Do you need a sound card with a high end motherboard

Jabout

Jabout

Jabout

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Joined
8 Oct 2005
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59
I have some Edifier S550 5.1 speakers and they work very well with my PCI Creative Card.

However, the next motherboard may well be SLI'ed or X-Fire'ed, which will probably necessitate a move to a PCI Express sound card.

But is it really worth installing a sound card into high end motherboard these days?
 
Which card do you have currently?

If you've got something like a X-Fi Xtreme Music/Gamer, then you will probably notice a drop in SQ moving to onboard audio.

Although onboard audio has got better, it's still no match for a decent sound card, IMO.

People have varying experiences though. Some find any difference marginal, for others it's quite a substantial difference.

Best thing to do, is when you get your next system up and running. Try the speakers with the onboard, and see whether you can hear a drop in SQ. If not, then stick with the onboard audio.

If you do notice a drop, then it depends how you find the onboard sound. If it sounds poor, then you get always get a sound card. Maybe a Xonar DX. Very good card for the money.
 
A good sound card will always be an improvement on 'good' on board audio. How big an improvement is subjective though. However if you want the best sound quality from your computer then go for the dedicated sound card.

Also regarding your comment about crossfiring /sli in the future - why would that mean you would need a pci-express sound card? Surely it would be the other way around i.e. with the 2 graphics cards taking up both PCI-express slots and the sound card in one of the remaining pci slots? You wont have any less PCI slots than before right?
 
It's the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatality Platinum - Supposedly it does 24bit, 192000Hz

Thanks for the recommendation!
 
Hi Blusky,

You're right, but I wanted to leave as much space between the two video cards - to help keep them well ventialted - which usually just leaves the little express slot above the
1st graphic card.

~S~
 
Jabout said:
Hi Blusky,

You're right, but I wanted to leave as much space between the two video cards - to help keep them well ventialted - which usually just leaves the little express slot above the
1st graphic card.

~S~
Click to expand...

Fair enough. My board has an extra PCI slot away from my graphics cards so I didn't think about that, but I see your logic.
 
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