##POLL## Gamers Sound Cards.

[Brian48]

It's not an issue of "not liking" the TBSC. The question is what's the better card for gaming and this has never been the TBSC's greatest strength compared to the Creative cards (even the SBLive in some cases), and I've had four of them over the last four years.

 

[BoomAM]

Its not that i dont like the TBSC. Its just that its over rated. Way over rated. It was good for its day, but compared to modern cards, its crap.
From both reviews and experiance from using one (mates got one, the Euro version, the sonic fury), it isnt as good a card that you think. I can mention several feature that its advertised as having, that it doesnt actually do. But doing so would spark of a war of flames.

 

[43st]

- Nforce sound is the best for gaming, it offers the lowest CPU hit.
- The M-audio has the highest quality but also hits the CPU harder, sometimes this doesn't matter so much on a fast PC.

Try to get " in hardware" out of your head, it means almost nothing for audio. Also try to get "EAX" out of your head, it means almost nothing either. The industry tries to make these buzz words mean something when they're actually a very minor player.

I'd recommend using the Nforce sound if it's an option (gaming only). Next bet would probably be the audigy (gaming only). If you're even remotely interested in quality I'd suggest the Revo.

P.S. Why hasn't Anandtech ever covered audio?

 

[SuPrEIVIE]

Originally posted by: Thera
- Nforce sound is the best for gaming, it offers the lowest CPU hit.
- The M-audio has the highest quality but also hits the CPU harder, sometimes this doesn't matter so much on a fast PC.

Try to get " in hardware" out of your head, it means almost nothing for audio. Also try to get "EAX" out of your head, it means almost nothing either. The industry tries to make these buzz words mean something when they're actually a very minor player.

I'd recommend using the Nforce sound if it's an option (gaming only). Next bet would probably be the audigy (gaming only). If you're even remotely interested in quality I'd suggest the Revo.

P.S. Why hasn't Anandtech ever covered audio?

seems that not every nforce has the same sound chip?the one to get is the one with soundstorm right?

 

[Brian48]

Originally posted by: Thera
- Nforce sound is the best for gaming, it offers the lowest CPU hit.

That doesn't necessarily make it best. The CPU overhead advantage Soundstorm has over the Creative cards is minimal at best. In fact, the difference is almost neglible. Fact of the matter is, the Audigy/Audigy2 series sound noticable better when Directsound and/or EAX is enabled, and it definitely sounds better with EAX HD which is not supported by the nForce2.

Also, unless you're running digital out with the nForce2, the analog quality is much better with the Creative cards, especially with the A2 and A2 ZS using the Cirrus Logic DACs.

 

[BoomAM]

Originally posted by: Thera
- Nforce sound is the best for gaming, it offers the lowest CPU hit.

Your contradicting yourself before you`ve started. You say later on the CPU hits regarding audio doesnt matter!.
Plus the Audigy are better than the Soundstorm, by a long way, in gaming terms. The Soundstorm is better for DVDs though.

Also try to get "EAX" out of your head, it means almost nothing either. The industry tries to make these buzz words mean something when they're actually a very minor player.

They aint "buzz words" though. There are proper techs that actually work and make quite a difference to the gaming experiance.

P.S. Why hasn't Anandtech ever covered audio?

Dunno. They should.
A big sound card group test covering all available cards would be good.

Originally posted by: Brian48
Also, unless you're running digital out with the nForce2, the analog quality is much better with the Creative cards, especially with the A2 and A2 ZS using the Cirrus Logic DACs.

Good point there!.
The Analogue outputs on a mobo baced chip will be more prone to interference from surrounding components, which on a mobo, are nearer, and hence more likely to cause the interference, which leads to more noise on the analogue outputs.
The Audigys on the other hand, will be further away from those componets, and would likely have high quality outputs and DACs.

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: Brian48

Originally posted by: Thera
- Nforce sound is the best for gaming, it offers the lowest CPU hit.

That doesn't necessarily make it best. The CPU overhead advantage Soundstorm has over the Creative cards is minimal at best. In fact, the difference is almost neglible. Fact of the matter is, the Audigy/Audigy2 series sound noticable better when Directsound and/or EAX is enabled, and it definitely sounds better with EAX HD which is not supported by the nForce2.

Also, unless you're running digital out with the nForce2, the analog quality is much better with the Creative cards, especially with the A2 and A2 ZS using the Cirrus Logic DACs.

True enough. I assumed that if one wanted a "gamer" card then they didn't care about quality and only wanted speed. If you want the best then get the Revo.

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: BoomAM

Originally posted by: Thera
- Nforce sound is the best for gaming, it offers the lowest CPU hit.

Your contradicting yourself before you`ve started. You say later on the CPU hits regarding audio doesnt matter!.
Plus the Audigy are better than the Soundstorm, by a long way, in gaming terms. The Soundstorm is better for DVDs though.

Also try to get "EAX" out of your head, it means almost nothing either. The industry tries to make these buzz words mean something when they're actually a very minor player.

They aint "buzz words" though. There are proper techs that actually work and make quite a difference to the gaming experiance.

P.S. Why hasn't Anandtech ever covered audio?

Dunno. They should.
A big sound card group test covering all available cards would be good.

Originally posted by: Brian48
Also, unless you're running digital out with the nForce2, the analog quality is much better with the Creative cards, especially with the A2 and A2 ZS using the Cirrus Logic DACs.

Good point there!.
The Analogue outputs on a mobo baced chip will be more prone to interference from surrounding components, which on a mobo, are nearer, and hence more likely to cause the interference, which leads to more noise on the analogue outputs.
The Audigys on the other hand, will be further away from those componets, and would likely have high quality outputs and DACs.

A well designed circuit will have no interference.

 

[BoomAM]

Originally posted by: Thera
A well designed circuit will have no interference.

Actually it would.
It can get interference from other surrounding devices.
For example.
You could have a £500 Set of speakers. With a well designed amp. Set off your mobile phone near it and you`ll hear all the interference that it creates.
All circuits have some sort of interference.

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: BoomAM

Originally posted by: Thera
A well designed circuit will have no interference.

Actually it would.
It can get interference from other surrounding devices.
For example.
You could have a £500 Set of speakers. With a well designed amp. Set off your mobile phone near it and you`ll hear all the interference that it creates.
All circuits have some sort of interference.

Don't put your speakers, amp and cellphone in your PC case and you should be fine.

 

[BoomAM]

Originally posted by: Thera
Don't put your PC speakers, amp and cellphone in your PC case and you chould be fine.

LOL.
But you can see my point?
There are alot of devices inside PCs that can give out interference. And thats not taking into account the stuff around PCs as well.
To be be honest, there will be little difference internally between and PCI or a Mobo baced card, maybe a 1-2% difference, but its still there.

 

[hxllywxxd]

 

[zodder]

I decided to try out the onboard nForce2 Soundstorm and see how that compares to my TBSC. Music sounds very different on it thru my BA7800s. I'll have to see how it does in Call of Duty.

 

[hxllywxxd]

If time were money, my audigy 2 platinum would be costing me upwards of a grand. Despite negative reviews of it, the numerous features wooed me to buy it. I have had nothing but problems with it, and as far as I can tell, it forever tweaked my system, even after uninstalling. Do a little more research on this card, and you'll find I may be speaking for the majority.

 

[RadDreamer]

I use a SB Live!

 

[BoomAM]

Originally posted by: hxllywxxd
If time were money, my audigy 2 platinum would be costing me upwards of a grand. Despite negative reviews of it, the numerous features wooed me to buy it. I have had nothing but problems with it, and as far as I can tell, it forever tweaked my system, even after uninstalling. Do a little more research on this card, and you'll find I may be speaking for the majority.

The A2 uses the same drivers as the A1. I have a A1. Its working perfectly. Allways has done. Its mainly the actual games that cause the problems.
Its mostly hit and miss with Creative drivers. For everyone that it works perfectly for, there will be an equal number of ppl that it doesnt.

 

[Mitzi]

I must be tone deaf...I've been using my onboard AC97 sound for about 18 months through a pair of generic 2 channel POS speakers and think it sounds great

 

[suklee]

Nforce2 on-board sound (Abit NF7-S)

 

[CraigRT]

onboard NForce2.. works perfect

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: nick1985

Originally posted by: oalvarez
motherboard and headphones for me