use digital output;if you use analog output to speakers then you still use the realtek chip?

That's correct, but despite that fact I've found my SN45G using newer drivers *besides the 3.66 which are crap* sounds great and the nV mixer is cool too. It seems to me from my personal experience that the APU being present in the SB makes all the difference as to wether to use the nV drivers or not even if the realtek is handling the output regardless.

 

[Mem]

even so, i thought the sounstorm codec was only used if you use digital output;if you use analog output to speakers then you still use the realtek chip?

Yes the analogue goes through the realtek DAC but still uses the Nvidia APU so you get very low CPU usage on the MCP-T boards in analogue mode.

Q12: If I am using the analog connections am I taking advantage of the Soundstorm's (i.e. the APU's) ability?

A: As long as you are using the nvidia drivers the APU will be taken advantage of. The realtek codec in that case is soley being used as a DAC. If you install the realtek drivers then the APU will be bypassed and all effects done using the CPU with the usual limitations (number of voices etc). If you have a board without the APU for now it may be better to make use of the realtek drivers otherwise use the nvidia ones.

.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Nice Mem, straight from the nForcersHQ Audio FAQ, don't ask me how I managed to forget about it

 

[Mem]

Nice Mem, straight from the nForcersHQ Audio FAQ, don't ask me how I managed to forget about it

Hehe good place to find out nforce facts for both experience users and beginners .