Onboard Audio or my SB Live?
 

Hey I just got a new system with a Asus K8V Deluxe SE. Seeing as it has onboard sound I am wondering if i should continue using the onboard, or if i will have benifit from using the SB Live X-gamer 5.1 i have sitting around. At the moment I only have my two stereo speakers so 5.1 and 6.1 doesnt matter.

There probably isn't much difference if you only have two speakers.

what about EAX in games and such?

Games will benefit hugely from the SoundBlaster. If you only use the sound for music, then it'll be fine...but onboard sound has a tough time in games sometimes (unless you have extremely powerful onboard sound like the nForce 2's SoundStorm). I'd put the 5.1 in.

-Lasereth

Does it really make much of a difference with two speakers through?
But, it does make sense to put the card in, it's going to be better than the onboard for sure.

So yea, if you have no other use for that card put it in for sure.

I'm not suggesting the 5.1 because of it's 5.1 capabilities...I'm suggesting it because it has more raw sound-producing power than onboard sound (especially AC97). Many times, games will snap and crackle and make static noises instead of producing the correct sound effects due to the lack of hardware acceleration on onboard sound chips. Some games won't have this problem, but many will (Battlefield games like to do this on many computers). Like I said before, it's hardly noticeable while listening to music (unless you have another computer to compare with side-by-side, then it's blatantly obvious), but some games really push the sound systems of motherboard chipsets. I'd put in the SB Live to be safe.

-Lasereth

Im sold, thanks a lot!