Do you use a sound card for games?

FoxEye · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:05

Up until my last build, I did. Here's my short list of owned sound cards:

SoundBlaster 2 (PCs mostly didn't have sound back then)
Yamaha DB50XG MIDI daughterboard (waste of money!)
Aureal SonicVortex2 (pure awesome)
Hercules Fortissimo something
m-Audio Revolution

And now I just use the Realtec ALC889 chip on my motherboard. Haven't even installed any drivers for it, just let Win7 get on with that. Music sounds good, game audio quality seems OK too. But I can't shake the feeling that I must be missing something...

So the question is, if you had a pathological hatred for Creative, would you bother buying a sound card at all? (You can't have any EAX above 2.0, or Creative's patented Audio Downgrader.) Are there any cards out there which are must-haves for gaming? Cheap ones or expensive ones? And how much do they improve your gaming?

Or are there now plenty of people deciding on-board sound is good enough, for games and for music?

Fenris · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:08

I have a Xonar D2X, lovely card, never had a problem with it.

Alex74 · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:10

Hmm. I've used a cheapo Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio for a year or two now, because the 5.1 output from my motherboard was broken.

It's nice, allows for a lot of mixing, stereo expansion in the control panel, effects and so on..and of course allows for EAX.

But..if I had a working onboard chip and was only using it for gaming, then I wouldnt bother with a discrete sound card. I've found EAX isnt all that it's cracked up to be, and has made the experience worse in some games. Also had occasional compatability problems (looking at you fallout 3 -.-)

Better to invest in other components, and only get a discrete sound card when you know clearly why you need one imho

.

TheCenturion · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:14

I use onboard sound, and my Creative Fatal1ty headset sounds amazing, so I see no reason to change

Freddie589 · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:15

I use onboard but use hifi speakers so not sure if it makes a diffrence

Gimpymoo · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:17

I use an Asus Xonar DX with some Z5500's.

The onboard struggles to power the Z5500's in my opinion.

Shamikebab · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:26

I used to but I upgraded my motherboard and stuff 2 weeks ago and I didn't bother putting my soundcard back in, I haven't noticed any difference.

CaptainRAVE · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:31

Fenris said:
I have a Xonar D2X, lovely card, never had a problem with it.

+1

(with Z5500's)

mattjd · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:32

Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium.

Great card, however EAX is a load of garbage. Too much hassle to setup with audigy and when it is set up some game stutter especially Bioshock. Huge frame rates 200+ however it stutters with EAX on.

Music however is so much sharper and this is with some Logitech 5.1 speakers.

unp|dissy · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:34

Love me sound cards, imo they make a massive difference.

Using Xonar Xense card atm with senheiser headphones, really really good.

Semiskimmed · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:34

i use onboard too :cool:

dekez · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:43

I use onboard with gamecom 777 headphones, sounds good to me but I've never used a dedicated sound card (other than back in the day soundblasters) so wouldn't know if there was a difference!

Biohazard · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:45

I'm still using an Audigy 2 with breakout box.

I'm not that much of an audiophile so it does me.

Mr. May · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:48

got 2 x-fi xtreme musics in eachoff my machines any they are brilliant make a lot off diffrence when used with good speakers

AWPC · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:49

Asus Xonar D2X it makes games/movies come to life especially with headphones

Kosmiche · 22 Apr 2011 at 16:58

Used a audigy 2 zs, xfi xtreme music and now a xonar ds.

Havent really noticed any change in quality between the cards, I only have a two speaker set up and headphones though.

But even through my 2.0 speakers onboard sounds rubbish, I will always use a dedicated sound card in the future.

orderoftheflame · 22 Apr 2011 at 17:00

X-Fi Titanium atm.

Garido · 22 Apr 2011 at 17:01

I'm tone deaf. It doesn't effect my gaming or my ability to track someone in FPS games though. So yeah, never bought a sound car. My onboard is pretty good and I've been using it for a while. Though when I do buy a board I specifically aim to buy Realtek and NOT VIA. Friends have VIA audio chipsets and they are bad. Issues with voice programs and can't even boost the volume.

Boge · 22 Apr 2011 at 17:12

Well I really tried to get on with the onboard sound on my recent P8P67 Deluxe but games just sounded a bit flat and dull, something was missing.

So I installed an old creative OEM XFi that I had gathering dust and the difference was like instantly noticeable.

Effects now pan from left to right and little nuances like bullet cases tinkling and bouncing off a hard floor were back properly again.

Yes of course it took an age finding the right drivers and getting them to work but hasn't that always been half the fun of using a creative product?

Onboard sound is easy but there's a definite difference using an optical output and DTS into a half decent 5.1 gaming system, to my ears anyway.

Dano · 22 Apr 2011 at 18:02

I used A fortissimo III until I switched to W7, then went to onboard Realtek as there were no drivers available and was so sorely disappointed in the crap quality that I bought a D2X which was leaps and bounds above, now using a DG which is as good as the D2X for my useage.

Expect the D2X to show up in MM soon...