Add a Sound card Yes or No

Search Calendars FAQ Login Log Out

Add a Sound card Yes or No

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> [Hardware] >> Motherboards >> Add a Sound card Yes or No

Page: [1]

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/5/2009 11:26:17 AM

Maxum

Posts: 104
Joined: 8/2/2009
From: Ohio, USA
Status: offline

It looks like I am going with a Intel® Core™ i7 920 Processor (4x 2.66GHz/8MB L3 Cache) with

Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset CrossFire and SLI Supported w/7.1 Sound, Triple-Channel DDR3, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, 3-Way SLI PCI-E MB 3-Way SLI.

or

Asus P6T Deluxe V2 Intel X58 Chipset CrossFire and SLI Supported w/7.1 Sound, Triple-Channel DDR3, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, Three PCI-E MB .

Both have 7.1 Sound on board. Do I need to get a sound card or is the on board sound good?

Post #: 1

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/5/2009 1:43:30 PM

Element7812

Posts: 331
Joined: 6/7/2009
Status: offline

onboard sounds fine, and im sure everyone will agree with me on this. unless u really r a audiophile and want crazy good sound, skip the card, if u want to SLI or Crossfire a lot of the times there isnt enough room for a sound card anyway

_____________________________

i7 920
CM V8
eVGA X58
1000W Corsair hx
6GB RAM 1600mhz
2 eVGA GTX 285s in SLI
CM HAF 932
Blu-ray/card reader/XION temp monitor

C.R.Y.S.I.S. Enthusiast -FTW

(in reply to Maxum)

Post #: 2

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/5/2009 2:02:47 PM

Freelancer

Posts: 114
Joined: 8/1/2009
Status: offline

I personally got a sound card. The 3-D positional audio on onboard sound has always sucked when compared to a dedicated sound card. Not to mention sound quality was usually pretty bad on a decent speaker system or headphones. For Vista the newer X-FI Titaniums have new process over EAX called ALchemy. Vista has doesn't use EAX anymore so many of those integrated sound options won't work to the fullest anymore. The X-Fi Titanium series are PCI-E x1 instead of PCI slot cards now. I got an X-FI Titanium and it fits just fine on the PCI-E x4 slot above the first PCI-E x16 slot on the ASUS P6T Deluxe V2. I personally believe that a good sound card with spot on 3-D positional audio is a near must have for gaming. Once you get it on your favorite FPS you'll wonder why you never used it before.

(in reply to Element7812)

Post #: 3

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/5/2009 2:05:43 PM

Element7812

Posts: 331
Joined: 6/7/2009
Status: offline

its really a personal preference i think, i have the EVGA X58 3xSLI board and the sound in Crysis sounds as good as anything, i dont even know how it could be better?! but as long as a gunshot sounds like a gunshot etc... im not picky. maybe eVGA boards have good audio idk

_____________________________

i7 920
CM V8
eVGA X58
1000W Corsair hx
6GB RAM 1600mhz
2 eVGA GTX 285s in SLI
CM HAF 932
Blu-ray/card reader/XION temp monitor

C.R.Y.S.I.S. Enthusiast -FTW

(in reply to Freelancer)

Post #: 4

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/5/2009 2:41:55 PM

Freelancer

Posts: 114
Joined: 8/1/2009
Status: offline

Like I said, the biggest thing for me on a gaming sound card is true 3-D positional audio. Not to mention all the subtle nuances of sound you get that you don't even realize that you were missing before. From the sound of a bullet tearing through flesh to hitting body armor. Of the bullet ricocheting off a wall and hitting a tree. The sound of the brass ejecting from your weapon and hearing each individual casing land. Walking through a cave and being able to pick out echoing footsteps of adversaries from an exact location. These are just a few things you get. Not to mention the amount of channels(simulatneous sounds at a time NOT speaker channels,) is much higher with a dedicated card rather than an integrated sound chip. It also takes a bit of stress off the CPU since the CPU doesn't have to calculate the sound data then send to the onboard sound chip which will then decode the sound stream to the DAC. Yeah the integrated sound chip might be just enough. It's when you experience a good sound card that's properly functioning at it's fullest, that you realize that you have really been missing out.

Here's a review of the X-FI Fatal1ty Pro. A higher end card but nearly the same as the X-Fi Titanium minus a few ports.

Creative X-FI Titanium Fatal1ty Pro Review

(in reply to Element7812)

Post #: 5

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/5/2009 7:02:18 PM

Maxum

Posts: 104
Joined: 8/2/2009
From: Ohio, USA
Status: offline

Thanks guys for your input on this.

(in reply to Freelancer)

Post #: 6

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/6/2009 11:49:53 AM

Element7812

Posts: 331
Joined: 6/7/2009
Status: offline

haha that guy got into it! i guess that could be true... im sure with onboard if u turn up the volume u could hear it... but then again i just run and gun, no time for footsteps

_____________________________

i7 920
CM V8
eVGA X58
1000W Corsair hx
6GB RAM 1600mhz
2 eVGA GTX 285s in SLI
CM HAF 932
Blu-ray/card reader/XION temp monitor

C.R.Y.S.I.S. Enthusiast -FTW

(in reply to Maxum)

Post #: 7

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/6/2009 1:05:20 PM

Freelancer

Posts: 114
Joined: 8/1/2009
Status: offline

It doesn't exactly require time. On an FPS it can actually get quite reactionary. Used to play Counter-strike real heavily and 3-D positional audio was a must. When most others were using onboard all they really heard were just footsteps in general. If they were moving then it was just theirs and maybe 2 others with no positional audio. Having that positional audio allowed me to do things like run by a door and hear a guy and rail him through the door for an easy kill. Or if I heard a guy running to intercept me at the end of a tunnel I could start shooting at the corner of the exit at head hight for an easy kill.

All I'm saying is that you should try it out and you might like it. You don't even have to get the top of the line either. Although with PCI slots either disappearing or being hidden under double wide PCI-E graphics cards now a days, it would be more prudent to get a simple PCI-E(x1) card that can usually fit in above or in any open PCI-E slot. One can be had for as low as $50.00.

I'm assuming since you are asking the question that you are at least interested. Read up some other reviews and try it out first yourself before just blowing it off.

(in reply to Element7812)

Post #: 8

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/6/2009 1:32:14 PM

Element7812

Posts: 331
Joined: 6/7/2009
Status: offline

counter strike is fun, so u must have surround sound speakers then right? i mean 3d sound isnt much if u only have a little 2.1 system

_____________________________

i7 920
CM V8
eVGA X58
1000W Corsair hx
6GB RAM 1600mhz
2 eVGA GTX 285s in SLI
CM HAF 932
Blu-ray/card reader/XION temp monitor

C.R.Y.S.I.S. Enthusiast -FTW

(in reply to Freelancer)

Post #: 9

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/6/2009 1:34:18 PM

Freelancer

Posts: 114
Joined: 8/1/2009
Status: offline

I use headphones. The sound cards now a days will use 3-D sound even on 2.1 and headphones now.

And yes I do have a 7.1 for when I wanna audiophile out or do some gaming without the headphones on a Friday or Saturday where I wont piss off the midshift neighbors.

< Message edited by Freelancer -- 8/6/2009 1:36:29 PM >

(in reply to Element7812)

Post #: 10

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/6/2009 8:09:25 PM

TheDloader4U

Posts: 3119
Joined: 11/27/2008
Status: offline

quote:

Both have 7.1 Sound on board. Do I need to get a sound card or is the on board sound good?

The Asus on board audio/hardware is SoundMax the quality is above average for being on board the only issue is that Asus hasn't release fully working drivers for Win 7 , I would look at it like this if you get the Deluxe v2 and you plan to SLI/CF you don't need it but if you get the P6T I would get the Audigy S.E at least for higher quality audio over the SoundMax and for Win7 readiness.

(in reply to Maxum)

Post #: 11

RE: Add a Sound card Yes or No - 8/7/2009 1:23:07 AM

Freelancer

Posts: 114
Joined: 8/1/2009
Status: offline

On the deluxe V2 the sound card can fit in the PCI-E x4 above the first PCI-E x16 slot. Video cards now a days expands in size DOWN towards the next slot. Not up one. It's one of the reasons why I chose the Deluxe V2. I get my Crossfire and sound card at the same time.

(in reply to TheDloader4U)

Post #: 12