Software or Hardware buffering in games?!?

jonis · Mar 26, 2004, 07:18 PM

Heya all.

I've got an SB Audigy Platinum card and I always use software sound buffering in games. I've done this since UT2k3 - You might remember the issue of extreme performance loss, having hardware buffering enabled.

Now, logic SHOULD suggest using the soundcards hardware buffer should INCREASE performance but WTH is up w/ all this crap? Do you guys use software or hardware buffering and/or should I?

What should be better using hardware buffer, and how come the performance loss having it enabled? Crappy drivers?

This is a strange issue, hope someone knows more than I do about it.

nuG · Mar 26, 2004, 09:05 PM

Having software enabled sound will decrease sound quality. Hardware enabled sound will let you use EAX and high quality sound setting along with environmental sounds. As for the performance increase with software buffered, i odtn know why. Its the other way around with video settings. hardware increases performance and software decreases performance. It may just have been a sofware issue with the game. But the benefit of hardware is the amazing audio and high quality sound oyu get from it. software cannot emualte high qulaity sound.

jonis · Mar 26, 2004, 10:45 PM

Yeah, I thought that was the case... Hardware buffering should still increase performance and not the other way around methinks :/

BiGBrOwNPimpsta · Mar 28, 2004, 04:37 AM

i never had any issues enabling hardware buffering?

Judas · Mar 28, 2004, 05:43 AM

big brown.... set your resolution to 1600x1200 in some hardcore game that really puts a load on everything..... then play around with the settings... you'll see a pretty hefty preformance difference.... (of course... knowing creative.... you just might see any as they already bog down right away)

jonis · Mar 28, 2004, 02:10 PM

Yeah, Creative really sucks when it comes to drivers... Hardware buffer shouldn't impact on performance at all, but it does. bigtime... Judas, you run games in Software or Hardware?

Judas · Mar 28, 2004, 05:42 PM

welll due to me having a powerfully enough cpu.... and a digifire.... i run hardware..... (i see little dicrease in preformance)....

nuG · Mar 29, 2004, 12:32 AM

i believe the little decrease in performance is worth it though, especially when you have EAX enabled on a 6.1 system

jonis · Mar 30, 2004, 02:38 PM

Yeah I guess hehe... but grrr, it should be the other way around! Consider losing performance enabling a 3D accelerator card for instance... Strange :/

Mar 26, 2004, 07:18 PM	#1
jonis Alien mindbender Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Valhalla Posts: 539 Rep Power: 0	Software or Hardware buffering in games?!? Heya all. I've got an SB Audigy Platinum card and I always use software sound buffering in games. I've done this since UT2k3 - You might remember the issue of extreme performance loss, having hardware buffering enabled. Now, logic SHOULD suggest using the soundcards hardware buffer should INCREASE performance but WTH is up w/ all this crap? Do you guys use software or hardware buffering and/or should I? What should be better using hardware buffer, and how come the performance loss having it enabled? Crappy drivers? This is a strange issue, hope someone knows more than I do about it. __________________ [color=yellow]P4 2.533GHz 533MHz \| 2 x Samsung 512MB PC2700 (1GB) \| Hercules 3D Prophet 9700 Pro \| ASUS P4S8X (fw v1.005) \| SB Audigy Platinum WDC 120GB SE (8MB buffer) x 2 \| M$ intellimouse Explorer 3.0 \| WinXP SP-1 \| DX 9.0c & CATs 5.10 \| Viewsonic VP191b (19" TFT)[/color]

Mar 26, 2004, 09:05 PM	#2
nuG is having a sexy party Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: East Coast Posts: 1,779 Rep Power: 0	Having software enabled sound will decrease sound quality. Hardware enabled sound will let you use EAX and high quality sound setting along with environmental sounds. As for the performance increase with software buffered, i odtn know why. Its the other way around with video settings. hardware increases performance and software decreases performance. It may just have been a sofware issue with the game. But the benefit of hardware is the amazing audio and high quality sound oyu get from it. software cannot emualte high qulaity sound. __________________ [COLOR=Black][/COLOR]

Mar 26, 2004, 10:45 PM	Thread Starter #3
jonis Alien mindbender Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Valhalla Posts: 539 Rep Power: 0	Yeah, I thought that was the case... Hardware buffering should still increase performance and not the other way around methinks :/ __________________ [color=yellow]P4 2.533GHz 533MHz \| 2 x Samsung 512MB PC2700 (1GB) \| Hercules 3D Prophet 9700 Pro \| ASUS P4S8X (fw v1.005) \| SB Audigy Platinum WDC 120GB SE (8MB buffer) x 2 \| M$ intellimouse Explorer 3.0 \| WinXP SP-1 \| DX 9.0c & CATs 5.10 \| Viewsonic VP191b (19" TFT)[/color]

Mar 28, 2004, 04:37 AM	#4
BiGBrOwNPimpsta HH's #1 Hustla and Pimp Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Dirty Dot Posts: 7,717 Rep Power: 107 System Specs	i never had any issues enabling hardware buffering? __________________ Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music \| Logitech Z-5500 THX 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers \| 2 Lite-On 20x S-ATA Burners \| Logitech G700 Mouse \| Logitech MX5500 Bluetooth Keyboard

Mar 28, 2004, 02:10 PM	Thread Starter #6
jonis Alien mindbender Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Valhalla Posts: 539 Rep Power: 0	Yeah, Creative really sucks when it comes to drivers... Hardware buffer shouldn't impact on performance at all, but it does. bigtime... Judas, you run games in Software or Hardware? __________________ [color=yellow]P4 2.533GHz 533MHz \| 2 x Samsung 512MB PC2700 (1GB) \| Hercules 3D Prophet 9700 Pro \| ASUS P4S8X (fw v1.005) \| SB Audigy Platinum WDC 120GB SE (8MB buffer) x 2 \| M$ intellimouse Explorer 3.0 \| WinXP SP-1 \| DX 9.0c & CATs 5.10 \| Viewsonic VP191b (19" TFT)[/color]

Mar 29, 2004, 12:32 AM	#8
nuG is having a sexy party Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: East Coast Posts: 1,779 Rep Power: 0	i believe the little decrease in performance is worth it though, especially when you have EAX enabled on a 6.1 system __________________ [COLOR=Black][/COLOR]

Mar 30, 2004, 02:38 PM	Thread Starter #9
jonis Alien mindbender Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Valhalla Posts: 539 Rep Power: 0	Yeah I guess hehe... but grrr, it should be the other way around! Consider losing performance enabling a 3D accelerator card for instance... Strange :/ __________________ [color=yellow]P4 2.533GHz 533MHz \| 2 x Samsung 512MB PC2700 (1GB) \| Hercules 3D Prophet 9700 Pro \| ASUS P4S8X (fw v1.005) \| SB Audigy Platinum WDC 120GB SE (8MB buffer) x 2 \| M$ intellimouse Explorer 3.0 \| WinXP SP-1 \| DX 9.0c & CATs 5.10 \| Viewsonic VP191b (19" TFT)[/color]