<!--QuoteBegin-spinviper+Nov 5 2004, 06:35 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (spinviper @ Nov 5 2004, 06:35 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I am currently using onboard sound, and was wondering if buying a soundcard would make a substantial difference in performance/sound quaility. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Probably not.
You don't really need a sound card unless at least one of these three conditions apply: A. Your onboard is giving you problems, like random cuttouts or terrible sound artifacting B. You need ports for recording devices (mike, guitar, keyboard, anything) C. You are setting up an insane sound system like 7.1 sound (some onboards don't have 5.1 support, but many do, so you can probably do a 5.1 without a new card)
<!--QuoteBegin-Narfwak+Nov 5 2004, 04:15 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Narfwak @ Nov 5 2004, 04:15 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Creative cards are decent enough as long as you try to avoid their crappy software (it frequently conflicts with other programs). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> The problem is you need to use the drivers if you want to have 5.1 sound.
Like everyone else already said, you should only get a new sound card if you need it. The sound quality is likely going to be very similar between cards.
As for my experiences, I didn't like by onboard card, because it kept getting intereference from the rest of the board. It made loud buzzing and clicking noises whenever the processor was being used heavily, which got annoying. I put in a 6 year old card, and everything seems to work ok. Plus, I get an optical output, which I'm not likely to ever use, as well as surround output, which I'm not going to use, since I have no place to put the other speakers.
Cheap soundcards decrase performance, they need more cpu power to work because of the weak sound processor. The fps loss can be huge in some games (where cpu power counts most).
I got my 6.1 Channel Audigy 2 ZS for 80 bucks at zipzoomfly, retail. It's friggin fantastic. My philips 5.1 channel wouldnt even play my center speaker when I set it to 6 Channel Direct, because it doesn't have the awsome ability to adapt to 4, 5, and 6 channel sound systems.
<!--QuoteBegin-Scythe+Nov 5 2004, 07:20 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Scythe @ Nov 5 2004, 07:20 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I recently bought a cheapo sound card to replace my onboard POS that couldn't even do EAX. I'm loving it.
--Scythe-- <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> What soundcard did you buy?
<!--QuoteBegin-Swiftspear+Nov 5 2004, 12:53 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Swiftspear @ Nov 5 2004, 12:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> C. You are setting up an insane sound system like 7.1 sound (some onboards don't have 5.1 support, but many do, so you can probably do a 5.1 without a new card) <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> I just bought a mobo today that supports 7.1 <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The difference between my old on board sound and the SB Live was quite phenonimal for me.
<!--QuoteBegin-spinviper+Nov 5 2004, 06:35 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (spinviper @ Nov 5 2004, 06:35 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I am currently using onboard sound, and was wondering if buying a soundcard would make a substantial difference in performance/sound quaility. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> YES.
I had to deal with onboard sound until very recently. Am SO glad I don't anymore. I didn't realize how crappy it was until I was rid of it. General performance is faster, and I can actually get some <i>volume</i> out of it now. I always thought the reason I needed to crank everything up was my headphones, but I was wrong.
I had troubles with my onbaord soung card not wanting to work properly in some games untill they released a patch to fix them. So I got a $50 sound and I don't have troubles with it. Everything sounds nice and I hav eno performance drops.
My onboard sound was just as good as my audigy's, it was just fritzing and would randomly cut out while I was playing games or listening to music. New soundcard has no problems what so ever.
I got a set of z680s and they were good, but my old sound card did not have support for a full 5.1, so I went out and got an Audigy ZS2, now the system has amazing sound! THX certified card with THX certified sound, it's very nice hearing things like this now. And it helps me in games, I can hear faint details and know exactly where to look when someone is sneaking up on me
Comments
Probably not.
You don't really need a sound card unless at least one of these three conditions apply:
A. Your onboard is giving you problems, like random cuttouts or terrible sound artifacting
B. You need ports for recording devices (mike, guitar, keyboard, anything)
C. You are setting up an insane sound system like 7.1 sound (some onboards don't have 5.1 support, but many do, so you can probably do a 5.1 without a new card)
--Scythe--
The problem is you need to use the drivers if you want to have 5.1 sound.
I ain't had no problems....
EAX FTW!
As for my experiences, I didn't like by onboard card, because it kept getting intereference from the rest of the board. It made loud buzzing and clicking noises whenever the processor was being used heavily, which got annoying. I put in a 6 year old card, and everything seems to work ok. Plus, I get an optical output, which I'm not likely to ever use, as well as surround output, which I'm not going to use, since I have no place to put the other speakers.
The fps loss can be huge in some games (where cpu power counts most).
--Scythe-- <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
What soundcard did you buy?
I just bought a mobo today that supports 7.1 <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The difference between my old on board sound and the SB Live was quite phenonimal for me.
YES.
I had to deal with onboard sound until very recently. Am SO glad I don't anymore. I didn't realize how crappy it was until I was rid of it. General performance is faster, and I can actually get some <i>volume</i> out of it now. I always thought the reason I needed to crank everything up was my headphones, but I was wrong.