Onboard sound or PCI sound card

#1 XIII

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Posted 13 May 2004 - 05:43 PM

I have a Sound Blaster live 5.1 (pci sound card), i also have a onboard AC97 6.1 sound chip which come from my MSI KT4V (Via Apollo KT400).

I am running Windows XP with S2k (Athlon cooling program). Without the sound card i manage to futher reduce the temperature 5C (total 9C).

Ok my question is that should i keep using the PCI sound card? Cause the onboard sound is quite good compare with my sb live 5.1 (infact no different can be heard). I am planing to overclock further more because i get lower temperature without the card.

Some words of wisdom please?

Thanks in advance.

#2 Mertsch

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Posted 13 May 2004 - 07:04 PM

just look how the cooling apps do work ... it using BUS DISCONNET !! search google for that ... now anytime the soundcard ask for status the cooling state is aborted for short time ...

anyway ... to answere the question my way ...
the +on idle cooling is not worth NOT using a good soundcard like an Audigy2
it must be a difference of 50K then to let me think about ...

#3 XIII

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Posted 14 May 2004 - 05:18 AM

The problem is that i don't have an aydigy 2 :cry: which is way better then the onboard sound system. I only have a sb live 5.1 which might not be very powerful then the onboard sound chip or may be worse or equivalent.

#4 Mertsch

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Posted 14 May 2004 - 10:02 AM

an normal AC97 it not worth ...
If ya got to choose between SBLive! and nForce Soundstorm ... OK but just a normal AC97 ...
just use the ABLive with the PAX drivers modded to audigy and you will be fine ...

#5 XIII

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Posted 15 May 2004 - 03:04 AM

Does the Moded have any advantages? Anyway, i decided to used the PCI sound card agian, cause my system still runs in acceptable temperature after OC with the card on.

#6 Mertsch

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Posted 15 May 2004 - 08:11 AM

yes it does ... since I do not use any of the special features ... this part was equal to me ... but the sound is better for sure ...
you know its VERY hard to describe ... you jut got to try yourselfe ... it just sounds better

#7 buff-99

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Posted 18 May 2004 - 10:21 PM

You should definitely go the PCI card route
- generally they use less cpu time than an onboard soundchip, and will offer more features e.g. hardware d3d, positional sound, EAX etc - all good for gaming

SBLive 5.1 is still way better than AC97