is onboard sound any good for games?

[Captain Canuck]

Does anyone use/have a decent onboard or integrated sound chip that they use for gaming and DVDs?

Are you happy with it?

Just curious cause I'm upgrading and my new mobo has the CMI8738 6 channel integrated sound and I'm wondering if it's worth buying a whole new PCI sound card...

I hear that the CMI8738 chip is pretty good but it can impact performance in games etc...

but is it really that bad?

any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated

cheers

[I.R]

I use AC97...... it's okay........ does the job but that's about it....... games run fine...... and one less thing to worry about when OCing ;)

[Hans]

My XP-333 on-board audio (which uses CMI 8738) isn't all that great. The sound is dull and the bass isn't that deep. Hated it. The 2/4 speaker switch is a pain in the arse, sometime it doesn't even work.

The other PC also uses a CMI-8738 chip (Soyo Dragon+). It's a family PC thus only 2 speaker output on a crappy Boston Acustic. The sound still sucks. It had trouble playing 48 KHz files though.

Don't even get me started on AC 97' sounds. Ditch the *****.

If you can, get a SB Live. Their sound quality is much better than these onboard craps. It's cheap as well, second hand.

Yes, the CMI-8738 does impact on gaming performances, ~5% more than a card with a real DSP. But I don't think you need to worry too much if you have a decent CPU.

[Captain Canuck]

yeah thats pretty much what I suspected...

why do top of the line mobos bother with onboard sound if just about everybody is gonna replace it with a PCI sound card?

whats the point?

I have an old original SBLive! Gamer sound card but it's over 3 years old and I just thought that the newer onboard solutions might be better than the old Live!s

Since I don't have a 5.1 or 6.1 sound setup I was thinking of getting a Hercules Fortissimo II or Phillips card as an upgrade to the Live!

I really am sick of driver issues with Creative Sound Blasters - as I've had my share with this one...

They couldn't even get it right with the Audigy and Win XP!!

[SilverPriest]

Hmmm, i used AC97 for a while, and its SQ is better than my AWE32, but it hisses, so im back on the AWE32 :D
Havent had much experience with the CMI8738, but a couple of mates use it, and they have no complaints.
Apprently it's a lot better then ac97, but its still kinda ghey as far as sound go.
Do keep in mind this is what i have read, as im deaf as a post anyway.
Or so people keep shouting @ me ;)
Well, AE here i come.
I hope i can tell the diff :D

[Gremlin]

8738 here also, seems pretty good, got it hooked up to a set of those 4+sub Cambridge Soundworks speakers that I got cheap when I brought my first SBLive card, personally I think it sounds nice but that could be more the speakers than the CMI8738 perhaps.

[I.R]

Hercules Fortissimo II is cool :D That's what I got my eye on... after PSU, mobo etc etc etc
Luberly optical in/out....... very cool if you have a minidisc recorder with optical in ;) and it's like $120 ish :D

[DiscoStu]

Originally posted by I.R
Hercules Fortissimo II is cool :D That's what I got my eye on...
Luberly optical in/out....... very cool if you have a minidisc recorder with optical in ;) and it's like $120 ish :D
Yep - it's a pretty good card for the price tag.

If you hang around a week or two I might be able to shed some light on a few more ;)

[TheChosen_1]

Yeah I got AC97 sound, and its not that bad for onboard sound. Some people seem to have alot of troubles with but I havnt had any. Its fine for me for games.

TheChosen_1

[Humantuckshop]

For what it's worth i've used both the AC97 and the CMI8738. I found the CMI to be better, especially when playing music from a CD.
Apparently tho the CMI chip uses up more CPU cycles than AC97.

[Wibber]

heh... I pity the foo who has to use AC97 on KT133/A boards.., the later AC97 an the CMI chips aint too bad.. I have an onboard Vibra 128 and its really good, output is a bit low though, the same chip of a different board is much louder... I say keep the SB live...

[Gh0s7 L3mUr]

Like Hans I'm using Iwill's onboard at the moment. Can't really complain for what it is. Ok so yes I can :mad:. But I won't bother as my Gametheatre XP arrives this week and then I'll be freeeee :D

In summory where possible don't use onboard. Unless of course like me you use it temporarily so you can save and get something nice. :)

[Captain Canuck]

well I appreciate all the advice and suggestions...

but suppose you only have 2 speakers and have had enough of driver problems with the SBLive! (non 5.1)

is it really worth shelling out 300 bucks for a GTXP or 200 for an AE or Audigy?

I mean - an onboard chip capable of 6 channel surround has got to be able to handle basic 2 speaker EAX functions in games right?

[Ragnor]

Originally posted by Captain Canuck
well I appreciate all the advice and suggestions...

but suppose you only have 2 speakers and have had enough of driver problems with the SBLive! (non 5.1)

is it really worth shelling out 300 bucks for a GTXP or 200 for an AE or Audigy?

I mean - an onboard chip capable of 6 channel surround has got to be able to handle basic 2 speaker EAX functions in games right?

If you're not going to get speakers (or headphones) to match the quality of the soundcard.. there is no point.

Also sb live is better then 99% of onboard sound (maybe not nforce's)... yes even with the driver troubles.

In my experience EAX and onboard just doesn't work.. You're better off with it turned off.

Still once you've played on or seen a machine with a GTXP or an AE (no audigy here please.. boo.. hiss.. creative) with some semi decent speakers.. mmmm.. It's like when you play on your mates 19" or 17" True Flat monitor and you go home and your oldstyle 17" just doesn't compare...

[whetu]

oh ragnor.. i'm so proud of you :D your anti-creative skillz are finely tuned, I think my padawan is ready! w00t! :p

[Gh0s7 L3mUr]

Originally posted by Captain Canuck
well I appreciate all the advice and suggestions...

but suppose you only have 2 speakers and have had enough of driver problems with the SBLive! (non 5.1)

is it really worth shelling out 300 bucks for a GTXP or 200 for an AE or Audigy?

I mean - an onboard chip capable of 6 channel surround has got to be able to handle basic 2 speaker EAX functions in games right?

If your thinking like that, you are better off ditching the crappy 2.0 speakers getting a pair of headphones (don't have to be expensive ones to start - my Philips HP170 $40 from DSE are better than my two speaker setup) and a decent card. Of course you don't have to go for the GTXP or AE. Go next level down, ie. Fortissimo II etc.

[DiscoStu]

You've still got a number of options for sub $150 cards.
Hercules Fortissimo II, Philips Rhythmic Edge, Abit AU10.....

The Fortissimo II is a nice card, and will do the job quite nicely. I haven't tried the last two cards YET ;) so I can't really comment on them.

[Ragnor]

Originally posted by whetu
oh ragnor.. i'm so proud of you :D your anti-creative skillz are finely tuned, I think my padawan is ready! w00t! :p

heheh ;)

There's just no liking them at the moment... they really need a shake up.

Via's new sound chip will kill them I'm afraid.. Lets see via are taking a the technology from a professional level soundcard refining it for pc sound card use, are are going to sell it ton loads of manufacturers.. eg: abit, asus, soltek, msi, powercolor etc....etc

[Maverick]

Originally posted by Ragnor


heheh ;)

There's just no liking them at the moment... they really need a shake up.

Via's new sound chip will kill them I'm afraid.. Lets see via are taking a the technology from a professional level soundcard refining it for pc sound card use, are are going to sell it ton loads of manufacturers.. eg: abit, asus, soltek, msi, powercolor etc....etc

The concern is qaulity. Abits cards dont stack up there with the decent manufacturers (Creative, Philips, Diamond (when they existed and produced decent sound hardware), Turtlebeach and Guillemot/Hercules, Videologic) because sound cards arent just any old reference design slapped on some pcb.

I would stay clear of generic solutions until some manufacturers proove they can put together a high quality piece of audio hardware.

Think of the "Geforce RF filters" problems with the OEMS compared to the likes of Leadtek and Hercules 2D quality. It will be worse with soundcards!

Is the nVidia Crush sound solution going to be released as a stand alone card at all? That would be interesting if decent hardware was matched to it (Turtlebeach?).

[Grrr!!]

Just to reiterate: Onboard Sound Sucks

Except on some of the high end nForce boards :).