Onboard Audio

[Confusednewbie1552]

Does Onboard Audio make your CPU slower?

 

[DarkAmeba]

unless it uses the Nforce2 MCP-T, onboard sound will use cpu cycles.

 

[hjo3]

If it does it's not noticeable.

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

So is it worht it to pay 50 bucks of an Audigy for 5.1 surround sound?

 

[CSMR]

No, go stereo!

 

[Dewey]

Technically yes, but the onboard stuff is very good these days. I don't notice any difference between on board and a pci card.

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

all right, then i'm gonna get onboard, this is a good decision? Can someone just tell me what are the advantages of pci audio cards and advantages of onboard audio?

 

[Medea]

Originally posted by: Confusednewbie1552
all right, then i'm gonna get onboard, this is a good decision? Can someone just tell me what are the advantages of pci audio cards and advantages of onboard audio?

Depends on your tastes. If you're a real audiophile, then you'd be happier with a good sound card. Most onboard audio is fine for most people. But, again, it depends on your personal tastes.

 

[Algere]

PCI Audio
Better sound quality (playback/recording) although won't matter much if using cheaper speakers, mics, cans, etc.
Lower CPU utilization (i.e. Audigy 2)
More options (input/output, ASIO2, etc.)
Comes with software

Onboard Audio
Free w/ motherboard
Simple

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

Ok so, i' not an audiophobile. As long as I can hear a game with like no static and sounds sounds like how the game was meant to sound then I like it. BTW I won't have cheap tacky speakers and I'll have a decent Mike. I'll listen to music and videos also.

So what is for me?

 

[navo]

Just go with onboard sound. Try it out, and if it works for you, great; if you don't think it sounds good enough, purchase a card. No point in buying something you don't really need, though.

 

[Algere]

Depends if EAX Advanced HD (in games) is how it was meant to sound...

Not all onboard audio solutions are the same and it may depend on what CPU platform you intend to go with (i.e. nForce2 = Athlon XP only)

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

ok so I'm gonna get tje nforce2 ones for wither AMD Athlon 64 socket 754 or socket 939. I'll be playing games like Half Life 2, Halo, Battlefield 1942, Neverwinternights, etc.

 

[Ryoga]

Originally posted by: Confusednewbie1552
Does Onboard Audio make your CPU slower?

Not appreciably more than a PCI device. On-board is run by the southbridge (ICH) as well as by a wholly separate AC'97 Codec IC. Adapters run on the PCI bus, which is connected to the sourthbridge, and use their own ICs.

The difference shoud be transparent to the CPU.

 

[Nebor]

Just keep in mind that game developers design their games w/ the Audigy 2 ZS as their reference. And only the Audigy 2 line has EAX 3.0 and 4.0. I've tried it, there's a big difference between EAX 2.0 and EAX 3.0. Everything sounds muffled w/ 2.0, it's hard to properly localize sounds.... Definitely worth the $20 or $100 for an Audigy 2.

 

[Algere]

Ditto unless you don't use EAX @ all.