Onboard sound or soundcard?

[hgnoel1980]

I have a ASUS A7N8X Deluxe motherboard with onboard Soundstorm audio - I also have a Hercules Game Theater XP 5.1 soundcard from a previous machine.

Am I best sticking with the onboard sound or using the Game Theater card, bearing in mind audio is going out to a set of Cambridge Soundworks DTT3500 Digital speakers?

Thanks for your help.

Harry

 

[PurdueRy]

onboard

 

[HDTVMan]

ONBOARD BABY. Enjoy that while you can.

Many are dissapointed NVIDIA will no longer be creating soundstorm.

 

[imported_DarkPenguin]

Onboard. I had both the soundstorm and that hercules. There is no comparison. Onboard.

When I bought a new SIS motherboard I was forced to buy an Audigy 2 to get my audio back up to snuff. Soundstorm was great.

 

[Ken90630]

Anyone know the official reason for why they decided to stop making Soundstorm? I read a lot of comments lamenting its demise, and I'm curious if nVidia said anything officially about why they discontinued it.

 

[imported_DarkPenguin]

It was my understanding that it was decided that no one was buying nforce based on soundstorm. People didn't seem to care if it was soundstorm or joe blow sound so long as the mobo had sound. Most the sales were due to "not being via". So they made the business decision to save chip real estate.

 

[Ken90630]

Originally posted by: DarkPenguin
It was my understanding that it was decided that no one was buying nforce based on soundstorm. People didn't seem to care if it was soundstorm or joe blow sound so long as the mobo had sound. Most the sales were due to "not being via". So they made the business decision to save chip real estate.

Thanks.

As with a number of great-but-discontinued products, I can't for the life of me understand why they can't just make a smaller number of the product so that those who do want it at least have the option. They could charge whatever they'd have to charge to make it financially viable from a production/retailing standpoint, and if people want it for that price, it would at least be available. (Even as a special order item or somethin', 'ya know?)

If only these companies would ask my opinion before making these dumb decisions. Ha ha. :laugh:

EDIT: I don't personally need Soundstorm, as I prefer a Chaintech AV710 card, but I know people for whom it would be a great alternative to typically lousy onboard sound without having to invest in a nice soundcard. Particularly people who don't "build their own" systems.