nForce2 Users: Sound Card or Not?

[MrSmithers]

Though the A7N8X deluxe is no longer Soundstorm or DD certified, it certainly rocks as far as I am concerned. I am using the digital out to my Logitech speakers, and the sound is quite good, but I only upgraded from an SB Live. I am sure an Audigy 2 could very well be better, but at $90vs.Free, I think the onboard is easily good enough for most.

Smithers

 

[SkyDiver]

I thought it was SoundStorm certified. At least they use the term on their web site.

 

[snidy1]

It's probably about the same as Audigy, but my audigy 2 is definatly better sounding than the onboard.

 

[SkyDiver]

Snidy1,
I noticed in your sig that you are using a Thermalright HS. Do you know if a Thermalright SK6, which sits on my T-bird 1400 Mhz will fit on the newer XP chips?

 

[snidy1]

Yes, it will fit

 

[EdipisReks]

Originally posted by: snidy1
It's probably about the same as Audigy, but my audigy 2 is definatly better sounding than the onboard.

have you been able to compare your audigy 2 to an audigy1? i've been thinking about selling my audigy and getting an oem audigy 2 now that they are fairly cheap.

 

[Bonesdad]

I also use the onboard sound...I think it's great, but I'm not a "sound freak" either (don't flame, it's not intended as an insult!). After I got my EPoX 8RDA+, I was able to lose both my old soundcard and my Ethernet card. I am currently using no PCI cards at all (tho I am planning to get the Leadtek TV2000 card). Unless you are a real sound maven, you could go with the onboard sound and be just fine...

 

[McCarthy]

Lot of nForce2 sound users here so I'll butt in to ask a question of my own....

Is there any way (3rd party util maybe?) to get the rear speaker port to clone the main output? I don't want surround, can't use it, it's a nuicense to me, just want two simple stereo outputs. That way I can leave my headphones plugged into one, speakers the other, just turn the speakers off when I don't want to bother others. No plugging in/swapping/etc bs. Can get a splitter, but that's just going to reduce the output level and quality on both.

When I set it to 4 speaker it makes the second output rear/surround. Same with 6 speaker or any other option in the drivers I can find.

PLEASE?

 

[miniMUNCH]

I have the Asus deluxe board and really like the sound quality...but my previous card was a SB live platinum.

 

[wetcat007]

LOL i think it's funny that Nvidia can suddenly make a sound card for the first time and crush the competition without making a big deal about it. Hell I'm not complainging though, it beats any sound blaster

 

[rickn]

Originally posted by: wetcat007
LOL i think it's funny that Nvidia can suddenly make a sound card for the first time and crush the competition without making a big deal about it. Hell I'm not complainging though, it beats any sound blaster

didn't nvidia hire a bunch of Aureal guys? maybe that explains it

 

[snidy1]

Originally posted by: EdipisReks

Originally posted by: snidy1
It's probably about the same as Audigy, but my audigy 2 is definatly better sounding than the onboard.

have you been able to compare your audigy 2 to an audigy1? i've been thinking about selling my audigy and getting an oem audigy 2 now that they are fairly cheap.

I had a Audigy and upgraded to audigy 2 and it's a great improvement. It depends on your speakers though, if you have so so speakers, you probably won't notice.

 

[Auric]

Hey, this is the first I have heard of the Audigy 2 now selling in OEM form. It's about friggin' time. Since the cost difference is negligible I suppose it wouldn't hurt to upgrade but really it is only worth the trouble for analog use including DVD-A since that is the only improvement when considering the newer featured software can be hacked to install on the Audigy 1. Personally, I will wait on something that encodes 5.1 in RT -preferably from Creative, although the nForce2 looks intriguing I am not keen on hot AMD CPU's.

 

[wetcat007]

Originally posted by: rickn

Originally posted by: wetcat007
LOL i think it's funny that Nvidia can suddenly make a sound card for the first time and crush the competition without making a big deal about it. Hell I'm not complainging though, it beats any sound blaster

didn't nvidia hire a bunch of Aureal guys? maybe that explains it

Hmm I didn't know that but yes that would explain it

 

[Dug]

Personally, I will wait on something that encodes 5.1 in RT -preferably from Creative, although the nForce2 looks intriguing I am not keen on hot AMD CPU's

mmm... the Nforce2 does encode 5.1 in RT. with AMD CPU's that aren't hot.

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: Auric
since that is the only improvement when considering the newer featured software can be hacked to install on the Audigy 1.

Software hacks might give you 64 hardware voices, but that won't improve CPU utilization or the quality of output since I don't think you can replace your DAC and ADC by installing a hack.

I am not keen on hot AMD CPU's.

Yes, I'd much rather have a just_as_hot Intel CPU that has trouble with arithmetic.

Chiz

 

[Auric]

Bah. AFAIK both cards use the same EMU10K2 DSP and I don't use my A1 for analog so I donut see there being a significant, if any difference with the A2. I have yet to see a knowledeable comparision betwixt the two using the same driver set. The other thing I don't like aboot the nForce2, or rather any on-board audio is that audio advancement is clearly not dead, despite the repeated claims over the years. It is nice to have a replaceable audio chip just like with video. Plus nForce2 choices are limited, at least to CPU if not mainboards in general. I like a mainboard to last a long time and also don't like to pay twice for the same component on a system.

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: Auric
Bah. AFAIK both cards use the same EMU10K2 DSP and I don't use my A1 for analog so I donut see there being a significant, if any difference with the A2.

You don't use the analog outputs for your Audigy? In that case, I don't see how you'd see a big difference between an SBLive! and the Audigy. Yes, they both use the EMU10K2, but the A2 is a later stepping; Creative makes its own DSPs and has kept their core logic secrets well-guarded, so theres no definitive proof they are different other than the very real differences in performance shown in testing and usage.

I have yet to see a knowledeable comparision betwixt the two using the same driver set.

Once again, how are drivers going to change the quality of the ICs of the two cards? Drivers might allow hardware acceleration of 64 instead of 32 hardware voices along with improved positional sound/upmixing algorithms used by the DSP, but the output is still going to be determined by the ICs on the board itself (which are different btw).

The other thing I don't like aboot the nForce2, or rather any on-board audio is that audio advancement is clearly not dead, despite the repeated claims over the years. It is nice to have a replaceable audio chip just like with video.

You don't like nForce2 boards because they offer a sound solution that rivals your dedicated sound card? Sounds like sour grapes. I think its great that they are continuously improving onboard sound solutions, hopefully in a year I won't have to buy an expansion card for quality sound. Like other integrated components, if the quality of the onboard rivals or eclipses the available AIB solution, it simply eliminates the need for the add-in solutions. Thats a good thing IMO.

Plus nForce2 choices are limited, at least to CPU if not mainboards in general. I like a mainboard to last a long time and also don't like to pay twice for the same component on a system.

Socket-A has spanned and outlasted 3 different Intel sockets since its inception, so I'm not sure what you're referring to in terms of limitations. Athlons have also seen 4 major revisions (Thunderbird --> Palomino ---> Thoroughbred (A and B) ---> Barton). Compared to 1 major revision for the P4 (Williamette to Northwood); HT on all P4's is arguably a major revision, although its not available yet on CPUs < 3GHz and the core logic units have been intact since introduction. The next major CPU revision will require a socket change for both platforms (Athlon 64 to Socket-5XX and Prescott/Tejas to an LGA socket). There are plenty of choices for nForce2 boards, and you certainly don't have to pay for onboard audio if you don't want it. Almost every board maker has options for the MCP-T (nForce APU) vs. standard MCP southbridge. I like my boards to last a while as well, but I also like to upgrade. This time around I made sure I wouldn't be stuck with a skeleton of a board with poor quality integrated components if I upgrade. I'll have a viable stand-alone machine with just a CPU, video card, and RAM.

Chiz

 

[mboy]

Originally posted by: Auric
Bah. AFAIK both cards use the same EMU10K2 DSP and I don't use my A1 for analog so I donut see there being a significant, if any difference with the A2. I have yet to see a knowledeable comparision betwixt the two using the same driver set. The other thing I don't like aboot the nForce2, or rather any on-board audio is that audio advancement is clearly not dead, despite the repeated claims over the years. It is nice to have a replaceable audio chip just like with video. Plus nForce2 choices are limited, at least to CPU if not mainboards in general. I like a mainboard to last a long time and also don't like to pay twice for the same component on a system.

I bet the main components of my rig costs about the same if not les then yours and I will go bench for bench with u anyday.
I bet my XP2100 @ 2.3ghz costs me less then your celeron cost you.
U kind of come here and bash the nforce2 and AMD processors, yet u are pretty much bashing a top end product while u are running a bottom of the barrel rig with a Celeron.

 

[compudog]

I've read every post in this thread and am ready to add my nForce2 vs sound card comment. I am running A7N8X Deluxe using the SoundStorm and for games and normal system sounds it is perfect. The only complaint I have is with wavetable samples compared to the SB Live. MIDI files sound poor compared to the SB Live with the sound fonts etc. SInce I no longer do stuff in MIDI the way I used to, it's not so much a concern, but if you are a musician or really into MIDI playback I would opt for a stand-alone sound card. Just my .02


compudog

 

[arcenite]

I use the onboard sound on my EPoX 8RDA+

Bill

 

[Jeff7]

I've got an Epox 8RDA+ - it is quite good too; I sold my Santa Cruz, and I like the nForce2 sound.

 

[Dug]

Not to mention that when you buy Nforce2 sound, you get a free motherboard with it
For $100 bucks you can't beat it.

 

[EdipisReks]

Originally posted by: Dug
Not to mention that when you buy Nforce2 sound, you get a free motherboard with it
For $100 bucks you can't beat it.

that's a good way of looking at it . to continue the Audig2 stuff here, i have a set of Boston Acoustics BA4800's. they are fantastic sounding 4.1's, but they are analog. is the sound upgrade with the Audigy2 only for people running digital speakers?

 

[BD2003]

If you dont care so much about 3d audio, than I'd say theyre on about equal footing.

I've used both the Audigy/Audigy 2 and Sounstorm extensively. Here's the bottom line.

Audigy: Slow performance, pretty good sound, pretty damn good 3d sound, eax advanced HD isnt used in enough games to make it matter, but it works properly in regular eax games.

Audigy2: Same as above, except better DAC quality and better performance. It is a pain, but if you get the audigy2 drivers to work on the audigy 1, the only difference between the two will be the DAC, and its honeslty not too noticble. Performance is nothing to complain about.

Nforce: Performance is great, quality is great, but in all honestly, this thing has SERIOUS problems with 3d sound. Practically every game I play comes out wrong. Doesnt support eax advanced HD. Barely works with regular EAX games. The reverb is usually WAY too strong. In counter strike, there is a driver bug that puts a major echo on everything in 3d mode, even when eax is supposedly off. Nvidia uses an algorithm that cuts normal sounds in half, so it can double the volume of sounds closer to you, which is supposed to make it sound like the source is right by your ears. It doesnt really work in reality, and you just have to lower the music in every game to achieve some sort of balance. 3d sound is totally screwed in unreal tournament as well. Same with most every game that uses EAX.

Personally I still use the nforce, and if 3d sound doesnt work properly as usual, I just turn it off. Its not worth 50-100 bucks to me to have 3d sound in games, especially when it seems like a dying trend. If youre down to spend some dough, get the audigy 1 and hack the audigy 2 drivers on it. Its worth it. If you absolutely must have the superior dacs of the audigy 2, go for it, but dont do it for performance because the same can be acheived with a little work on an A1.