SB Live or Nvidia Sound Stream Nforce onboard audio

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Jun 24, 2003, 11:53 PM

ok i really like my creative SB live 5.1 card, its suited me well very well, well i just got an

MSI K7N2 Delta-ILSR Retail

Code:

Detailed Specifications 
CPU: - Supports Socket A for AMD Athlon(tm)/Athlon(tm) XP/Duron(tm) processors @FSB 200/266/333/400 
- Supports 600MHz up to Athlon(tm) XP 3000+ processor or higher  
Chipset: nVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset 
- Supports DDR200/266/333/400 
- Supports external AGP 4X/8X 
nVIDIA nForce2 MCP-T Chipset 
- AC97 Interface supporting up to two concurrent codecs 
- Ultra ATA133 for the fastest hard disk throughput 
- USB 2.0 EHCI/1.1 OHCI controller 
- FireWire and USB 2.0 for the fastest digital connectivity 
- Audio Processing Unit(APU) encodes audio in Dolby Digital 5.1 format for full surround sound effects 
 
Memory: - Supports six memory banks using three 184-pin DDR DIMMs 
- Supports up to 3GB PC3200/2700/2100/1600 DDR SDRAMs 
- Supports both 64-bit and 128-bit DDR SDRAM  
Expansion Slots: - One AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) 1.5V 4x/8x slot 
- Five 32-bit PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface) 
- One ACR (Advanced Communication Riser) slot  
IDE: - An IDE controller on the MCP-T chipset provides IDE HDD/CDROM with PIO, Bus Master and Ultra DMA133/100/66 operation modes 
- Can connect up to four IDE devices  
On-Board Peripherals: - 1 floppy port that supports two FDD with 360KB, 720KB,1.44MB and 2.88MB 
- 1 serial port 
- 1 parallel port supports SPP/EPP/ECP mode 
- 3 audio ports in vertical 
- 2 IEEE1394 connectors 
- 6 USB ports (Rear * 4/ Front * 2) 
- 1 RJ-45 jack  
Integrated Video: N/A 
Integrated Audio: - Realtek ALC650 6-channel audio 
- Dolby Digital 5.1 format  
Integrated LAN: - Chipset integrated 10/100 Base-T Ethernet/Fast Ethernet  
Serial ATA: - Support 2 serial ATA plus 1 ATA133  
RAID: - RAID O or 1 is supported 
- RAID function works w/ATA133+SATA H/D or 2 SATA H/D 
Bluetooth: N/A 
IEEE 1394: - nVIDIA MCP-T IEEE1394 controller 
- Support up to two ports via external bracket 
System BIOS: - The mainboard BIOS provides "Plug & Play" BIOS which detects the peripheral devices and expansion cards of the board automatically. 
- The mainboard provides a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function which records your mainboard specifications.  
Dimensions 
Form Factor: - 30.5 cm(L) x 23 cm(W) ATX Form Factor

Ok so you think that the onboard sounds which i have heard really good things about would be up to par with my SBLive!?

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Jun 25, 2003, 12:31 AM

no one has any opinons...thats odd

~~craig588~~ · Jun 25, 2003, 12:31 AM

I would say that the SB live is better, due to that fact that it doesn't use the mobo, and can provide lower temps. I also think it might help your CPU usage, or not. I have no idea if it works off of your CPU power, or a dedicated chip on the mobo.

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Jun 25, 2003, 12:35 AM

I think it is a dedicated chip and that was im lookinf for do you think that it would reaise my CPU usage even though it was a dedicated Audio processing unit?

~~craig588~~ · Jun 25, 2003, 12:39 AM

If its a dedicated chip, it probably won't affect CPU usage or temps, because it is essentially a sound card right on the motherboard.

If its in the north/southbridge, then it probably will raise CPU usage and temps.

(You only gave people an hour to awnser you question, you should wait at least a day IMO)

Dom · Jun 25, 2003, 12:39 AM

Use SoundStorm.

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Jun 25, 2003, 01:01 AM

I know i should what im like a little kid in the candy shop i get the mobo tomorrow!

BiGBrOwNPimpsta · Jun 25, 2003, 01:24 AM

better to go with the live 5.1, overall better card. but if ur wanting monster sound performance, audigy 2 plat 2 ex. but thats a bit unneccsarry.

JavaFox · Jun 25, 2003, 02:13 AM

I use SoundStorm. It is superior to the SBLive! and so are its drivers. And SoundStorm does have a dedicated DSP, built into the MCP2-T southbridge.

SoundStorm's feature list:

DSP or Hardware-Accelerated 2D (Stereo) with 256 Voices
DSP or Hardware-Accelerated 3D with 64 3D Voices
32 Hardware-Submixers
DLS2 Acceleration
Per Voice Parametric EQ
Occlusion and Obstruction
Near Field Effects
EAX2 and I3DL2 Reverb
Global Effects (Reverb, Chorus, etc.)
2, 4, or 6 Speakers
Microphone/Line Inputs
SPDIF Interface
H/W Dolby Digital Encoding

Can an SBLive do all that?

WyreTheWolf · Jun 25, 2003, 02:25 AM

The SoundStorm has sound quality comparable to the Audigy2! The drivers work great, its FREE, and it is FAR more powerful than the Live!

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Jun 25, 2003, 03:11 AM

well i know that the soundstorm has really good dirvers and i didnt know all its features thanks Java, so the DSP in a since is just like a sound card correct? Therefore my it wont load on my proc correct? and that leaves me with a free PCI slot

BiGBrOwNPimpsta · Jun 25, 2003, 03:17 AM

i hate anything onboard thats why i said live lol. eh

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Jun 25, 2003, 03:19 AM

well true, I used to not like onbaord audio, cuz it sucked! But now the NF2 boards and the KT400 boards, and other that i forgot, they have really outdown themselves with the onboard feature of there motherboards.

JavaFox · Jun 25, 2003, 04:18 AM

SoundStorm throws a lot of people off, I think. Most people have been trained to reject onboard outright, but, frankly, that kind of thinking needs to be rejected when it comes to SoundStorm. Sourcer, I tell you what, later today, when I get home (I am at work right now), I will do a bunch of tests for you to show you how much CPU utilization you can expect from SoundStorm.

WyreTheWolf · Jun 25, 2003, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BiGBrOWnPimpsta
i hate anything onboard thats why i said live lol. eh

Normally I would agree with you ... But since the SoundStorm really is every bit as good as the Audigy1 with the sound quality of the Audigy2 ... And the simple fact that the SoundBlaster Live! sucks, and is a horrible rotting little piece of hardware... I would suggest using the SoundStorm... the CPU utilization is lower, sound quality higher, and the SoundStorm doesnt HOG the damn PCI interface!

The SoundStorm ... unlike so many onboard solutions ... is HARDWARE ACCELLERATED! not software (meaning CPU cycles get wasted)

Audigy2 would be better overall ... but since it is between the SoundStorm, and the Live! <insert puking emoticon here> I would HIGHLY recommend the onboard SoundStorm.

Overall between the two ... it would be the best solution.

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Jun 25, 2003, 04:31 AM

Hey java that would awesome if you got some free time to do that.....what tests do you use? cuz i will have the mobo tomorrow and can also run them

tek · Jun 25, 2003, 02:43 PM

Soundstorm has won many awards (check nvidia site).

I was in the same exact situation as you, I had a SB Live 5.1+ then I got my A7N8X (Soundstorm onboard) and I read some reviews on it and tested sound through it and SB Live 5.1+ and in no time I was using Soundstorm. If it wasn't a good sound card then why would all these motherboard manufacturers use it in their motherboards?

Think about it.

-tek

Zardon · Jun 25, 2003, 03:43 PM

The soundstorm is very good and I would use it personally, ive never been a big fan of the live cards to be honest.

If you do manage to pick up an audigy 2, then ive turn off soundstorm, until then, use it.

No_Style · Jun 25, 2003, 04:07 PM

SoundMax 4 XL? Compared to the Live? I really wish there were reviews for these things.

~~Sourcer_2002~~ · Jun 25, 2003, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tek
Soundstorm has won many awards (check nvidia site).

I was in the same exact situation as you, I had a SB Live 5.1+ then I got my A7N8X (Soundstorm onboard) and I read some reviews on it and tested sound through it and SB Live 5.1+ and in no time I was using Soundstorm. If it wasn't a good sound card then why would all these motherboard manufacturers use it in their motherboards? Think about it.

-tek

Well if you look at all the other onboard sound ship before the Soundstorm, you will see that two wore manly used Realtek and C-media, and in me personal opinon the c-media chips sucked! and they were very widly used!

Jun 25, 2003, 01:24 AM	#8
BiGBrOwNPimpsta HH's #1 Hustla and Pimp Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Dirty Dot Posts: 7,717 Rep Power: 107 System Specs	better to go with the live 5.1, overall better card. but if ur wanting monster sound performance, audigy 2 plat 2 ex. but thats a bit unneccsarry. __________________ 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

Jun 25, 2003, 03:17 AM	#12
BiGBrOwNPimpsta HH's #1 Hustla and Pimp Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: The Dirty Dot Posts: 7,717 Rep Power: 107 System Specs	i hate anything onboard thats why i said live lol. eh __________________ 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

Jun 25, 2003, 02:43 PM	#17
tek DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Boston, US Posts: 2,103 Rep Power: 0	Soundstorm has won many awards (check nvidia site). I was in the same exact situation as you, I had a SB Live 5.1+ then I got my A7N8X (Soundstorm onboard) and I read some reviews on it and tested sound through it and SB Live 5.1+ and in no time I was using Soundstorm. If it wasn't a good sound card then why would all these motherboard manufacturers use it in their motherboards? Think about it. -tek __________________ [COLOR=White][/COLOR]

Jun 25, 2003, 04:07 PM	#19
No_Style Styleless Wonder Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 6,034 Rep Power: 0	How about.. SoundMax 4 XL? Compared to the Live? I really wish there were reviews for these things. __________________ "The Best Style Is No Style" Specifications Here

Jun 25, 2003, 12:31 AM	Thread Starter #2
~~Sourcer_2002~~ BANNED Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Indiana , USA Posts: 2,677 Rep Power: 0	no one has any opinons...thats odd

Jun 25, 2003, 12:31 AM	#3
~~craig588~~ Banned Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: In clothing Posts: 3,510 Rep Power: 0	I would say that the SB live is better, due to that fact that it doesn't use the mobo, and can provide lower temps. I also think it might help your CPU usage, or not. I have no idea if it works off of your CPU power, or a dedicated chip on the mobo.

Jun 25, 2003, 12:35 AM	Thread Starter #4
~~Sourcer_2002~~ BANNED Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Indiana , USA Posts: 2,677 Rep Power: 0	I think it is a dedicated chip and that was im lookinf for do you think that it would reaise my CPU usage even though it was a dedicated Audio processing unit?

Jun 25, 2003, 12:39 AM	#5
~~craig588~~ Banned Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: In clothing Posts: 3,510 Rep Power: 0	If its a dedicated chip, it probably won't affect CPU usage or temps, because it is essentially a sound card right on the motherboard. If its in the north/southbridge, then it probably will raise CPU usage and temps. (You only gave people an hour to awnser you question, you should wait at least a day IMO)

Jun 25, 2003, 12:39 AM	#6
Dom DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 12,940 Rep Power: 0	Use SoundStorm.

Jun 25, 2003, 01:01 AM	Thread Starter #7
~~Sourcer_2002~~ BANNED Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Indiana , USA Posts: 2,677 Rep Power: 0	I know i should what im like a little kid in the candy shop i get the mobo tomorrow!

Jun 25, 2003, 02:13 AM	#9
JavaFox E Pluribus Unum Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 3,203 Rep Power: 0	I use SoundStorm. It is superior to the SBLive! and so are its drivers. And SoundStorm does have a dedicated DSP, built into the MCP2-T southbridge. SoundStorm's feature list: DSP or Hardware-Accelerated 2D (Stereo) with 256 Voices DSP or Hardware-Accelerated 3D with 64 3D Voices 32 Hardware-Submixers DLS2 Acceleration Per Voice Parametric EQ Occlusion and Obstruction Near Field Effects EAX2 and I3DL2 Reverb Global Effects (Reverb, Chorus, etc.) 2, 4, or 6 Speakers Microphone/Line Inputs SPDIF Interface H/W Dolby Digital Encoding Can an SBLive do all that?

Jun 25, 2003, 02:25 AM	#10
WyreTheWolf Wolfish Bastard Join Date: May 2002 Location: Cave; Ozark Mountains Posts: 2,110 Rep Power: 0	The SoundStorm has sound quality comparable to the Audigy2! The drivers work great, its FREE, and it is FAR more powerful than the Live!

Jun 25, 2003, 03:11 AM	Thread Starter #11
~~Sourcer_2002~~ BANNED Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Indiana , USA Posts: 2,677 Rep Power: 0	well i know that the soundstorm has really good dirvers and i didnt know all its features thanks Java, so the DSP in a since is just like a sound card correct? Therefore my it wont load on my proc correct? and that leaves me with a free PCI slot

Jun 25, 2003, 03:19 AM	Thread Starter #13
~~Sourcer_2002~~ BANNED Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Indiana , USA Posts: 2,677 Rep Power: 0	well true, I used to not like onbaord audio, cuz it sucked! But now the NF2 boards and the KT400 boards, and other that i forgot, they have really outdown themselves with the onboard feature of there motherboards.

Jun 25, 2003, 04:18 AM	#14
JavaFox E Pluribus Unum Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 3,203 Rep Power: 0	SoundStorm throws a lot of people off, I think. Most people have been trained to reject onboard outright, but, frankly, that kind of thinking needs to be rejected when it comes to SoundStorm. Sourcer, I tell you what, later today, when I get home (I am at work right now), I will do a bunch of tests for you to show you how much CPU utilization you can expect from SoundStorm.

Jun 25, 2003, 04:31 AM	Thread Starter #16
~~Sourcer_2002~~ BANNED Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Indiana , USA Posts: 2,677 Rep Power: 0	Hey java that would awesome if you got some free time to do that.....what tests do you use? cuz i will have the mobo tomorrow and can also run them

Jun 25, 2003, 03:43 PM	#18
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	The soundstorm is very good and I would use it personally, ive never been a big fan of the live cards to be honest. If you do manage to pick up an audigy 2, then ive turn off soundstorm, until then, use it.