Original Audigy 1 card or onboard Realtek ALC850?

[MoobyTheGoldenCalf]

I have an old audigy 1 card and I think I'm going to get a new motherboard with the Realtek ALC850 audio system. Which will be better to use with just 5.1 speakers? I mostly play games and will occasionally listen to MP3's, CDs. No movies or anything though. Would I see any performance benefits from using the one or the other? Any would I be missing out on any game effects by not using the audigy?

 

[WobbleWobble]

The Audigy will provide you with a clearer, cleaner sound with less static. The Audigy would have more hardware processing lowering overall CPU usage, especially in games.

 

[sisooktom]

I just built a system using on board audio and prior to that I was wondering the same thing. My old system just sounds better. It's hard to quantify, but it definately does. Clearer, really. I thought on board sound would have come far enough by now that it would suffice, but it's still not wonderful. Considering I'm not putting my old system completely out to pasture, I think I'm gonna pick up an Audigy 2 for my new one. Although I do wonder if the Audigy 2 LS would suffice for my needs. . . So basically my answer is that your Audigy will probably produce better sound - performance I dunno. Seems like it couldn't get worse by changing to an add in card, right?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I'd use the Realtek 850 myself, it has-

EAX? 1.0 & 2.0 compatible
Direct Sound 3D? compatible
A3D? compatible
I3DL2 compatible
HRTF 3D positional audio
Sensaura? 3D Enhancement (optional)




The Audigy is only capable of 16 bits/48kHz like the realtek in analog is because that's what the audio chip is capable of. That means the 24bit/96kHz DACs capabilities on the Audigy go unused and claims of 24bit/96kHz output are consequently just a marketing scam. The ALC850 can provide up to 96khz output via S/PDIF so it's superior in that respect.

As to the Audigy using less CPU cycles, I doubt that will be the case. If you have a look here you'll see the Audigy actually shows similar performance to an old implementation of the ALC650. As long as your board didn't completely cheese on the way they used the 850 Codec it should overall be superior to the old Audigy and you don't give up EAX support, you just don't get 3.0 support.

Anywho, it's your call, but I wouldn't use up a pci slot on that old card when the on-board should be better overall based on specs.

 

[WobbleWobble]

The Realtek codec is compatible with those different forms of positional audio, but I don't believe it actually does the processing itself. It needs to be paired up with another chip, which would make a difference with respect to CPU cycles and capabilities.

What should remain constant is the sound quality between Realtek codec-based boards. The DAC quality is usually relatively poor compared to Audigy's and like cards. It's the same situation with SoundStorm based boards. Because they're paired up with a Realtek DAC codec, their analog output quality is hampered.

I doubt you'd be using SPDIF, so you can ignore the digital-out capabilties between the two sound solutions.

It's not really a big deal if you use either, but I'd rather use the Audigy solution.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I agree it shouldn't be a big difference in performance either way, and since sound is so subjective he should definitely use both and see which he prefers. For myself, the fact that the Audigy uses a pci slot, adds to system heat and obstructs air flow *regardless of how minor they are still factors for me* is falsely marketed as 24bit/96khz capable when it's not, and that it would potentially limit my overclock due to my board not having a pci lock, would all add up to :thumbsdown: on the audigy for me. EDIT: removed dumb question 🙂