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Do I really need a sound card?

W

wicked_chicken

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 30, 2009
Messages
316
Hey guys, I've got a question.

I'm currently running a EVGA X58 board (132-BL-E758-A1, to be precise) which has got 8 channels, plus an optical out.

My question is this: What benefits am I going to get from getting a dedicated sound card? I've got a Samsung Blu-Ray (5.1) player that I'm going to start using as my receiver, but so far I haven't really been sure what my net gains are going to be from getting a dedicated card. A friend told me that the sound card will lesson the strain on my CPU, but that strikes me as a little silly as iTunes hardly touches my i7 920 at all.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I'm something of an audiophile, but it's been a long time since I've dealt with sound cards.

Also, if anyone would like to recommend a card for HD Movie, Music Mixing, and Gaming use, I'd love to hear it.

Cheers, and thanks for your help,

-Wicked
 
So long as you use the optical out to your receiver, the cpu will not be used at all.
Even if you used analog out (no idea why you would), the decoding of compressed audio wouldn't even be noticed. Today's cpus are so fast, it doesn't matter.
 
You'll want a sound card to package game audio into a Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect signal that your receiver can decode. Otherwise you'll only get surround from your DVD's/Blurays. If your onboard can't do DDL then I'd look at getting a dedicated card.
 
J Macker said:
So long as you use the optical out to your receiver, the cpu will not be used at all.
Even if you used analog out (no idea why you would), the decoding of compressed audio wouldn't even be noticed. Today's cpus are so fast, it doesn't matter.
Click to expand...

Digital vs. Analog has nothing to do with CPU usage. It's the Digital to Analog converters on the card that would do the extra processing.
 
GotNoRice said:
Digital vs. Analog has nothing to do with CPU usage. It's the Digital to Analog converters on the card that would do the extra processing.
Click to expand...

Onboard audio usually doesn't do a hardware decode, which is why he called it out. He wasn't talking about a card.
 
-=Antimatter=- said:
You'll want a sound card to package game audio into a Dolby Digital Live or DTS Connect signal that your receiver can decode. Otherwise you'll only get surround from your DVD's/Blurays. If your onboard can't do DDL then I'd look at getting a dedicated card.
Click to expand...

Is this something most newer sound cards are capable of doing? I'd like to grab something locally at Best Buy. I usually see Creative Cards there. Is there anything special I should look for?
 
^ creative sucks. I've been bitten by them time and time again. Don't support their crap. Look up the SB1040 for the most recent trick I've been cheated on.

This post was not me - but it echos my sentiments exactly
http://www.epinions.com/review/Crea..._Xtreme_Audio_Hard_Drive/content_469904952964

Oddly enough we had the same previous card. Both my audigy 2 and my new X-Fi card pop and crack in vista x64 or win 7 x64.

I'm going to have to resort to onboard, or buy a different brand. Creative is not the company they once were ( A LONG LONG TIME ago - like SB AWE 64 days) Their first deceptions started in the SB Live 5.1 days - cards that weren't even truly 5.1...

Those deceptions, increasingly bloated drivers, and crappy support have only gotten worse over the last decade. Why does the X-Fi Xtreme audio have to download some 200MBs of drivers and crapware to still crackle and pop in Windows 7?

you have been warned...
 
Last edited:
Yeah, I've been creative free for about 9 years now. SB Live value I think was my last (and only) creative card. Life is good. Stinky Turtle Beach never gave us vista drivers for the Santa Cruz though. :(

Oh well... receivers are greener pastures.
 
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