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

ZOTAC Unleashes Blu-ray Ready ION Mini-ITX Platforms

malware

New Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
5,422 (0.77/day)
Location
Bulgaria
Processor Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 VID: 1.2125
Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P rev.2.0
Cooling Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme + Noctua NF-S12 Fan
Memory 4x1 GB PQI DDR2 PC2-6400
Video Card(s) Colorful iGame Radeon HD 4890 1 GB GDDR5
Storage 2x 500 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 32 MB RAID0
Display(s) BenQ G2400W 24-inch WideScreen LCD
Case Cooler Master COSMOS RC-1000 (sold), Cooler Master HAF-932 (delivered)
Audio Device(s) Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic + Logitech Z-5500 Digital THX
Power Supply Chieftec CFT-1000G-DF 1kW
Software Laptop: Lenovo 3000 N200 C2DT2310/3GB/120GB/GF7300/15.4"/Razer
ZOTAC International, an award-winning manufacturer of graphics cards and motherboards, today unleashes its first eco-friendly all-in-one platform - the ZOTAC ION. The ZOTAC ION delivers an integrated CPU and GPU with high-definition video playback and SATA RAID capabilities into a single mini-ITX platform. Powered by a brand new NVIDIA ION graphics processor, the ZOTAC ION is ready to take on DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.1, NVIDIA CUDA and PhysX games and applications with its 16 blazing-fast stream processors. An integrated Intel Atom processor provides ample performance for daily productivity, email and web browsing tasks.
Single and dual-core Atom processors power the ZOTAC ION. A single-core Atom N230 processor delivers plenty of power for daily computing uses while an optional dual-core Atom N330 processor is available for those demanding more power.




"Achieving greater power efficiency while maintaining competitive performance was previously a hard feat to achieve. With the new ZOTAC ION platforms, we're able to deliver competitive performance with unmatched power efficiency," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology enables high-definition video playback on the ZOTAC ION platforms. With PureVideo HD technology, the ZOTAC ION is able to playback vivid 1080p high-definition movies smoothly and enhance standard-definition contents to near-high-definition levels.

A native HDMI output enables easy connectivity to the latest high-resolution monitors or high-definition television sets. HDCP compliance secures the HDMI connection for playback of protected video content. DVI and VGA outputs are also available for multiple display connectivity.

"Home theater PCs are becoming popular around the glove. Our new ZOTAC ION is an instant solution for users seeking to build an HTPC. Since the CPU and GPU are integrated on the board, we're also able design a fan-less cooler for the board," Mr. Berger added.

Integrated 802.11n wireless networking on Atom N330 equipped ZOTAC ION motherboards allow blazing-fast network connectivity at speeds up to 144 Mbps for high-speed wireless file transfers and high-definition video streaming. The Atom N330 equipped ZOTAC ION motherboard also features an onboard DC/DC power supply that delivers greater power efficiency than standard AC/DC power supplies.

"The onboard DC/DC power supply removes the need for a large internal power supply that is typically noisy and occupies a lot of space. With the onboard DC/DC power supply, the dual-core ZOTAC ION motherboard can fit into slimmer and more stylish mini-ITX chassis' with ease," Mr. Berger said.

ZOTAC stands by the quality of the ZOTAC ION motherboards and backs it with an extended warranty. With the ZOTAC extended warranty, the ZOTAC ION is guaranteed to be trouble-free throughout its lifetime.

General details:
  • New ZOTAC ION platforms
  • NVIDIA ION mGPU
  • 16 stream processors
  • Integrated Intel Atom N230 (single-core) or Atom N330 (dual-core) processors
  • 533 MHz front-side bus
  • HDMI (w/7.1-channel Audio), DVI and VGA outputs
  • HDCP compliant
  • 2 DDR2 DIMM slots
  • DDR2-667/800 compatible
  • Up to 8 GB of DDR2 memory
  • Integrated DC-DC power supply (optional)
  • Included 19V AC/DC power brick (optional)
  • Integrated 802.11n WiFi (optional)
  • Mini PCI Express slot (optional)
  • Microsoft DirectX 10 and OpenGL 2.1 compatible
  • NVIDIA CUDA and PhysX ready
  • NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology
  • ZOTAC Extended Warranty (visit http://www.zotac.com for details)

View at TechPowerUp Main Site
 

DrPepper

The Doctor is in the house
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
7,482 (1.26/day)
Location
Scotland (It rains alot)
System Name Rusky
Processor Intel Core i7 D0 3.8Ghz
Motherboard Asus P6T
Cooling Thermaltake Dark Knight
Memory 12GB Patriot Viper's 1866mhz 9-9-9-24
Video Card(s) GTX470 1280MB
Storage OCZ Summit 60GB + Samsung 1TB + Samsung 2TB
Display(s) Sharp Aquos L32X20E 1920 x 1080
Case Silverstone Raven RV01
Power Supply Corsair 650 Watt
Software Windows 7 x64
Benchmark Scores 3DMark06 - 18064 http://img.techpowerup.org/090720/Capture002.jpg
Powered by a brand new NVIDIA ION graphics processor, the ZOTAC ION is ready to take on DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.1, NVIDIA CUDA and PhysX games and applications with its 16 blazing-fast stream processors.

That is so misleading its almost illegal. (I know thats zotac's words not Malwares) I'd like to see it try play DX9 games never mind DX10.
 

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.
Home theater PCs are becoming popular around the glove.

Glove? lol.

Terrible marketing for an otherwise nice looking board.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2009
Messages
53 (0.01/day)
Wow, according to ZOTAC, I could just sell of my gaming rig and replace it with that little beast.

It does look nice for an HTPC, but whoever wrote their description should be shot.
 

CyberDruid

New Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2007
Messages
2,887 (0.48/day)
Location
On top of a mountain
System Name Shop Dog
Processor E8400
Motherboard Asus Blitz Formula SE
Cooling d-Tek FuZion
Memory 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 G Skill
Video Card(s) EVGA 7900 GTX
Storage 150GB VelociRaptor
Display(s) Acer 21.5 1080p LED Back Lit Monitor
Case Working on it
Audio Device(s) PCI SoundMax
Power Supply Silverstone 750 Modular
Software XP Pro SP2
Benchmark Scores Super Pi 11.56s 1M at 4050mhz
I want one. That's perfect for adapting to an automotive PC.
 
Joined
Nov 6, 2005
Messages
480 (0.07/day)
Location
Silver Spring, MD
Processor Core i7 4770K
Motherboard Asrock Z87E-ITX
Cooling Stock
Memory 16GB Gskill 2133MHz DDR3
Video Card(s) PNY GeForce GTX 670 2GB
Storage 256GB Corsair M4, 240GB Samsung 840
Display(s) 27" 1440p Achevia Shimian
Case Fractal Node 304
Audio Device(s) Audioquest Dragonfly USB DAC
Power Supply Corsair Builder 600W
Software Windows 7 Pro x64
The integrated DC-DC PSU is really the innovation here on Zotac's part. Getting that on the board really makes it shine and makes the cost of using one a fair bit cheaper.


I am somewhat skeptical that the single core version could do blu ray, perhaps there's more offloaded encoding than I realize.
 
Joined
Sep 4, 2008
Messages
875 (0.15/day)
I can think of a hundred uses for these IF they ever appear at any kind of reasonable price.

(NONE of them game related - although a fan of old rom-games might enjoy it as part of a HTPC, with some emulators loaded)

Now - If only any online retailers would ship to my country :\
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
6,770 (0.98/day)
Location
Republic of Asia (a.k.a Irvine), CA
System Name ---
Processor FX 8350 @ 4.00 Ghz with 1.28v
Motherboard Gigabyte 990FX-UD3 v4.0, Hacked Bios F4.x
Cooling Silenx 4 pipe Tower cooler + 2 x Cougar 120mm fan, 3 x 120mm, 1 x 200 mm Red LED fan
Memory Kingston HyperX DDR3 1866 16GB + Patriot Memory DDR3 1866 16GB
Video Card(s) Asus R9 290 OC @ GPU - 1050, MEM - 1300
Storage Inland 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD for OS, WDC Black - 2TB + 1TB Storage, Inland 480GB SSD - Games
Display(s) 3 x 1080P LCDs - Acer 25" + Acer 23" + HP 23"
Case AeroCool XPredator X3
Audio Device(s) Built-in Realtek
Power Supply Corsair HX1000 Modular
Software Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
was there not some kind of intel vs nv chipset rights issues? was that resolved?

anyway good to see 'Atom' in all forms, should have called it 'amoeba' lol
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.29/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
That is so misleading its almost illegal. (I know thats zotac's words not Malwares) I'd like to see it try play DX9 games never mind DX10.

it should play DX10 games just fine the onboard is based off the 8200m right? which means you cna play mosty games just fine. not crysis but CnC, the half life series etc.
 

DrPepper

The Doctor is in the house
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
7,482 (1.26/day)
Location
Scotland (It rains alot)
System Name Rusky
Processor Intel Core i7 D0 3.8Ghz
Motherboard Asus P6T
Cooling Thermaltake Dark Knight
Memory 12GB Patriot Viper's 1866mhz 9-9-9-24
Video Card(s) GTX470 1280MB
Storage OCZ Summit 60GB + Samsung 1TB + Samsung 2TB
Display(s) Sharp Aquos L32X20E 1920 x 1080
Case Silverstone Raven RV01
Power Supply Corsair 650 Watt
Software Windows 7 x64
Benchmark Scores 3DMark06 - 18064 http://img.techpowerup.org/090720/Capture002.jpg
it should play DX10 games just fine the onboard is based off the 8200m right? which means you cna play mosty games just fine. not crysis but CnC, the half life series etc.

In comparison my 3450 can't play anything in dx10 even at low res. It can play dx9 but not very well and that is faster than an 8200m. I know this isn't meant to be a gaming platform but they make it appear like it is a capable gaming platform.
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.29/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
In comparison my 3450 can't play anything in dx10 even at low res. It can play dx9 but not very well and that is faster than an 8200m. I know this isn't meant to be a gaming platform but they make it appear like it is a capable gaming platform.

i put crysis on my RM70+8200M and it ran it not well and at low settings but it ran it. thats DX10.
 

DrPepper

The Doctor is in the house
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
7,482 (1.26/day)
Location
Scotland (It rains alot)
System Name Rusky
Processor Intel Core i7 D0 3.8Ghz
Motherboard Asus P6T
Cooling Thermaltake Dark Knight
Memory 12GB Patriot Viper's 1866mhz 9-9-9-24
Video Card(s) GTX470 1280MB
Storage OCZ Summit 60GB + Samsung 1TB + Samsung 2TB
Display(s) Sharp Aquos L32X20E 1920 x 1080
Case Silverstone Raven RV01
Power Supply Corsair 650 Watt
Software Windows 7 x64
Benchmark Scores 3DMark06 - 18064 http://img.techpowerup.org/090720/Capture002.jpg
i put crysis on my RM70+8200M and it ran it not well and at low settings but it ran it. thats DX10.

It can run it but its very slow 10fps on average. Thats not my point though it isn't an adequate gaming system like the marketing suggests.
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.29/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
It can run it but its very slow 10fps on average. Thats not my point though it isn't an adequate gaming system like the marketing suggests.

its not marketed for gaming so much as blu-ray....
 

DrPepper

The Doctor is in the house
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
7,482 (1.26/day)
Location
Scotland (It rains alot)
System Name Rusky
Processor Intel Core i7 D0 3.8Ghz
Motherboard Asus P6T
Cooling Thermaltake Dark Knight
Memory 12GB Patriot Viper's 1866mhz 9-9-9-24
Video Card(s) GTX470 1280MB
Storage OCZ Summit 60GB + Samsung 1TB + Samsung 2TB
Display(s) Sharp Aquos L32X20E 1920 x 1080
Case Silverstone Raven RV01
Power Supply Corsair 650 Watt
Software Windows 7 x64
Benchmark Scores 3DMark06 - 18064 http://img.techpowerup.org/090720/Capture002.jpg
its not marketed for gaming so much as blu-ray....

I know but the marketing suggests it is very capable when really it isn't.
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.29/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P

DrPepper

The Doctor is in the house
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
7,482 (1.26/day)
Location
Scotland (It rains alot)
System Name Rusky
Processor Intel Core i7 D0 3.8Ghz
Motherboard Asus P6T
Cooling Thermaltake Dark Knight
Memory 12GB Patriot Viper's 1866mhz 9-9-9-24
Video Card(s) GTX470 1280MB
Storage OCZ Summit 60GB + Samsung 1TB + Samsung 2TB
Display(s) Sharp Aquos L32X20E 1920 x 1080
Case Silverstone Raven RV01
Power Supply Corsair 650 Watt
Software Windows 7 x64
Benchmark Scores 3DMark06 - 18064 http://img.techpowerup.org/090720/Capture002.jpg

ginger

New Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2004
Messages
6 (0.00/day)
Yea but Nvidia's ION graphics processors is a Geforce 9400M not a 8200M.
 

Cold Storm

Battosai
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
15,010 (2.49/day)
Location
In a library somewhere on this earth
System Name Haro
Processor AMD 1700x
Motherboard AsRork x370 Taichi
Cooling EK Custom Loop - CPU only
Memory 32gb G-Skill Trident Z
Video Card(s) EVGA 1080 Superclock 2
Storage Too Many
Display(s) Viewsonic VX2450WM-LED 24" & LG 32 IPS
Case Cooler Master Cosmos II
Power Supply Cooler Master V1000
Mouse SteelSeries Rival 500
Software Win10 Pro
Benchmark Scores i5 750 4.62ghz pi runs // Evga FTW p55
I want one. That's perfect for adapting to an automotive PC.

Dude, I can just picture you putting it inside a vehicle!!!

As for the board.. It does sound very nice.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2008
Messages
552 (0.10/day)
Location
Romania
System Name OptimusFine
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800x
Motherboard MSI B550 Tomahawk
Cooling Noctua NH-D15 / 2x NF-S12A-PWM Chromax
Memory Corsair Vengeance LPX CL15 3000mhz 32gb
Video Card(s) Gigabyte RTX 3080 12GB Gaming OC
Storage Samsung M.2 SSD 960 Evo 250GB / 2 Crucial SSD MX500 2TB & 1 1TB / Seagate 2TB Hdd / Toshiba 2Tb Hdd
Display(s) Alienware AW3423DW, ASUS ROG PG279Q
Case Cooler Master H500M
Audio Device(s) Steelseries Arctis 7+ / Logitech Z533
Power Supply Corsair RM850X
Mouse Logitech G502 Lightspeed
Keyboard Corsair Strafe RGB
VR HMD Oculus Rift
Software Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
"with its 16 blazing-fast stream processors" :roll:
 

DrPepper

The Doctor is in the house
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Messages
7,482 (1.26/day)
Location
Scotland (It rains alot)
System Name Rusky
Processor Intel Core i7 D0 3.8Ghz
Motherboard Asus P6T
Cooling Thermaltake Dark Knight
Memory 12GB Patriot Viper's 1866mhz 9-9-9-24
Video Card(s) GTX470 1280MB
Storage OCZ Summit 60GB + Samsung 1TB + Samsung 2TB
Display(s) Sharp Aquos L32X20E 1920 x 1080
Case Silverstone Raven RV01
Power Supply Corsair 650 Watt
Software Windows 7 x64
Benchmark Scores 3DMark06 - 18064 http://img.techpowerup.org/090720/Capture002.jpg

ascstinger

New Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2008
Messages
544 (0.09/day)
Location
In a house
System Name F34R T3H 0R4NG3
Processor AMD Phenom II 945
Motherboard DFI DK 790gx LP JR
Cooling Scythe Mugen II
Memory G.SKILL Trident 4GB DDR3 1600
Video Card(s) EVGA GTX260 Core216 55nm
Storage Western Digital 80gb Vraptor
Display(s) Westinghouse 19" LCD
Case Antec Mini P180 Black
Audio Device(s) Onboard :/
Power Supply Antec Signature Series 650w
Software Vista x64 SP2
Intel markets their IGP's as gods gift to computing :p

yeah, I agree it's rather idiotic to use the gaming in the same sentence as 9400m, but hey even an X4500 is super fast gaming these days according to intel.
 
Joined
Oct 2, 2005
Messages
631 (0.09/day)
Location
Omaha, NE
System Name Media PC
Processor Intel Core-i5 4460
Motherboard Asus H97i plus
Cooling Noctua LH-9i with upgraded NF-A9, x2 Noctua NF-F12
Memory 8GB x2 Corsair Vengeance 1600mhz kit
Video Card(s) Gigabyte Super clocked GTX970 itx
Storage 1TB western digital black 2.5"
Display(s) Samsung 55" Plasma
Case Fractal Design Node 202
Audio Device(s) Onboard DSP, sound forwarded to Onkyo receiver in 2.1 mode
Power Supply Fractal Design 430w itx PSU
Mouse Logitech Wireless gaming mouse
Keyboard Logitech Wireless, Xbox One S controller
Software Windows 10 pro
again, this would be perfect if it had a pci-e slot! dc-dc is perfect for an in car audio environment, but if audiophile sound quality is wanted, you need something other than realtek (unless you want to pay an arm and a leg for an external DAC from Pioneer, which doesn't sound as good as analog).
 
Joined
Sep 26, 2006
Messages
6,959 (1.09/day)
Location
Australia, Sydney
DC Adapter FTMFW. Who cares if it doesnt have the PCI-E, that would drain too much current for the DC adapter to handle. I could put this computer into a small wooden box :D. Anyway found this really nice case for these kinds of ITX boards... forgot the site though =_=.
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.29/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
again, this would be perfect if it had a pci-e slot! dc-dc is perfect for an in car audio environment, but if audiophile sound quality is wanted, you need something other than realtek (unless you want to pay an arm and a leg for an external DAC from Pioneer, which doesn't sound as good as analog).

look closely at the board it has mini PCI-e like whats on a laptop there are some sound cards for that and there is a USB xfi card as well
 
Joined
Oct 2, 2005
Messages
631 (0.09/day)
Location
Omaha, NE
System Name Media PC
Processor Intel Core-i5 4460
Motherboard Asus H97i plus
Cooling Noctua LH-9i with upgraded NF-A9, x2 Noctua NF-F12
Memory 8GB x2 Corsair Vengeance 1600mhz kit
Video Card(s) Gigabyte Super clocked GTX970 itx
Storage 1TB western digital black 2.5"
Display(s) Samsung 55" Plasma
Case Fractal Design Node 202
Audio Device(s) Onboard DSP, sound forwarded to Onkyo receiver in 2.1 mode
Power Supply Fractal Design 430w itx PSU
Mouse Logitech Wireless gaming mouse
Keyboard Logitech Wireless, Xbox One S controller
Software Windows 10 pro
look closely at the board it has mini PCI-e like whats on a laptop there are some sound cards for that and there is a USB xfi card as well

Ok yeah there are some sound cards that will fit and there are some usb sound cards, HOWEVER, when dealing with an audiophile environment, XFI cards generally sound like poo. They are great for everyday all around media use but when you want the best overall sound, CMedia HD Oxy cards are great. VIA based cards are great too. Both are on a pci form factor and the Asus d2x which has an hd oxygen but is one of the only ones with pci-e. Having no pci-e option is seriously not a good idea.
 
Top