How are you supposed to fit dedicated sound cards on new motherboards?

[dpodblood]

I've been browsing through some motherboards on newegg today, and I started wondering; how can you fit a dedicated sound card (or any other PCI card) into a modern gaming system? It seems like the PCI slots would get blocked off by the double slot GPU coolers present on nearly all mid/high end video cards these days. In an SLI/Crossfire system it would be extra impossible.

 

[jd254]

usb?

 

[fffblackmage]

Maybe most people don't use them? They're pointless if you use digital out from the mobo. In my case, I'm still using analog, but my speaker setup isn't good enough that a dedicated sound card would be desirable.

 

[IGemini]

This is when people consider board layout. My X-Fi has stuck with me since my pre-build days but I've still managed to find room for it. I could make my system into a Crossfire setup...except for my video card's obnoxiously large stock cooler.

There's also the fact that many sound cards (especially high-end ones) coming out these days are PCI-E. It's become more of a niche market these days, since onboard satisfies most needs.

 

[memory]

I am using a pci sound card in my system with a double slot video card, see sig for specs. I could even use two cards in SLI if I wanted to but heat and airflow might become a problem.

I can not live without my sound card. IMO, it sounds much better than onboard sound.

 

[Rifter]

get a pcie card, most boards have a 1x pcie slot above the first 16x slot. thats what im doing.

 

[Throckmorton]

There are a few really good USB sound cards. Here is one http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MobilePre.html

 

[beginner99]

Invest in better speakers. IMHO that will make a much bigger difference. (but also price wise )

 

[jackschmittusa]

None of my AMD, atx boards has a problem with 2-slot vid and a pci sound card. Matx would be another story.

 

[cody_horner]

Buy an Asus Xonar - awesome dedicated card with a great DSP. PCI-E 1x slot, and as mentioned you can usually find one in a convenient location on newer boards.

I have a dedicated sound card with digital out to my receiver and floorstanding Klipsch monitors. Awesome sound for everything I do. Onboard sound, even with digital out won't be quite as good. If you buy a really good set of speakers, but have them hooked to a cheap sound-source you're not better off.

If anything, if you have a great sound processing device with a good SNR you will know at very least it will make your cheaper speakers sound as good as they possibly can.

 

[s44]

Since the best signal is HDMI from your video card, it doesn't matter.

 

[cody_horner]

How is HDMI from your video card the best output? It uses software CODEC's to produce the audio - albeit the same 'cheap' crud that is thrown in on motherboard to merely provide some form of sound processing.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

I will be going Xfire, so I was playing around with my options also. First off I had a P5K-E until it died just last week. I bought a Xonar DX, based on the layout of the board, using a PCI slot wasn't the best way to go, and the on board sound for that board was not good. After getting my new mobo, which pretty much has the same layout as my Asus did, it was either use the Xonar or on board. Well I was surprised at the on board sound of the Realtek ALC889, so that is what I am using for now. The Xonar was returned, maybe down the road I will get another, for me its PCI-E or on board.

 

[dpodblood]

Since the best signal is HDMI from your video card, it doesn't matter.

Any sound you're getting from video card HDMI is only pass through from another device...

 

[Dice144]

From what I remember if you are using the digital port IE SPDIF (Optical)port and you connect it to a reciever the stereo is doing the audio processing so a "high end" sound card does nothing.

I use to be a Creative X-FI fanboy till I started playing with Linux. Only issue I have had with onboard was when using the analog jacks. Sometimes you get noise. Since using digital port I can see no valid reason to ever use analog again. Granted buying a 5.1 surround sound polk speaker setup cost me alot it was well worth it. It should out last my next 3 PC upgrades. (I upgrade every 6-12 months.)

 

[Rifter]

From what I remember if you are using the digital port IE SPDIF (Optical)port and you connect it to a reciever the stereo is doing the audio processing so a "high end" sound card does nothing.

I use to be a Creative X-FI fanboy till I started playing with Linux. Only issue I have had with onboard was when using the analog jacks. Sometimes you get noise. Since using digital port I can see no valid reason to ever use analog again. Granted buying a 5.1 surround sound polk speaker setup cost me alot it was well worth it. It should out last my next 3 PC upgrades. (I upgrade every 6-12 months.)

This is true, optical(or any digital) out to a receiver from onboard would be fine. IMO the only point of adding a discreet card would be for good analog output(so can run small power amp, not large reciever). A headphone amp, or better DAC.

Or to do 192khz/24bit digital output. Some onboard audio chipsets max out at 96khz.

 

[dpodblood]

From what I remember if you are using the digital port IE SPDIF (Optical)port and you connect it to a reciever the stereo is doing the audio processing so a "high end" sound card does nothing.

Yep that's correct. Only problem with that is a decent receiver and set of 5.1 speakers is going to cost you as much as much or more than a gaming PC.

 

[Rifter]

Yep that's correct. Only problem with that is a decent receiver and set of 5.1 speakers is going to cost you as much as much or more than a gaming PC.

yeah there is always that but good audio is worth it.

 

[dpodblood]

yeah there is always that but good audio is worth it.

Indeed. One day when I move from my apartment to a house I will be buying a good system for my PC. The good news is when you buy a good sound system it will last for years, unlike a PC that will be obsolete after only a couple of years.