Basic sound card question

Tanatz

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 13, 2006
Messages
271
It is known that on-board sound cards take CPU cycles away from other processes, i.e. gaming. What about with a dual (or quad) core system? Is performance still hindered by on-board sound?
 
Its not really a problem these days unless you have near the minimum CPU for a game.
I dont include this issue as a consideration when someone buys a gaming CPU, the Intels all pretty much kick ass.
 
Tanatz,

there still will be a different, since is an extra process, but will you be able to notice it? I don't think so,

oh and depends also how you use your sound card, if for example if you send the signal of the onboard via
digital to a home threather box, then your sound card won't do anything, it will just pass the sound forward, that have been the case with me,

but since I wanted better "game" support I opted for a name brand, which I like the difference,

good luck, and don't worry about it,

sam
 
fwiw, if you're putting together a new system, ADI (Analog Devices) onboard codecs are much better about CPU use than Realtek's, last I heard.
 
FPS performance? Probably not
Sound quality and upmixing and downmixing features? Big difference

If you are big into sound, I would get an X-Fi for games, or a Xonar for games and music. If not you can get by with onboard and kernel streaming on Foobar for music; games will sound pretty bad though and you will be at a competitive disadvantage in first-person shooters.

My 2 cents.
 
I got the Audigy 2 ZS back in 2005. Gaming and music sounded much better than my onboard.

I would suggest you find one of these if you can.
 
I got the Audigy 2 ZS back in 2005. Gaming and music sounded much better than my onboard.

I would suggest you find one of these if you can.

lets memember the issues with creative labs and vista, I would follow this advice if only I were to use xp, but for vista there would be a need for modified drivers and the such if you want good game support, etc, because creative labs wants to make money off the transsition rather than support their old products, they want you to go and buy a new card...

sam
 
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