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Onboard Sound quality?

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  • 24-10-2007 4:40pm
    #1
    livEwirE
    Registered Users Posts: 1,449 ✭✭✭


    I'm just wondering is onboard sound quality usually good for movies/mp3's?

    I've ordered a new machine with this board So.775 Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R, it comes with Realtek ALC888 8 channel audio.

    I have an older Creative Labs Sound Blaster live PCI card and a Santa Cruz PCI card which I could using assuming I could find Vista drivers for them:rolleyes:

    What I want to know is will the onboard sound quality be good enough for gaming or is it still as crap as it was a few years back?

    Cheers

    ~livEwirE~


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    #2
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    Probably depends on how fussy you are. I've used onboard sound a lot, and changed to an x-fi for my new build (that is to say, when it was new). To be honest, don't notice much difference. Now, my speakers aren't great, but they're decent. After that, I just started using old sound blasters in my builds because the worst thing about onboard is that it taxes your CPU. I'd say it is worth it, if you've got good speakers, but overall it's perfectly usable for both movies and games and has definitely improved. The last onboard I used was realtek hi-def on my neo-f and I thought it was actually pretty decent. In my opinion. I know others consider onboard a blasphemy. :)


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    #3
    Dcully
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 14,710 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dcully


    Well i took delivery of a new build from komplett yesterday with this mobo
    https://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=334477
    its the same onboard sound.

    My old machine has sounblaster live and the new machine has vastly superior sound.
    Most reviews ive read about this onboard sound say its as good as the latest soundcards.
    Trust me you wont be disapointed with the sound on that board.

    Can i reccomend a set of Sennheiser headphones too.


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    #4
    Anti
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,401 ✭✭✭✭Anti


    HavoK wrote: »
    Probably depends on how fussy you are. I've used onboard sound a lot, and changed to an x-fi for my new build (that is to say, when it was new). To be honest, don't notice much difference. Now, my speakers aren't great, but they're decent. After that, I just started using old sound blasters in my builds because the worst thing about onboard is that it taxes your CPU. I'd say it is worth it, if you've got good speakers, but overall it's perfectly usable for both movies and games and has definitely improved. The last onboard I used was realtek hi-def on my neo-f and I thought it was actually pretty decent. In my opinion. I know others consider onboard a blasphemy. :)


    I agree, i think onboard is fine to be honest. The only shame is it will use your cpu. But not much. I think mp3's sound a bit better with really good speakers with the crystalizer on, but not by much.


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    #5
    Ghost Train
    Registered Users Posts: 30,257 ✭✭✭✭Ghost Train


    i have never been happy with onboard sound

    my main grip is usually the software

    have been using various surround sound sound cards from creative for several years and while the software has a horrible interface at least the sound out of the card is completely adjustable

    some onboard sound seems to lack even basic hardware adjustment, no master adjustment of bass/treble on my laptop :(

    have a three year old sony laptop with internal yamaha sound card and it sounds so much better than the onboard sound of a newish inpiron 6400

    Okay my main use for my pc is watching tv/movies, sometimes listening to music/radio, so i'm probably a bit fussy about the sound. If you have a receiver/speakers with a digital input connected to the pc then I'd imagine it would be more acceptable


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    #6
    livEwirE
    Registered Users Posts: 1,449 ✭✭✭livEwirE


    cheers Efioanaes, glad to hear you have a similar board with the same onboard sound, hopefully I won't be disappointed when my new machine arrives :D


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    #7
    Anti
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,401 ✭✭✭✭Anti


    Sound on a laptop is usually crap. Its because of the speakers, and lack of space. My last sony viao was horrible to use with speakers, but sounded great with headphones. And i agree with eolhc, the software for onboard is usually very nasty. But that said the software for a x-fi isnt great either.


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    #8
    Blazer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,434 ✭✭✭✭Blazer


    Agreed..Creative seem to make great hardware like Nvidia and Logitech and all 3 suck at the software for them.
    Onboard? Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
    The sound from my X-Fi (fatal1ty edition) is far more superior than the onboard.
    I even got one of those nifty Creative XMods for my laptop so I wouldn't have to use the onboard on my laptop. Makes a big difference. Not as good as my desktop but for €44 it's a definite improvement.


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