Question B660 Motherboard audio ALC897 for gaming

[autoblogart]

Hi . I am planing to get a Soyo b660m classic motherboars from aliexpress due to its good reviews and stuff and good value and use it with an i3 12100. But I have seen that the audio is 5.1 and it's a realtek Alc 897 . I have seen in a video it's a mediocre. I don't know what is that. You can double check .

The thing I am worried about in this mobo is the sound

What is the difference between 5.1 and 7.1

Is alc 897 good ? Gaming and listening to videos

If I did plug my headphone will sound be 7.1 and better ?

If I talk in Mic will my voice be clear ?

My headphone I got it from aliexpress and it's unbranded and 7.1
Thank you

 

[USAFRet]

What is the difference between 5.1 and 7.1

If you don't already know the difference between 5.1 and 7.1, the audio on the motherboard is almost certainly just fine.

Why buying this from aliexpress?

 

[autoblogart]

If you don't already know the difference between 5.1 and 7.1, the audio on the motherboard is almost certainly just fine.

Why buying this from aliexpress?

My country doesn't have where to buy from. And if I buy from newegg or Amazon shipping is above 200$ to my country morocco

I guess this is the only budget b660 I can go with

Will it be fine ? And sound in hd and I hear well in games and also will my Mic will not be noisy ?

 

[USAFRet]

Will your audio be fine?
Probably.

 

[autoblogart]

Will your audio be fine?
Probably.

Okey listen I am in 2 options either I go with this Soyo b660m or I get a b560 gigabyte aorus elite with a 11th gen i5 11400 or 10400 cpu this is my budget what do you suggest

 

[Karadjgne]

5.1 / 7.1 is surround sound. 5.1 is 4 surround speaker, 1 center channel and 1 subwoofer. 7.1 is 6 surround speaker, 1 center channel and 1 sub.

So if all you have is a couple of speakers, stereo, then you'll not need to worry about surround capability. If using headphones, they cannot use physical surround, although there are some seriously expensive models that have multiple drivers in each cup to simulate surround.

Most headphones are plain stereo and use a software simulated surround that just tricks your ears.

For a simple stereo setup with standard pc speakers, or cheaper headphones, you couldn't tell any of the ALC apart. It takes expensive setups used by audiophiles and sound junkies to see any real differences, and takes an audiophile to be mindful of the differences.

 

[autoblogart]

5.1 / 7.1 is surround sound. 5.1 is 4 surround speaker, 1 center channel and 1 subwoofer. 7.1 is 6 surround speaker, 1 center channel and 1 sub.

So if all you have is a couple of speakers, stereo, then you'll not need to worry about surround capability. If using headphones, they cannot use physical surround, although there are some seriously expensive models that have multiple drivers in each cup to simulate surround.

Most headphones are plain stereo and use a software simulated surround that just tricks your ears.

For a simple stereo setup with standard pc speakers, or cheaper headphones, you couldn't tell any of the ALC apart. It takes expensive setups used by audiophiles and sound junkies to see any real differences, and takes an audiophile to be mindful of the differences.

What a good explanation . So for example if I use a 7.1 headphone (none usb )and mobo only support 5.1 it will turn 7.1 ? My headphone is unbranded by the way got it from aliexpress and it has an amazing sound I was having an old optiplex 390 with it

By the way the 5.1 and 7.1 stuff is related only to the speakers that you plug and they spread voice aground ? Sorry first time I see 5.1 and 7.1 not much in for about that


One more question does this 5.1 and 7.1 affect gaming or videos listening ? And also is the Mic quality and clear voice related to that port in motherboard so when you plug a headphone Mic jack in rear the mobo the quality of Mic is determinated from that audio alc 897 ?

What do you think of Soyo b660m motherboard ?

 

[KyaraM]

What a good explanation . So for example if I use a 7.1 headphone (none usb )and mobo only support 5.1 it will turn 7.1 ? My headphone is unbranded by the way got it from aliexpress and it has an amazing sound I was having an old optiplex 390 with it

By the way the 5.1 and 7.1 stuff is related only to the speakers that you plug and they spread voice aground ? Sorry first time I see 5.1 and 7.1 not much in for about that


One more question does this 5.1 and 7.1 affect gaming or videos listening ? And also is the Mic quality and clear voice related to that port in motherboard so when you plug a headphone Mic jack in rear the mobo the quality of Mic is determinated from that audio alc 897 ?

What do you think of Soyo b660m motherboard ?

It won't turn 7.1. But you won't hear the difference either way because it is irrelevant for your use case. Mic will likely be fine, too.

About the MB, it's a Chinese one and you might run into support issues if they don't explicitly sell to your market. I don't think anyone can give you rl experiences with that vendor since they aren't historically selling in the west. But that is also stated in the reviews I have read, I can't tell you more. Personally I would get a different board like the MSI Pro B660M-A, buf if that's all you can get...

 

[SkyNetRising]

Okey listen I am in 2 options either I go with this Soyo b660m or I get a b560 gigabyte aorus elite with a 11th gen i5 11400 or 10400 cpu this is my budget what do you suggest

Gigabyte certainty has better support - BIOS updates, driver downloads.

Soyo support page is all in Chineese. I hope you can read it.
http://www.soyocn.net/2022/0106/2846.html

 

[autoblogart]

It won't turn 7.1. But you won't hear the difference either way because it is irrelevant for your use case. Mic will likely be fine, too.

About the MB, it's a Chinese one and you might run into support issues if they don't explicitly sell to your market. I don't think anyone can give you rl experiences with that vendor since they aren't historically selling in the west. But that is also stated in the reviews I have read, I can't tell you more. Personally I would get a different board like the MSI Pro B660M-A, buf if that's all you can get...

The problem is when I did search in aliexpress for msi b660m pro -a it's super overpriced reaching 210$ + shipping while in Amazon or neweegg I will be charged at least 100$ for shipping and then freaking customs taxes . So aliexpress is the only place I can get from

The b660m Soyo classic is bundled with an i3 12100 for a 270$ including shipping

Or I have another option and it's going down to 10/11th gen . And get a Gigabyte aorus elite b560




2) I play pubg if I get the Soyo b660m will the sound be good . I use my headphone by the way. One more thing to mention is that I was using an optiplex 390 motherboard and the sound is good for me . Is that Soyo sound better than 390 motherboard ?

 

[autoblogart]

Gigabyte certainty has better support - BIOS updates, driver downloads.

Soyo support page is all in Chineese. I hope you can read it.
http://www.soyocn.net/2022/0106/2846.html

For sure the gigabyte is better but do I have to sacrifice 12 gen and down to 11gen ?
By the way is the 5.1 and 7.1 affect gaming ? Like pubg for example footsteps and fire sound is 5.1 and 7.1 give the same listening ?

 

[SkyNetRising]

By the way is the 5.1 and 7.1 affect gaming ? Like pubg for example footsteps and fire sound is 5.1 and 7.1 give the same listening ?

Doesn't matter in the slightest.

If you're using headphones with single 3.5mm jack, then only 2 channels go into headset (not counting mic connection - that is mono, not even stereo). Any multi channel audio in headset is just simulated.
If you're using USB connected headset, then audio controller is in the headset. It doesn't use motherboard audio at all.

 

[Karadjgne]

I play CSGO occasionally, using headphones.
What almost all headphones can do is plain stereo. Left ear, right ear. However, some software is specifically designed to tailor the sound outputs using microsecond pauses, lengthening sound notes, changing amplitudes etc. It's simulated surround, fake. It'll make sounds like footsteps coming up behind you get louder, closer they get. It Can help in some games, but if it's crappy software it can also hurt by dampening the sounds too far and they get muddy and lost in other current noises.

You'll need to experiment on a per game basis.

When listening to music with headphones or simple speaker setup, stick with stereo playback or the music really gets awful sounding.

(2 channels = stereo skynet, right|left|combined ground. it's different to a mono jack that only has a single plastic seperator.)

 

[autoblogart]

I play CSGO occasionally, using headphones.
What almost all headphones can do is plain stereo. Left ear, right ear. However, some software is specifically designed to tailor the sound outputs using microsecond pauses, lengthening sound notes, changing amplitudes etc. It's simulated surround, fake. It'll make sounds like footsteps coming up behind you get louder, closer they get. It Can help in some games, but if it's crappy software it can also hurt by dampening the sounds too far and they get muddy and lost in other current noises.

You'll need to experiment on a per game basis.

When listening to music with headphones or simple speaker setup, stick with stereo playback or the music really gets awful sounding.

(2 channels = stereo skynet, right|left|combined ground. it's different to a mono jack that only has a single plastic seperator.)

I have a question if i did plug a headphone the .microphone quality will be determinated by onboard audio chipset ? Or it has nothing to do with that ? The microphone in headset and no noise in background and hd voice. Did you got my point?

I want my mic to be clear and HD voice no background noise at all