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Thread: SoundBlaster Live vs. new onboard sound

  1. #1
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    SoundBlaster Live vs. new onboard sound

    I've heard that the new onboard sound on motherboards like the MSI KT3 Ultra 2 is pretty good. Would it be better than my old SoundBlaster Live! Value in a PCI slot??

    Thank you.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Benssax's Avatar
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    I wouldn't think its better then you sound blaster. I would keep using you sound blaster.

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    Evil Lurks NDD's Avatar
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    Realtek ALC650 6-channel audio better then SB Live! ? I don't think so. It's good but can't compete with SB Live!
    And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers

  4. #4
    Ultimate Member Giblet Plus!'s Avatar
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    The only onboard sound that's better than the SB Live! is the onboard sound in the nforce motherboards.
    This is where my signature would go if I wasn't so lazy.

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    The Live! 's cost peanuts noadays, go forth and purchase

    --Jakk

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    Ultimate Member Beeblequix's Avatar
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    Keep in mind something: onboard audio is not free in terms of system resources it gobbles up. I'll illustrate.

    I had the same question about my old A7V266-E. I tested my 3dmark performance with 1) onboard audio 2) using my Soundblaster Live Platinum5.1.

    The results were that I was acheiving ~9400 3dmarks by NOT using onboard audio, but only ~7000 3dmarks while USING onboard audio. As far as quality...:shrug: I couldn't tell the difference, but admittedly I only use 3 piece speakers anyway.

    Point being that onboard **** takes performance away from you in a big way, especially with audio.

    ßeeßle Qµix
    "all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others".
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    The benchmark in 3dmark doesn't even use any sound, why would it make a difference? Does just the fact of having onboard sound enabled use up resources even when its not being used???

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    Standard 3d mark 2001 benchmarks shouldnt even be run with sound enabled

    --Jakk

  9. #9
    Evil Lurks NDD's Avatar
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    Ja !

    Gotcha
    And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers

  10. #10
    Ultimate Member Giblet Plus!'s Avatar
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    Originally posted by Beeblequix

    Point being that onboard **** takes performance away from you in a big way, especially with audio.

    ßeeßle Qµix
    Not so with the nforce 2 audio, which another thread suggests Bob43's interested in. The nforce audio is the same as the Xbox's audio.
    This is where my signature would go if I wasn't so lazy.

  11. #11
    Senior Member strat1's Avatar
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    I have the MSI KT3 and I did not like the ob- sound so I kept my SB Live and it was MUCH BETTER~~~~


    GO with a separate card every time~

    There are some old posts on here describing the same questions!

  12. #12
    Ultimate Member Giblet Plus!'s Avatar
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    My point is that Bob43 is looking at nforce 2 boards, and those have great onboard audio, unlike pretty much any other motherboard.
    This is where my signature would go if I wasn't so lazy.

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    Ok. I have a Pentium 4 2.4B Ghz, 512 DDR 2100 RAM, Geforce4 Ti4200, with On board C-Media sound. You mean to tell me if i pop in an audigy or a live that I'll improve my 3dmarks from ~10 to 12 or 13k? (That's tested with sound btw).
    Pentium 4 2.4B Ghz (Stock HSF)
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  14. #14
    Ultimate Member AllGamer's Avatar
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    Not exactely

    a better SOUND CARD does not mean better 3D MARKS!!!

    SOUND CARD is for SOUND QUALITY
    not for SPEED

    so is 2 different world

    and in some cases it might even slow down the system

    just like running an ATI vs the nVidia,

    meanwhile ATI offers better quality, nVidia is faster

    same goes with Sound Blasters


  15. #15
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    Originally posted by AllGamer
    Not exactely

    a better SOUND CARD does not mean better 3D MARKS!!!

    SOUND CARD is for SOUND QUALITY
    not for SPEED

    so is 2 different world

    and in some cases it might even slow down the system

    just like running an ATI vs the nVidia,

    meanwhile ATI offers better quality, nVidia is faster

    same goes with Sound Blasters

    That is not necessarily true either... All sound cards take up a certain amount of system resources... Generally speaking, OB sound takes up MORE resources AND has LESSER quality sound. Other cards might take up less resournces AND give better quality sound. There isn't necessarily a direct corralation between the two... What I and others are trying to figure out is, why would a 3dmark score be affected when swapping sound cards, when the benchmark doesn't even utilize the soundcard??? Now when actually playing a game with sound, then I can see how a real sound card would speedup the overall game because it would be takeing up less resources than the onboard sound would.

    -Ramon

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