Shootout: Nforce2 Soundsurge or SBLive 5.1?

doctorm · Jul 3, 2004, 01:19 AM

I just updated my system and I can't decide which I should go with.

The choice: SB Live! 5.1 X-Gamer or Nforce2 SoundStorm (on an NF7-S mobo).

What I know (or think I know) the Pro's to be:

SBLive5.1 can decode Dolby Digital in software (my speakers are analog 5.1) [As far as I know FarCry is about the only game where 5.1 is even used. Would the SB have the advantage or does the Nforce do something with DD to pass it to analog speakers? I know with DVD's the software player does the job, so I'm asking in-game here.]

Both Cards can decode Dolby Surround Sound (or some proprietary variation of it?)

NF Soundstorm has 64 channels of sound; SBLive's Official drivers for some reason doesn't seem to use all 64 channels (a known bug or is 3dMark03 just confused?)

Nforce drivers are actually still being updated, go figure with the Live! cards.

Nforce has multiband graphic equalizers (SB has Treble & Bass oooh).

SB uses creative's EAX 1 & 2, while Nforce uses Sensura's EAX 1 & 2 (from what I've read Sensura is "almost as good").

Am I missing anything? I'm open for debate on this one.

If I stay with the SB I might try the Audigy2ZS driver trick, but I'm wondering if that's worth it. I've tried in the past to use non-standard drivers (Audigy2), lost a day, and then went back to the official ones.

I really want EAX 3/4, but I'll wait until Creative releases an X-gamer bundle (with Thief3 and/or Splinter Cell 2, I suppose).

-Doctor M

PoopyTheJ · Jul 3, 2004, 01:31 AM

Soundstorm, I switched from my SB Live to my soundstorm, which I then changed and put on my Server, but while using it was AWESOME! Performance is phenomenal and the sound quality is superb. Definitely go with the soundstorm, no doubt about it.

**dj_stick** · Jul 3, 2004, 04:16 AM

i have used both a live 5.1 and soundstorm… i used soundstorm for games and EAX (onl have a 2 channe; speaker system so using digital connectors i fed it through my live)
and i had my live on kX drivers for everything else

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jul 3, 2004, 05:40 AM

sblive will enable more tests in 3dmark2003 also it has more support and uses less cpu

doctorm · Jul 3, 2004, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_Neon_Cowboy
sblive will enable more tests in 3dmark2003 also it has more support and uses less cpu

How so? 64 Channel audio isn't available to me now with the SB, but my Dad's PC I set up with the Soundstorm and he gets all the audio tests.

doctorm · Jul 3, 2004, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dj_stick
i have used both a live 5.1 and soundstorm… i used soundstorm for games and EAX (onl have a 2 channe; speaker system so using digital connectors i fed it through my live)
and i had my live on kX drivers for everything else

You don't get conflicts running both at the same time? Seems like an odd setup. What are the benefits of doing that?

**dj_stick** · Jul 3, 2004, 06:00 AM

i get no conflicts at all
the benefits i got were i was able to use EAX in games when i played then, as kX drivers don't support EAX yet, and i use kX for its higher quality audio when listenin to music, and being a musician, the customising ability is kX is awesome

also very useful if you need 12 outputs for different programs

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jul 3, 2004, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by doctorm
How so? 64 Channel audio isn't available to me now with the SB, but my Dad's PC I set up with the Soundstorm and he gets all the audio tests.

I dunno i get only one test with my onboard

BWX · Jul 3, 2004, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_Neon_Cowboy
I dunno i get only one test with my onboard

You don't have soundstorm do ya?

BWX · Jul 3, 2004, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by doctorm
I just updated my system and I can't decide which I should go with.

The choice: SB Live! 5.1 X-Gamer or Nforce2 SoundStorm (on an NF7-S mobo).

What I know (or think I know) the Pro's to be:

SBLive5.1 can decode Dolby Digital in software (my speakers are analog 5.1) [As far as I know FarCry is about the only game where 5.1 is even used. Would the SB have the advantage or does the Nforce do something with DD to pass it to analog speakers? I know with DVD's the software player does the job, so I'm asking in-game here.]

Both Cards can decode Dolby Surround Sound (or some proprietary variation of it?)

NF Soundstorm has 64 channels of sound; SBLive's Official drivers for some reason doesn't seem to use all 64 channels (a known bug or is 3dMark03 just confused?)

Nforce drivers are actually still being updated, go figure with the Live! cards.

Nforce has multiband graphic equalizers (SB has Treble & Bass oooh).

SB uses creative's EAX 1 & 2, while Nforce uses Sensura's EAX 1 & 2 (from what I've read Sensura is "almost as good").

Am I missing anything? I'm open for debate on this one.

If I stay with the SB I might try the Audigy2ZS driver trick, but I'm wondering if that's worth it. I've tried in the past to use non-standard drivers (Audigy2), lost a day, and then went back to the official ones.

I really want EAX 3/4, but I'll wait until Creative releases an X-gamer bundle (with Thief3 and/or Splinter Cell 2, I suppose).

-Doctor M

Get a Hercules Fortissimo III 7.1 Gamesurround if you can find one, If not I would get an Audigy- forget the SBlive. - sell it on ebay for 20 bucks and save for an Audigy..

I might even get an audigy just because of the support for games.. My Fort III sounds awesome and uses very little CPU cycles, less than any SB live, but the Audigy is just so well supported I think overall games would sound better most of the time.. Fort III sounds better than Audigy in Movies and w/ music I think- but that's probably debatable- but it sounds great.

**dj_stick** · Jul 3, 2004, 08:26 AM

what model is the sblive? SB0060, SB010x, SB022x?

hehe send it to me i could have some use for it

btw BWX - don't bother trading in your soundcard just yet- you will have alot of trouble with the junk creative installs on your computer

wait until the next generation of soundcards based on the new intel codec come out

BWX · Jul 3, 2004, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dj_stick

btw BWX - don't bother trading in your soundcard just yet- you will have alot of trouble with the junk creative installs on your computer

Yeah that's why I didn't get an Audigy in the first place.. I love the drivers for my Fort III, they are solid- no updates ever, not WHQL, but more solid and stable than any creative driver.

**dj_stick** · Jul 3, 2004, 09:07 AM

also even the audigy 2 boards still use the ac97 codec that is slowly getting phased out, so in a few years expect to see some high quality consumer price cards

doctorm · Jul 3, 2004, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dj_stick
what model is the sblive? SB0060, SB010x, SB022x?

hehe send it to me i could have some use for it

btw BWX - don't bother trading in your soundcard just yet- you will have alot of trouble with the junk creative installs on your computer

wait until the next generation of soundcards based on the new intel codec come out

Creative is going to an intel codec or am I misunderstanding?

Word has it Creative thinks their next card requires to much bandwidth and is looking to make it a PCI-x part.
That would leave me out.

-M

doctorm · Jul 3, 2004, 05:49 PM

So they seem to be fairly comparable with the edge to the Nforce, but is it true I would be giving up DD in software (for games), and does the Soundstorm have some kind of Dolby Surround Sound (CMSS) or whatever feature?

dipstick · Jul 3, 2004, 06:46 PM

Soundstorm all the way

**dj_stick** · Jul 4, 2004, 02:02 AM

Dolby surround is not CMSS - CMSS is just upmixign stereo to 5.1 (or 7.1) sound

and i think 2 channel sources ARE upmixed on the nForce system

also the creative on intel based route is purely hypothetical - but its a good guess imho

doctorm · Jul 5, 2004, 02:41 AM

So the one important thing I failed to take into account: The NF7-S has no gameport. So it's a $25 adapter, new sound card, or new joystick. Bah.

**dj_stick** · Jul 5, 2004, 02:50 AM

the motherboard should have a header built in, that you can attach a simple cable to… would most likely be packaged with the motherboard or else easily available from your vendor. check the motherboard's manual

doctorm · Jul 5, 2004, 09:22 AM

Unfortunately the NF7-S doesn't have a gameport header.

Well, with the options for me being what they are, I took a cue from the creative DJ Stick.

I uninstalled and removed my SBLive. I nuked all references in the registry and removed all files left behind (manually and with Nasty File Remover). 100's of registry crap left behind, yikes.

Reinserted the SB Card, let windows install a compatibility driver, and disabled the Creative SB Live driver in the device manager, leaving the creative gameport driver intact.

Turned on the Nforce audio in the bios, installed drivers, and it works like a charm.

Nforce for audio, SB for game controller. I would have gotten all of $15 for the SB on ebay anyway.

Case closed. I should be good until Creative releases it's next must have card.

flow`` · Jul 5, 2004, 11:54 AM

dj_stick, i've got a sb0060 left over from my upgrade to my nf7-s mobo. would you be interestd in it at all? else i'll throw it in my mom's pc since she still has a soundblaster 16 pci :P

BWX · Jul 5, 2004, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by flow``
dj_stick, i've got a sb0060 left over from my upgrade to my nf7-s mobo. would you be interestd in it at all? else i'll throw it in my mom's pc since she still has a soundblaster 16 pci :P

where do you live? I might be if he's not. In USA?

CDsDontBurn · Jul 5, 2004, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by doctorm
So the one important thing I failed to take into account: The NF7-S has no gameport. So it's a $25 adapter, new sound card, or new joystick. Bah.

just get a USB joystick. It'll perform better than the one from a gameport.

doctorm · Jul 5, 2004, 09:26 PM

I use my USB gamepad more than the stick. It's an old heavy wingman digital extreme, pretty nice, but I wouldn't spend money on another joystick, too few uses now-a-days.

**dj_stick** · Jul 6, 2004, 01:41 AM

i'm not sure i'd have any use for another soundcard right now… i already have plans for an extra 10 inputs and 6 outs for my card…

flow`` · Jul 6, 2004, 05:30 AM

yea i live in the usa (kentucky to be exact)

CDsDontBurn · Jul 6, 2004, 09:07 AM

The next sound card i would get would the the audigy 2 zx

classic leon · Jul 6, 2004, 09:33 AM

if ur sblive! is SB0220, that is okay for u.

**dj_stick** · Jul 6, 2004, 04:23 PM

sb0220 models have a lower quality rear output that any live/audigy model

Jul 3, 2004, 01:19 AM	#1
doctorm DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 17 Rep Power: 0	Shootout: Nforce2 Soundsurge or SBLive 5.1? I just updated my system and I can't decide which I should go with. The choice: SB Live! 5.1 X-Gamer or Nforce2 SoundStorm (on an NF7-S mobo). What I know (or think I know) the Pro's to be: SBLive5.1 can decode Dolby Digital in software (my speakers are analog 5.1) [As far as I know FarCry is about the only game where 5.1 is even used. Would the SB have the advantage or does the Nforce do something with DD to pass it to analog speakers? I know with DVD's the software player does the job, so I'm asking in-game here.] Both Cards can decode Dolby Surround Sound (or some proprietary variation of it?) NF Soundstorm has 64 channels of sound; SBLive's Official drivers for some reason doesn't seem to use all 64 channels (a known bug or is 3dMark03 just confused?) Nforce drivers are actually still being updated, go figure with the Live! cards. Nforce has multiband graphic equalizers (SB has Treble & Bass oooh). SB uses creative's EAX 1 & 2, while Nforce uses Sensura's EAX 1 & 2 (from what I've read Sensura is "almost as good"). Am I missing anything? I'm open for debate on this one. If I stay with the SB I might try the Audigy2ZS driver trick, but I'm wondering if that's worth it. I've tried in the past to use non-standard drivers (Audigy2), lost a day, and then went back to the official ones. I really want EAX 3/4, but I'll wait until Creative releases an X-gamer bundle (with Thief3 and/or Splinter Cell 2, I suppose). -Doctor M

Jul 3, 2004, 01:31 AM	#2
PoopyTheJ DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,588 Rep Power: 64	Soundstorm, I switched from my SB Live to my soundstorm, which I then changed and put on my Server, but while using it was AWESOME! Performance is phenomenal and the sound quality is superb. Definitely go with the soundstorm, no doubt about it. __________________ [COLOR=Blue]“Alright boys, let’s start her up and see why she doesn’t work.” - John Fritz "I aim to misbehave" Malcolm Reynolds ATI Catalyst Beta Tester[/COLOR]

Jul 3, 2004, 05:40 AM	#4
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 90 System Specs	sblive will enable more tests in 3dmark2003 also it has more support and uses less cpu __________________

Jul 3, 2004, 05:49 PM	Thread Starter #15
doctorm DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 17 Rep Power: 0	Soooo, back to the subject. So they seem to be fairly comparable with the edge to the Nforce, but is it true I would be giving up DD in software (for games), and does the Soundstorm have some kind of Dolby Surround Sound (CMSS) or whatever feature?

Jul 5, 2004, 02:41 AM	Thread Starter #18
doctorm DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 17 Rep Power: 0	Heh heh So the one important thing I failed to take into account: The NF7-S has no gameport. So it's a $25 adapter, new sound card, or new joystick. Bah.

Jul 3, 2004, 06:46 PM	#16
dipstick HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: USA Posts: 3,609 Rep Power: 70 System Specs	Soundstorm all the way

Jul 5, 2004, 09:22 AM	Thread Starter #20
doctorm DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 17 Rep Power: 0	Easy way out. Unfortunately the NF7-S doesn't have a gameport header. Well, with the options for me being what they are, I took a cue from the creative DJ Stick. I uninstalled and removed my SBLive. I nuked all references in the registry and removed all files left behind (manually and with Nasty File Remover). 100's of registry crap left behind, yikes. Reinserted the SB Card, let windows install a compatibility driver, and disabled the Creative SB Live driver in the device manager, leaving the creative gameport driver intact. Turned on the Nforce audio in the bios, installed drivers, and it works like a charm. Nforce for audio, SB for game controller. I would have gotten all of $15 for the SB on ebay anyway. Case closed. I should be good until Creative releases it's next must have card.

Jul 5, 2004, 11:54 AM	#21
flow`` DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	dj_stick, i've got a sb0060 left over from my upgrade to my nf7-s mobo. would you be interestd in it at all? else i'll throw it in my mom's pc since she still has a soundblaster 16 pci :P __________________ Can't stop the flow...

Jul 5, 2004, 09:26 PM	Thread Starter #24
doctorm DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 17 Rep Power: 0	I use my USB gamepad more than the stick. It's an old heavy wingman digital extreme, pretty nice, but I wouldn't spend money on another joystick, too few uses now-a-days.

Jul 6, 2004, 05:30 AM	#26
flow`` DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 35 Rep Power: 0	yea i live in the usa (kentucky to be exact) __________________ Can't stop the flow...

Jul 6, 2004, 09:07 AM	#27
CDsDontBurn 127.0.0.1 Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,458 Rep Power: 202 System Specs	The next sound card i would get would the the audigy 2 zx __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Jul 6, 2004, 09:33 AM	#28
classic leon DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Wu Han Posts: 23 Rep Power: 0	if ur sblive! is SB0220, that is okay for u. __________________ »³¾ÉÄêÇáÅÉ Last edited by classic leon; Jul 6, 2004 at 09:39 AM.