GOODBYE CREATIVE

[Keeper]

Hello on board sound

OK,

I just did a low-end budget build... Gearing up for the NEXT wave of games and DX10 when Vista is corrected...

I put in an Nvidia GT8800 with 512
2 gigs of Dual channel GOLD OCZ meme
3.4 Intel Chip
Gigabyte P35 board.
180 GIG SATA Drive
Samsung DVD

While "dismantling" the old girl I said... Hmmmmm the Creative Card is VERY old..
and last time I updated Drivers it was a debacle.. Maybe I should try on board sound...

Well I did and I must say, I am impressed... For the FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME my 5.1 set-up is HOLDING (wasn't sure if it was XP or one of my mashed Creative updates that were doing it.... BUT IT IS HOLDING..) And the sound, is sweet, deep and rich... Not a REAL user friendly interface but once you use it a few times... It is OK... AND does anyone remember the first Gamer Audigy Card... It NEVER tested the sub woofer on the test mode..
This set up does... SO GOOD to hear and FEEL my desk rumble during "sound Check".

I have not overclocked a SINGLE item (yet LOL) and am VERY happy with my upgrade..
Jacked up all settings on "older" games and they are running like BUTTA..
Going to the store at lunch to get Crysis.... Even on low or medium I will be a happy camper.....

Now my question, I have heard stories ranging from HORROR to Not so bad as far as WHAT you lose in CPU using on board sound.. I do NOT want to install the Creative card (New or OLD) so is there a legit article or set of bench marks out there?
I have heard in FPS you lose 1 to 10% Like I said right now, I am in gamers HEAVEN...
Good EYE candy and SWEET Frame Rate.. We all hear that VISTA kills resources... And 10% loss could be big...

 

[Doclife]

I'm glad that you enjoy the on-board sound of the Gigabyte P35 motherboard (P35-DS3R) as much as I do. You will NOT loose much FPS with on board sound if you're are using dual or quad core CPU. In the case of dual core, one of the core will handle the on-board sound processing and at the same time proceesing the game, while the second core will devote 100% processing power to the game application. With 4 cores, I think you will not loose any FPS at all because current games do not utilize all 4 cores; thus, 1 of the core will do nothing but processing the on-board audio.

With the advent of multiple CPU cores and superb on-board sound quality, there is absolutely no need to buy an add on sound card. This is the reason why Creative stock is taking a nose dive (besides the horrible drivers of their sound card products that many people complained about).

 

[Modelworks]

On board sound is nothing like it used to be.
Now there are hardware codecs on the board.
Before it was all done with software emulated codecs, which really hurt fps.
It was like the old software only modems.

On board sound now is very good and most people will not have need of anything else.
I just grabbed the datasheet for the chipset used on the P35 for sound and found that it does absolutely nothing in software that has anything to do with quality of the sound output.

The only things it does in software is things like EAX, equalizer, etc.
All the processing of things like 5.1 audio from a dvd , etc are done in 100% hardware.

 

[Keeper]

LOL There (CPU Choice) I was sitting on the FENCE...
As you know the P35 is a FLEXIBLE board.. LOVE the range of CPUs
This is where I cut back... I went a single 3.4 for 75 bucks...
A lot of the games I play do not take FULL advantage of SMT tech and TRUTHFULLY when I asked Tech Support of FUTURE games (games yet to buy like Crysis and Withcher) I got conflicting answers... So for this upgrade I got a STRAIGHT single 3.4

Dont think that next year I wont be lookin at a Dual Core Extreme YorkField 3.4

Thanks for your reply (S) ...
Hey Doc, have you played with any OC yet?
And what are you running?

 

[Keeper]

SO Modelworks.... Are you saying I chose wisely

You mentioned 5.1 from a DVD.... So I presume you are talking Movies...

What about games? Is that all EAX ala Software?

 

[Doclife]

Originally posted by: Keeper
LOL There (CPU Choice) I was sitting on the FENCE...
As you know the P35 is a FLEXIBLE board.. LOVE the range of CPUs
This is where I cut back... I went a single 3.4 for 75 bucks...
A lot of the games I play do not take FULL advantage of SMT tech and TRUTHFULLY when I asked Tech Support of FUTURE games (games yet to buy like Crysis and Withcher) I got conflicting answers... So for this upgrade I got a STRAIGHT single 3.4

Dont think that next year I wont be lookin at a Dual Core Extreme YorkField 3.4

Thanks for your reply... have you played with any OC yet?
And what are you running?

Well, even with a single core you won't loose much with the Gigabyte motherboard because the on-board audio chip do the bulk of the audio process.

I OC my C2D E4500 CPU from 2.2GHz stock to 3GHz (300Mhz x 10) without any problems and I've been using the system for about 5 months now.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: Keeper
SO Modelworks.... Are you saying I chose wisely

You mentioned 5.1 from a DVD.... So I presume you are talking Movies...

What about games? Is that all EAX ala Software?

Yep.
That chipset is a good one for sound.
Yeah, the chipset has the ability to input AC3 streams from dvd and decode them in hardware, or output them via spdif to a home theater.

Games used to be focused on eax, but with vista no longer supporting eax, thats changing.
I really wish games would output in ac3.
It would allow them to have the sound exactly like they want it and simplifiy things for everyone. Problem is they would have to encode it using the cpu. Still it may happen in the future.

 

[Keeper]

NICE OC
My KIDS (Older as I am OLD LOL) refused to let me buy a 2.6 (or was it a 2.8) with the tinkering of getting to 3.4


They were badgering me... "NO, spend the dough and START with higher CPU...."

As you can see the BULK of my upgrade budget was spent on the Video Card...
I was trying to keep the WHOLE think under 500....

Only overspent by 18%...:laugh:

I blamed all the FANCY coolers I added.. :roll:
Yeah, I got one (aftermarket cooler) for the 8800 hehehehehehehehehehehe......

Next Snow Storm will be OC trails......

 

[Doclife]

Originally posted by: Keeper
NICE OC
My KIDS (Older as I am OLD LOL) refused to let me buy a 2.6 (or was it a 2.8) with the tinkering of getting to 3.4


They were badgering me... "NO, spend the dough and START with higher CPU...."

As you can see the BULK of my upgrade budget was spent on the Video Card...
I was trying to keep the WHOLE think under 500....

Only overspent by 18%...:laugh:

I blamed all the FANCY coolers I added.. :roll:
Yeah, I got one (aftermarket cooler) for the 8800 hehehehehehehehehehehe......

Next Snow Storm will be OC trails......

The only aftermarket cooler that is worthwhile (in terms of price/performance) for the 8800GT is the Accelero S1 (~$20). Everything else is over priced and I wouldn't even consider.

 

[Keeper]

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS...

that is the one I got... And I added the extra 12 for the Turbo Fans built for it!!!!


DANG, with each passing post I am feeling BETTER and better about my upgrade..

I got a LOT of info from the Website I bought from: NCIX.com.. Lots of user reviews and forums...

OK, how do I insert your reply into my reply? I like the way that is done!!!!

 

[Doclife]

Originally posted by: Keeper




YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS...

that is the one I got... And I added the extra 12 for the Turbo Fans built for it!!!!


DANG, with each passing post I am feeling BETTER and better about my upgrade..

I got a LOT of info from the Website I bought from: NCIX.com.. Lots of user reviews and forums...

OK, how do I insert your reply into my reply? I like the way that is done!!!!

Click on "Quote" on the message you want to reply to, instead of "Reply"

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
On board sound is nothing like it used to be.

QFT. However, people are loathe to change their ways of thinking. How many people were still buying 90nm Netburst CPUs when Athlon 64 chips were kicking butt? IMO for most people these days, discrete sound cards are a placebo.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

hmm i dunno i just upgraded my system from an AMD 4800+ X2 and 2gb ddr1 to the system in my sig. and i still brought over my audigy 2 zs for my M-Audio LX4's. someone really needs to convince me that my onboard sound > my audigy 2

 

[Doclife]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
hmm i dunno i just upgraded my system from an AMD 4800+ X2 and 2gb ddr1 to the system in my sig. and i still brought over my audigy 2 zs for my M-Audio LX4's. someone really needs to convince me that my onboard sound > my audigy 2

You're in a different situation than other people who are planning on building a new system. In your case, you already have and paid for the sound card; thus, you just use which ever sound better to you. Other people may not want to spend $100+ for a sound card that may sound a little better or about the same (to them) as the one on the motherboard.