Original Audigy or Onboard ALC885?

[blopdak]

The parts for my new build should be arriving tomorrow but I have a question regarding sound in my build. The motherboard is going to be A DFI x38 T2RB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136051, which comes with Realtek ALC885 sound onboard. When I was searching through other computers for parts to harvest, I found an Audigy Platinum eX in one of them. My question is... wwould it be better to use the onboard sound, or the Audigy I found? Which would give me better sound clarity? Would the Audigy make a difference the FPS of games? (I've heard that onboard sound uses CPU cycles). It is also my understanding that the onboard sound does not support EAX but hte Audigy does. Do games still use EAX?

Here are the speakers I will be using: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836119008

 

[cal8949]

test them both and see what you like better with those speaker you should get a nice sound card

 

[Proximon]

Yes EAX is still in use. The Audigy might work out better. If you end up unhappy with both, look around. There are some newer sound cards out now that are not Creative brand.

 

[nukemaster]

I would honestly guess the Audigy will sound better.

Are you on XP or vista? Vista kind of killed eax(due to the changes made in the sound system) and you have to make sure to get Alchemy from creative to get your eax back.

 

[blopdak]

I'll be using Vista Business. The alchemy website makes it look like the EAX problem is only with older games... I could be misunderstanding though. Are even brand new EAX games broken?

 

[nukemaster]

EAX was an effect that worked hand in hand with Direct X audio.

Since Microsoft rewrote the audio system EAX just runs as 2 channel sound with no effects.

Alchemy bypasses this by converting the EAX to OpenAL so you get the effects and surround sound back.

Creative may not want to mention it but ALL games that use EAX are effected. because of this many developers have started to implement OpenAL as an option in there games. This kind of takes off the advantage Creative had in XP.

I installed Bioshock and HL2 and they both have working surround sound under Vista without any Alchemy. I just never bothered to install it.

I am also sure you heard that Creative did take away allot of features on there cards under Vista claiming OS issues.

If the drivers they give are not to your liking. Try to find Daniel K's drivers. Creative essentially bitched at him in there forums about modding there drivers and messing with there property. He did bring back almost all features that creative said could not work.

EDIT

and oddly enough, the EAX effects in the old software modded from above, the sound effects do work.

 

[blopdak]

Heh, sounds like a lame attempt by creative to get people who have these cards laying round to upgrade... I'll give those modded drivers a try and hope for the best! Thanks.

 

[nukemaster]

I put them on just to get back CMMS2 and Stereo Surround