• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Onboard vs Sound Card

Charper2013

New Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2008
Messages
1,388 (0.25/day)
Location
Macon, Georgia
Processor AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma Black Edition @ 3.2GHz 16x200
Motherboard ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Cooling XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler
Memory OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 & Corsair Dominator (2 x 1GB) DDR2 1250
Video Card(s) HIS Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5
Storage Western Digital 3.25 Inch SATA 320GB Drive
Display(s) SAMSUNG ToC T240HD Rose-Black 24" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitor
Case LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Mid Tower Computer Case
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200 8 Channel Audio
Power Supply Corsair 650HX ATX12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular PSU
Software Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Proffesional
Will I notice a big difference?.. I plan on gettign a good 60-70 dollar range headset soon. From the looks of it my onboard is pretty decent. What are your thoughts?
 
Joined
May 12, 2009
Messages
5,196 (0.96/day)
System Name Dust Collector
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Motherboard Asus B550I Aorus Pro WiFi AX
Cooling Alpenfohn Black Ridge V2 w/ Noctua NF-A9x14
Memory Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB DDR4 3200MHz/CL16
Video Card(s) Power Color Red Dragon RX 5700 XT
Storage Samsung EVO+ 500GB NVMe
Display(s) Dell S2721DGF
Case Dan Case A4
Power Supply Corsair SF600 Platinum
Mouse Logitech G603
Keyboard Logitech G613
Have you ever been dissatisfied with your onboard? Or do you feel the sound is lacking something? I never did.
 

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
58,413 (8.21/day)
Location
Oystralia
System Name Rainbow Sparkles (Power efficient, <350W gaming load)
Processor Ryzen R7 5800x3D (Undervolted, 4.45GHz all core)
Motherboard Asus x570-F (BIOS Modded)
Cooling Alphacool Apex UV - Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora + EK Quantum ARGB 3090 w/ active backplate
Memory 2x32GB DDR4 3600 Corsair Vengeance RGB @3866 C18-22-22-22-42 TRFC704 (1.4V Hynix MJR - SoC 1.15V)
Video Card(s) Galax RTX 3090 SG 24GB: Underclocked to 1700Mhz 0.750v (375W down to 250W))
Storage 2TB WD SN850 NVME + 1TB Sasmsung 970 Pro NVME + 1TB Intel 6000P NVME USB 3.2
Display(s) Phillips 32 32M1N5800A (4k144), LG 32" (4K60) | Gigabyte G32QC (2k165) | Phillips 328m6fjrmb (2K144)
Case Fractal Design R6
Audio Device(s) Logitech G560 | Corsair Void pro RGB |Blue Yeti mic
Power Supply Fractal Ion+ 2 860W (Platinum) (This thing is God-tier. Silent and TINY)
Mouse Logitech G Pro wireless + Steelseries Prisma XL
Keyboard Razer Huntsman TE ( Sexy white keycaps)
VR HMD Oculus Rift S + Quest 2
Software Windows 11 pro x64 (Yes, it's genuinely a good OS) OpenRGB - ditch the branded bloatware!
Benchmark Scores Nyooom.
i say get the headphones and decide then.
 

Tau

New Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
821 (0.13/day)
going from onboard to what?

if its to say a creative soundcard (any of them)

there will be a MINOR upgrade in SQ, as well as a tiny bit wider soundstage.

It is also doubtful you will hear the diffrence on a headset in that price point.

I wouldent bother if i was in your shoes.
 
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
3,779 (0.67/day)
Location
Latin America, Uruguay
System Name The Lizard v2.4
Processor Intel Celeron G1840 (for the time being
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H81-S2PH
Cooling Intel Stock Fan
Memory 16GB Kingston HyperX 1600
Video Card(s) MSI Gaming GTX 750Ti (For the time being)
Storage 500GB Samsung F1, 160GB Maxtor "Older than god"
Display(s) AOC 28' LCD
Case Coolermaster N200
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply Antec VP500P
Software Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Benchmark Scores No crashes in the last 24 minutes.
onboard as long as u have the correct outputs.
 

Kursah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
14,666 (2.30/day)
Location
Missoula, MT, USA
System Name Kursah's Gaming Rig 2018 (2022 Upgrade) - Ryzen+ Edition | Gaming Laptop (Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 2022)
Processor R7 5800X @ Stock | i7 12700H @ Stock
Motherboard Asus ROG Strix X370-F Gaming BIOS 6203| Legion 5i Pro NM-E231
Cooling Noctua NH-U14S Push-Pull + NT-H1 | Stock Cooling
Memory TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16) DDR4 4000 @ 3600 18-20-20-42 1.35v | 32GB DDR5 4800 (2x16)
Video Card(s) Palit GeForce RTX 4070 JetStream 12GB | CPU-based Intel Iris XE + RTX 3070 8GB 150W
Storage 4TB SP UD90 NVME, 960GB SATA SSD, 2TB HDD | 1TB Samsung OEM NVME SSD + 4TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME SSD
Display(s) Acer 28" 4K VG280K x2 | 16" 2560x1600 built-in
Case Corsair 600C - Stock Fans on Low | Stock Metal/Plastic
Audio Device(s) Aune T1 mk1 > AKG K553 Pro + JVC HA-RX 700 (Equalizer APO + PeaceUI) | Bluetooth Earbuds (BX29)
Power Supply EVGA 750G2 Modular + APC Back-UPS Pro 1500 | 300W OEM (heavy use) or Lenovo Legion C135W GAN (light)
Mouse Logitech G502 | Logitech M330
Keyboard HyperX Alloy Core RGB | Built in Keyboard (Lenovo laptop KB FTW)
Software Windows 11 Pro x64 | Windows 11 Home x64
Well it depends, I can definately tell a difference between any onboard sound I've used in comparison to my low-end x-fi xtreme music, all ranges are clearer, volume goes waaaaayyy louder, EQ tunes a lot better, overall to me it sounds quite a bit better, sound with onboard sounds almost dithered to me, no matter the EQ tuning or Auto EQ settings their software provides, but it adds a card into my rig. I don't mind it, and I dont' mind onboard, but the X-Fi + Logitech X-230's and Turtle Beach HPA2's = FTW for me! :D

Some get technical, I go by what I hear, if it sounds better to me, and I can adjust better to my likings then it was worth the price, as I'll use it for a long time. I'd say if you can find a friend with an add-in sound card, definately give it a go, also I'd say get the speakers/headphones first. I did that and really the only reason I got a sound card in the first place was the death of my onboard audio on my old Asus P5B Deluxe, I was happy when I got it over 2 years ago, and I'm still happy with the card, I even compared it with the onboard on my current Asus, no comparison, the X-Fi wins hands down...I only use the EQ in creative's software and newest drivers, no issues, haven't had issues for well over a year. If you can hear it before you buy it, that's the way to go, but most of the time you gotta take the risk, you don't need the best add-in stuff to have good sound, or something that sounds great to your ears, everyone is different in that aspect, which is definately food for thought.

:toast:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kei

Studabaker

New Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2009
Messages
1,116 (0.20/day)
Location
Somewhere in the underground
System Name Built Entirely With Parts From CompUSA
Processor E7400 2.8 @ 3.6 [9.0*400/1.31v]
Motherboard Gigabyte EP45-UD3R
Cooling Masscool 8WA741
Memory 2x1GB Corsair XMS2 800 4-4-4-12
Video Card(s) BFG 9800GTX+OC; GTS250 BIOS
Storage 2x WD 250GB AAKS in RAID0!
Display(s) 19" I-Inc LCD @ 1440x900
Case Ultra X-Blaster Clear Side
Audio Device(s) Audigy with X-Fi drivers; Logitech X-540s
Power Supply Corsair TX750
Software Vista 32-Bit
The main thing about having a Creative sound card for me is the multi-band Equalizer. If I didn't get that then my Creative card may as well be my old ESS ISA sound card. With the mutli-band Eqalizer that comes with the Creative cards however, I can do things above and beyond what Realtek's audio controller can do with its mere presets (which are worthless IMO).
 

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
58,413 (8.21/day)
Location
Oystralia
System Name Rainbow Sparkles (Power efficient, <350W gaming load)
Processor Ryzen R7 5800x3D (Undervolted, 4.45GHz all core)
Motherboard Asus x570-F (BIOS Modded)
Cooling Alphacool Apex UV - Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora + EK Quantum ARGB 3090 w/ active backplate
Memory 2x32GB DDR4 3600 Corsair Vengeance RGB @3866 C18-22-22-22-42 TRFC704 (1.4V Hynix MJR - SoC 1.15V)
Video Card(s) Galax RTX 3090 SG 24GB: Underclocked to 1700Mhz 0.750v (375W down to 250W))
Storage 2TB WD SN850 NVME + 1TB Sasmsung 970 Pro NVME + 1TB Intel 6000P NVME USB 3.2
Display(s) Phillips 32 32M1N5800A (4k144), LG 32" (4K60) | Gigabyte G32QC (2k165) | Phillips 328m6fjrmb (2K144)
Case Fractal Design R6
Audio Device(s) Logitech G560 | Corsair Void pro RGB |Blue Yeti mic
Power Supply Fractal Ion+ 2 860W (Platinum) (This thing is God-tier. Silent and TINY)
Mouse Logitech G Pro wireless + Steelseries Prisma XL
Keyboard Razer Huntsman TE ( Sexy white keycaps)
VR HMD Oculus Rift S + Quest 2
Software Windows 11 pro x64 (Yes, it's genuinely a good OS) OpenRGB - ditch the branded bloatware!
Benchmark Scores Nyooom.
The main thing about having a Creative sound card for me is the multi-band Equalizer. If I didn't get that then my Creative card may as well be my old ESS ISA sound card. With the mutli-band Eqalizer that comes with the Creative cards however, I can do things above and beyond what Realtek's audio controller can do with its mere presets (which are worthless IMO).

agreed, presets = :(


my auzen has a nice EQ, i'm happy. basically all Cmedia chipsets have the same software, so they all get it.
 
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
926 (0.17/day)
Location
Akron, OH
System Name Main Rig
Processor Athlon 5350
Motherboard AsRock mITX
Memory 4gb
Storage 120gb Kingston HyperX SSD
Display(s) Samsung Syncmaster 740N
Power Supply Corsair 430 watt
It really depends on what you are listening to, what you are listening with, and your environment. If you are listening to 128k MP3s and the fans on your PC are loud and you're using $10 headphones, then you won't notice much difference between onboard sound and a good soundcard. On the other hand, if you are listening to lossless music or a high res Blu Ray soundtrack and have a very quiet PC with some great headphones, the differences will be very apparent.

On a different note, keep in mind that any headphones that connect to a USB port are already bypassing your onboard sound, so there's no point at all in buying a sound card if they headphones you want connect via USB--the sound card isn't going to be used by such a set of headphones.
 
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
1,197 (0.21/day)
Location
Asia, PH
Processor Q6600 @ 3.6GHz | P4 @ 2.1GHz
Motherboard Asus Commando ROG (Vdroop mod) | Asus P4V8X-MX
Cooling MegaShadow w/ 2x Scythe Slipstream MX-2 Paste + Kama Bay + 4x120mm case fan | stock Intel
Memory Kingston 4x1GB DDR2 @ 800MHz w/ OCZ XTC cooler | 1GB DDR @ 400MHz
Video Card(s) Palit GTX 260 1792mb 448bit @ 713/1458/1116x2 | GeForce 4 MX 440 AGP8X 64mb 64bit
Storage 640GB WD AACS 250GB Excelstor 160GB Seagate | 40GB WD
Display(s) Samsung T220, Samsung 32" 1080P | LG L1752S
Case Gigabyte 3D Aurora 570 | Trendsonic mid tower
Audio Device(s) Asus Supreme FX (Creative Inspire 5.1 speaker), Samsung HT-Z220 | Onboard audio (2.1 Speaker)
Power Supply Gigabyte Odin Pro 800W | 550W generic
Software Vista Ultimate 64 SP2 | XP Pro 32 SP3
Benchmark Scores 3Dmark06 - 17,348 Vantage - P13,510 Super PI 1M - 12.765s @ 4.1GHz GenericCPUbench - 6,864 ms 38,
I'm lovin' my Supreme FX onboard it is basically a soundmax AD1988B just needs a little tweaking under Vista the sonic focus is a bonus and it can 24-bit 48000hz
 

Charper2013

New Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2008
Messages
1,388 (0.25/day)
Location
Macon, Georgia
Processor AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma Black Edition @ 3.2GHz 16x200
Motherboard ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Cooling XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler
Memory OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 & Corsair Dominator (2 x 1GB) DDR2 1250
Video Card(s) HIS Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5
Storage Western Digital 3.25 Inch SATA 320GB Drive
Display(s) SAMSUNG ToC T240HD Rose-Black 24" 5ms HDMI Widescreen HDTV Monitor
Case LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Mid Tower Computer Case
Audio Device(s) Onboard Realtek ALC1200 8 Channel Audio
Power Supply Corsair 650HX ATX12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular PSU
Software Windows 7 Ultimate x64 Proffesional
Well as this being my first build I have never used a sound card.. I could listen to yall all day but I can only take your word... I was seeing if you guys were like go for it or it.. I think it would be a nice addition but it could be a waste of money... What soundcards will eb better than my onboard at a decent price?
 

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
58,413 (8.21/day)
Location
Oystralia
System Name Rainbow Sparkles (Power efficient, <350W gaming load)
Processor Ryzen R7 5800x3D (Undervolted, 4.45GHz all core)
Motherboard Asus x570-F (BIOS Modded)
Cooling Alphacool Apex UV - Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora + EK Quantum ARGB 3090 w/ active backplate
Memory 2x32GB DDR4 3600 Corsair Vengeance RGB @3866 C18-22-22-22-42 TRFC704 (1.4V Hynix MJR - SoC 1.15V)
Video Card(s) Galax RTX 3090 SG 24GB: Underclocked to 1700Mhz 0.750v (375W down to 250W))
Storage 2TB WD SN850 NVME + 1TB Sasmsung 970 Pro NVME + 1TB Intel 6000P NVME USB 3.2
Display(s) Phillips 32 32M1N5800A (4k144), LG 32" (4K60) | Gigabyte G32QC (2k165) | Phillips 328m6fjrmb (2K144)
Case Fractal Design R6
Audio Device(s) Logitech G560 | Corsair Void pro RGB |Blue Yeti mic
Power Supply Fractal Ion+ 2 860W (Platinum) (This thing is God-tier. Silent and TINY)
Mouse Logitech G Pro wireless + Steelseries Prisma XL
Keyboard Razer Huntsman TE ( Sexy white keycaps)
VR HMD Oculus Rift S + Quest 2
Software Windows 11 pro x64 (Yes, it's genuinely a good OS) OpenRGB - ditch the branded bloatware!
Benchmark Scores Nyooom.
Well as this being my first build I have never used a sound card.. I could listen to yall all day but I can only take your word... I was seeing if you guys were like go for it or it.. I think it would be a nice addition but it could be a waste of money... What soundcards will eb better than my onboard at a decent price?

there are only two things a soundcard can give you: better analogue outputs, or features.


There comes a point where your headphones and speakers hold you back, not the soundcard when it comes to analogue. Since you arent an audiophile, you should stay onboard for now.

Features wise, its stuff like band equalizers, EAX, real time digital encoding - things like that. if you dont know what it is, you dont need it.
 

jamesrt2004

New Member
Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
193 (0.04/day)
yeah 60/70 dollar headset tbh you wont tell too much as it wont be good enough quality to be worth the extra on the card aswell

imo save money on card get a set of $$ 130/150 headphones then at a later date add a sound card
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
5,207 (0.87/day)
System Name Addison Clark
Processor Ryzen 9 7950x3D
Motherboard Asus Strix X670E-I Gaming
Cooling Custom Bykski loop CPU and GPU
Memory G.Skill DDR5-6000 64GB CL30
Video Card(s) Gigabyte 4090 Aorus Master
Storage Kingston Fury 2TB and 4TB NVME
Display(s) LG 32" 1440p
Case Lian Li O11 mini
Audio Device(s) Asus Hive
Power Supply Thermaltake 1000w SFX-L
Mouse Corsair Dark Core RGB SE
Keyboard Corsair K95 Platnium
Software Win 11 Pro

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
58,413 (8.21/day)
Location
Oystralia
System Name Rainbow Sparkles (Power efficient, <350W gaming load)
Processor Ryzen R7 5800x3D (Undervolted, 4.45GHz all core)
Motherboard Asus x570-F (BIOS Modded)
Cooling Alphacool Apex UV - Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora + EK Quantum ARGB 3090 w/ active backplate
Memory 2x32GB DDR4 3600 Corsair Vengeance RGB @3866 C18-22-22-22-42 TRFC704 (1.4V Hynix MJR - SoC 1.15V)
Video Card(s) Galax RTX 3090 SG 24GB: Underclocked to 1700Mhz 0.750v (375W down to 250W))
Storage 2TB WD SN850 NVME + 1TB Sasmsung 970 Pro NVME + 1TB Intel 6000P NVME USB 3.2
Display(s) Phillips 32 32M1N5800A (4k144), LG 32" (4K60) | Gigabyte G32QC (2k165) | Phillips 328m6fjrmb (2K144)
Case Fractal Design R6
Audio Device(s) Logitech G560 | Corsair Void pro RGB |Blue Yeti mic
Power Supply Fractal Ion+ 2 860W (Platinum) (This thing is God-tier. Silent and TINY)
Mouse Logitech G Pro wireless + Steelseries Prisma XL
Keyboard Razer Huntsman TE ( Sexy white keycaps)
VR HMD Oculus Rift S + Quest 2
Software Windows 11 pro x64 (Yes, it's genuinely a good OS) OpenRGB - ditch the branded bloatware!
Benchmark Scores Nyooom.
Since your board uses the Realtek HD audio have you tried Ketxxx"s Realtek X-fi audio codec drivers? Before getting a dedicated sound card I'd say grab those drivers and try them out. Grab them here if you want to try them out, Post #2: http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=92384&highlight=realtek+x-fi

it should be noted that daniel K has also released a set of drivers for this, and kets dont work in vista/7 while daniel K's do. Choose for yourself which one you use.
 
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
5,052 (0.80/day)
Location
Manchester, United Kingdom
Processor AMD FX 8320 @ 4GHz
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5 rev1
Cooling Corsair H70
Memory 4 x 4GB DDR3 Ripjawz 1600Mhz
Video Card(s) Sapphire Vapor-X AMD R9 280X
Storage 1 x 500GB Samsung Evo 850, 1 x 500GB Vrap Data Drive, 3 x 2TB Seagate, 1 x 1TB Samsung F1
Display(s) 3 x DGM IPS-2402WDH
Case Coolermaster HAF X
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply Coolermaster 1000W Silent Pro M
Mouse Logitech G502
Keyboard Logitech G510
Software Windows 10 Pro x64
Well, over the past week or so I've been playing with my onboard, and 2 different discrete sound cards.

The Auzentech X-plosion (Cmedia 8770 chipset) and the Razer Barracuda AC-1 (Cmedia 8788 chipset).

The best sounding is definitely my Razer, sound is clearer, I can hear "more", less distortion, and voices sound less....mumbled.

The X-plosion is an oddity. In games it sounds worse than the onboard, but for music and games, it's brilliant. In games, the sound is kind of muted, and no where near as clean as the Razer or my onboard.

You can only go by what you can hear.
 

Paintface

New Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Messages
389 (0.07/day)
Processor E5200 @ 3.7ghz
Motherboard DFI LanParty DK P35 DARK
Cooling Zalman CPU + case cooling
Memory OCZ Reaper HPC DDR2 4GB 1066
Video Card(s) Saphire 4890 Vapor-X OCed
Storage Raptor 74GB + 640GB sata + 1TB sata ( all WD)
Display(s) BENQ 24inch LCD 1080p
Case my desk
Audio Device(s) Creative Audigy 2 ZS
Power Supply OCZ gameXstream 700w
Software Windows 7 x64 ultimate
everyone who didnt hear a dedicated asus or creative soundcard before will tell you onboard sounds just fine, cause they have nothing to compare it to.

I find it a shame when people buy super quadcores and crossfire setups for +$1000 but dont spent any money on a soundcard or networkcard.

I built soundcards in every gaming machine, even my brother who went from onboard to an audigy 4 i got him cheap noticed a huge difference, and it helps with a few fps in game.
Especially when you use quality sennheiser headsets or a few hundred bucks surround setup, spent the extra 70 bucks on a soundcard, you wont go back to onboard.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kei

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 6, 2004
Messages
58,413 (8.21/day)
Location
Oystralia
System Name Rainbow Sparkles (Power efficient, <350W gaming load)
Processor Ryzen R7 5800x3D (Undervolted, 4.45GHz all core)
Motherboard Asus x570-F (BIOS Modded)
Cooling Alphacool Apex UV - Alphacool Eisblock XPX Aurora + EK Quantum ARGB 3090 w/ active backplate
Memory 2x32GB DDR4 3600 Corsair Vengeance RGB @3866 C18-22-22-22-42 TRFC704 (1.4V Hynix MJR - SoC 1.15V)
Video Card(s) Galax RTX 3090 SG 24GB: Underclocked to 1700Mhz 0.750v (375W down to 250W))
Storage 2TB WD SN850 NVME + 1TB Sasmsung 970 Pro NVME + 1TB Intel 6000P NVME USB 3.2
Display(s) Phillips 32 32M1N5800A (4k144), LG 32" (4K60) | Gigabyte G32QC (2k165) | Phillips 328m6fjrmb (2K144)
Case Fractal Design R6
Audio Device(s) Logitech G560 | Corsair Void pro RGB |Blue Yeti mic
Power Supply Fractal Ion+ 2 860W (Platinum) (This thing is God-tier. Silent and TINY)
Mouse Logitech G Pro wireless + Steelseries Prisma XL
Keyboard Razer Huntsman TE ( Sexy white keycaps)
VR HMD Oculus Rift S + Quest 2
Software Windows 11 pro x64 (Yes, it's genuinely a good OS) OpenRGB - ditch the branded bloatware!
Benchmark Scores Nyooom.
everyone who didnt hear a dedicated asus or creative soundcard before will tell you onboard sounds just fine, cause they have nothing to compare it to.

I find it a shame when people buy super quadcores and crossfire setups for +$1000 but dont spent any money on a soundcard or networkcard.

I built soundcards in every gaming machine, even my brother who went from onboard to an audigy 4 i got him cheap noticed a huge difference, and it helps with a few fps in game.
Especially when you use quality sennheiser headsets or a few hundred bucks surround setup, spent the extra 70 bucks on a soundcard, you wont go back to onboard.

i've got realtek 885, realtek 889A, audigy 1, audigy 4, and auzentech X-mystique. you can trust my opinions.

When using cheap headphones, there is next to no difference. from the audigy 1 and up, my sennheiser HD555's sound pretty much the same with the exception of bass - the audigy 4 had better bass by default, but nothing an EQ tweak couldnt fix on the auzen.

The creative cards were always nightmares with drivers unlike the others, with the quality of the sound varying drastically between driver versions, needing hacks and driver mods to get the best quality and so on. sure, creative cards can sound the best - but it takes a level of effort the other brands do not require to reach their best.

In the end, i chose the auzentech - it sounds the best on my HD-555's and Z-5500's, while the realteks w/ X-fi mod is best on my X-540's simply because the updated CMSS-3D does make 2 channel music/movies sound a lot better.
 

Paintface

New Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Messages
389 (0.07/day)
Processor E5200 @ 3.7ghz
Motherboard DFI LanParty DK P35 DARK
Cooling Zalman CPU + case cooling
Memory OCZ Reaper HPC DDR2 4GB 1066
Video Card(s) Saphire 4890 Vapor-X OCed
Storage Raptor 74GB + 640GB sata + 1TB sata ( all WD)
Display(s) BENQ 24inch LCD 1080p
Case my desk
Audio Device(s) Creative Audigy 2 ZS
Power Supply OCZ gameXstream 700w
Software Windows 7 x64 ultimate
i have used Creative all my life, i never had driver issues on any card, but i never used vista...

Using win 7 x64 7100 now and my audigy 2 zs worked with the drivers that came with windows, i installed a custom driver pack from creative forums after that and it works perfectly fine also....

But that doesnt mean my next card will be creative, asus xonar has superior soundquality and thats what i will be heading for as my next choice.

In the end, cant get worse sound quality than onboard.
 
Joined
Mar 2, 2008
Messages
1,645 (0.28/day)
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina
System Name Current
Processor i5 2500k @ 4.5
Motherboard ASRock Z77 Extreme4
Cooling Xigmatek Gaia
Memory 2x4G G-skill Sniper
Video Card(s) GTX 680
Storage 128 Crucial M4, 1 TB Seagate Baracuda
Display(s) Shimian Achieva 27"
Case Corsair 400R
Audio Device(s) Onboard
Power Supply Corsais HX-620
Software Windows 7
it should be noted that daniel K has also released a set of drivers for this, and kets dont work in vista/7 while daniel K's do. Choose for yourself which one you use.

They worked in my 64 bit vista just fine, when I was using a p35ds3l.

everyone who didnt hear a dedicated asus or creative soundcard before will tell you onboard sounds just fine, cause they have nothing to compare it to.

I find it a shame when people buy super quadcores and crossfire setups for +$1000 but dont spent any money on a soundcard or networkcard.

I built soundcards in every gaming machine, even my brother who went from onboard to an audigy 4 i got him cheap noticed a huge difference, and it helps with a few fps in game.
Especially when you use quality sennheiser headsets or a few hundred bucks surround setup, spent the extra 70 bucks on a soundcard, you wont go back to onboard.


Have you tried the x-fi drivers? I couldn't tell much of a difference between those and the audigy card I have laying around, I'm waiting for my onboard to bother me. Not a chance with those drivers.

All a gaming network card will do is prioritize differently, a 5-10 ping difference won't make a difference while you're playing online.
 

Paintface

New Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2008
Messages
389 (0.07/day)
Processor E5200 @ 3.7ghz
Motherboard DFI LanParty DK P35 DARK
Cooling Zalman CPU + case cooling
Memory OCZ Reaper HPC DDR2 4GB 1066
Video Card(s) Saphire 4890 Vapor-X OCed
Storage Raptor 74GB + 640GB sata + 1TB sata ( all WD)
Display(s) BENQ 24inch LCD 1080p
Case my desk
Audio Device(s) Creative Audigy 2 ZS
Power Supply OCZ gameXstream 700w
Software Windows 7 x64 ultimate
i can even feel the speed difference while browsing the net, and i would say 10-15ms decrease of ping when you usually have 60 on the same server is worth alot.

not to mention for $25 you have the best of the best already NIC wise
 
Joined
Nov 1, 2008
Messages
4,213 (0.75/day)
Location
Vietnam
System Name Gaming System / HTPC-Server
Processor i7 8700K (@4.8 Ghz All-Core) / R7 5900X
Motherboard Z370 Aorus Ultra Gaming / MSI B450 Mortar Max
Cooling CM ML360 / CM ML240L
Memory 16Gb Hynix @3200 MHz / 16Gb Hynix @3000Mhz
Video Card(s) Zotac 3080 / Colorful 1060
Storage 750G MX300 + 2x500G NVMe / 40Tb Reds + 1Tb WD Blue NVMe
Display(s) LG 27GN800-B 27'' 2K 144Hz / Sony TV
Case Xigmatek Aquarius Plus / Corsair Air 240
Audio Device(s) On Board Realtek
Power Supply Super Flower Leadex III Gold 750W / Andyson TX-700 Platinum
Mouse Logitech G502 Hero / K400+
Keyboard Wooting Two / K400+
Software Windows 10 x64
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R15 = 1542 3D Mark Timespy = 9758
The only difference i noticed when changing to a pci soundcard was a louder volume, and better mixer. The sound quality was the same. And i lost the connector re-tasking function , allowing me to use headphones and speakers at the same time :( Also the PCI soundcard didn't fix the microphone issue like a thought it would.
 

G-wiz

New Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2008
Messages
65 (0.01/day)
Location
Florida
System Name G-wiz
Processor Phenom II X3 720BE @ 33501Ghz
Motherboard MSI 790FX GD70
Cooling Cooler Master V8
Memory 4GB Patriot Viper DDR3 1333@ 1400Mhz
Video Card(s) 2 XFX 4850 512MB Crossfire X
Storage 2 sata 160 GB
Display(s) NEC MultiSync 1760VM running at resolution of 1280X1024
Case COOLER MASTER Centurion 590
Audio Device(s) OnBoard
Power Supply Corsair TX 850Watt PSU
Software Window 7 64Bit
i find sound card to be unnecessary as i don't hear any difference in sound quality of the onboard sound device.
 

Tau

New Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
821 (0.13/day)
i have used Creative all my life, i never had driver issues on any card, but i never used vista...

Using win 7 x64 7100 now and my audigy 2 zs worked with the drivers that came with windows, i installed a custom driver pack from creative forums after that and it works perfectly fine also....

But that doesnt mean my next card will be creative, asus xonar has superior soundquality and thats what i will be heading for as my next choice.

In the end, cant get worse sound quality than onboard.

The only difference i noticed when changing to a pci soundcard was a louder volume, and better mixer. The sound quality was the same. And i lost the connector re-tasking function , allowing me to use headphones and speakers at the same time :( Also the PCI soundcard didn't fix the microphone issue like a thought it would.

i find sound card to be unnecessary as i don't hear any difference in sound quality of the onboard sound device.



Like meantioned above if your not runn a few $$$ worth of audio kit, and you cant hear the diffrence then a cheap card will do you just fine. For the people that can hear the diffrence they will benefit from the card.

I would say get a basic Audigy 4 or equal and give that a go, you will be happy with that. Then if you have someone with say a modded x-fi or a Xonar STX (PHENOMINAL CARD IMO, pm me if you want to know why) and see if you can hear the diffrence.

Audio is a very personal thing, one persons setup might sound great to them but bad to you, all depends on your ears.
 
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
5,250 (0.90/day)
Location
IRAQ-Baghdad
System Name MASTER
Processor Core i7 3930k run at 4.4ghz
Motherboard Asus Rampage IV extreme
Cooling Corsair H100i
Memory 4x4G kingston hyperx beast 2400mhz
Video Card(s) 2X EVGA GTX680
Storage 2X Crusial M4 256g raid0, 1TbWD g, 2x500 WD B
Display(s) Samsung 27' 1080P LED 3D monitior 2ms
Case CoolerMaster Chosmos II
Audio Device(s) Creative sound blaster X-FI Titanum champion,Creative speakers 7.1 T7900
Power Supply Corsair 1200i, Logitch G500 Mouse, headset Corsair vengeance 1500
Software Win7 64bit Ultimate
Benchmark Scores 3d mark 2011: testing
i use my on board sound it is cool and set creative 7.1 speakers on it surround sound work well , also creative headset , so i see there no need for expensive sound card
 
Top