Audio quality = KT880 or nForce2-400

[mondpowers]

my ASUS A7n266-vm motherboard just died after 2 and a half years. planning to replace it with either a VIA(KT880) or Nvidia solution. I'm short of funds so i'll have to make do with their built in audio.

I've used the nforce with the realtek 650 codec, is there a marked difference with the VIA motherboards? which has the better built in audio. I'm in mainly for games and some MP3 does the Nvidia MCP-T variant sounds better than the plain MCP?

life stinks

 

[ChipDeath]

I'm in mainly for games and some MP3 does the Nvidia MCP-T variant sounds better than the plain MCP?

The Nvidia GPU (SoundStorm) is vastly superior to any other on-board solution available, but most motherboard manufacturers have cut costs by using a cheap DAC (Digtal -> Analogue Converter) chip. The upshot of this is that the <i>sound quality</i> is pretty much the same, unless you use digital speakers, and connect them to the motherboard's digital output (as this then isn't going through the DAC)

The other thing though is the capability of the Audio processor to take load off the processor. The MCP-T (soundstorm) variants will run games a few % faster (5-10% ish..) than either a MCP (non -T) nforce2 or another Chipset's solution - they're all software Audio, meaning the CPU has to compute all the sound effects as well as everything else, whereas MCP-T is a hardware solution, so reduces the CPU load.

One noteable exception to that rule is DoomIII. For some reason ID wrote the sound engine to not take advantage of hardware audio, so it runs entirely on the CPU, regardless of audio hardware.

For the record, I have a nforce2 MCP-T motherboard (Epox 8RDA+) and I think the sound's great.

The other thing, of course, is that if your AMP/Speaker setup is cheap, then it doesn't matter how good your sound hardware is, it'll sound the same...

---
"Sex without love is an empty experience...
But as empty experiences go, it's one of the best" - Woody Allen

 

[Rugger]

Do you know fo any mfrs that have put good quality DACs on their boards? How do you know what the better DACs are?

 

[ChipDeath]

I think most boards use the same Realtek ALC650 or something.

Like I said, I use the onboard sound and it works fine for me (MP3, Games mostly).

If you have to go for onboard sound, on a Socket A board, then nforce2 + MCP-T (soundstorm) is the only option really.

Plus nforce2 is simply a great chipset all round.

---
"Sex without love is an empty experience...
But as empty experiences go, it's one of the best" - Woody Allen

 

[markgun]

The Abit AN7 is supposedly the board with the best DAC. I don't know how much of a difference it makes.

Some people have gotten a used Creative Extigy, hooked the SoundStorm's digital out into the digital in of the Extigy box, then used the Extigy's high quality analog outputs for their speakers that didn't have a digital connection. Is that worth it? Not to me!

Most people are mainly concerned about the load it takes off the CPU. If you're not using good speakers I doubt the DAC will make much of a difference.

 

[Rugger]

I've got some Klipsch speakers - it will help!

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[Codesmith]

The good boards are "Soundstorm Certified", which is why some MCP-T using Nvidia's APU say Sound Storm and other's do not.

Also the main weakness of the Soundstrom APU is its "noise floor". Basically its how quiet the analog output is when there is no sound. Test show the soundstrom is relatively nosily when there is no sound being rendered. Play any sound even a faint one and that noise disappears.

I think you have to have your speakers turned up pretty high to hear it, most people don't hear it at all, but it does bug some people with sensitive ears and high end speakers.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Codesmith on 02/11/05 10:04 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[markgun]

Well the AN7 has the best DAC, but I doubt it's MUCH better than the others. It's a shame that motherboard manufacturers were too cheap to use the DAC used on nVidia's SoundStorm reference boards, which was Sigmatel.

Anyway, many people at nForcersHQ use the Extigy or DDTS-100.

Q17: I have a set of analog only speakers but want a digital connection because of the onboad DAC quality and/or the convenience of easier cabling... how can I get this?

A: Two ways to go....

1. Buy new speakers
2. Get a Soundblaster Extigy cheap from ebay or somewhere. This does have very good DACs and can do DD decoding. It also has a AC3 compatible SPDIF input. So use it standalone without connecting it to your usb ports... no creative drivers and much better sound quality.

Both are these solutions are kind of expensive :tongue: