On-Board Sound

[webley]

I am wondering how much CPU speed is taken up by the motherboards with on-board sound and if it's better to get a sound card for this reason.

Also, is the sound from a cheap (like current CMedia 4-ch) sound card much better quality than that from AC97 on-board audio?

 

[Dilsnik]

i wanna know this too.

 

[Bojax]

I'm listening to music right now on my Iwill KK266 onboard sound. cpu utilization is 16-17%.

 

[Poncherelli]

So would buying a cheap PCI sound card free up the cpu?

 

[webley]

Poncherelli, yes I think I heard that that it does help the cpu after AC97 conversion to a sound card. (Unless you have an integrated hardware solution like Cmedia that comes on the Asus A7M)




<< I'm listening to music right now on my Iwill KK266 onboard sound. cpu utilization is 16-17%. >>



Wonder how much of that is sound processing. I use AC97 onboard now and don't mind the quality so the main reason I would get a sound card is as a cpu helper.

Anyone know how much better sound quality a sound card has than AC97 on-board sound?

 

[webley]

Bump! for more opinions about on-board sound like ac97 compared to sound cards. Is the quality better through a sound card?