Benchmark: Onboard vs. Sound Card

[tmlim]

Lots of discussion about onboard versus sound card.
Thought I'd add this: <A HREF="http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-x-1240-x-x-x&body_pagenum=8" target="_new">http://hardware.gamespot.com/Story-ST-x-1240-x-x-x&body_pagenum=8</A>

"A delayed game will eventually come out, a bad game is bad forever."
-Shigeru Miyamoto

 

[Crashman]

It still depends on which onboard solution you're using. Basic codecs normally rely on the CPU for processing the sound, but some boards have the nForce APU DSP taking much of that load rather than the CPU. And OLD boards had REAL PCI SOUNDCHIPS, with the same overhead as a soundcard with the same chip.

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[tmlim]

I totally agree with you, but I put that link to show that it can make a noticable difference. If you have some no name brand onboard sound, you're most likely better off with a SoundBlaster.

"A delayed game will eventually come out, a bad game is bad forever."
-Shigeru Miyamoto

 

[Crashman]

Yeh, I've had a few boards with Soundblaster onboard.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[tmlim]

Didn't know SB onboard existed.

"A delayed game will eventually come out, a bad game is bad forever."
-Shigeru Miyamoto

 

[Crashman]

Yes, many ordinary boards have used the ES1370, 1371, and 1373 chips (SB PCI, 64PCI, 128PCI). I also had a board with the Live chip on it (produced for Creative by Shuttle).

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>