How much does a proper soundcard help with fps?

Discussion in 'General Hardware' started by SUnSpot, Jun 4, 2011.

  1. SUnSpot

    SUnSpot Master Guru

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    My soundcard got missplaced when I reassemled my computer after trying to indentify the broken part of it.

    So now Im using the ondboard soundcard(mobo).

    How much does my soundcard help with performance in games really?

    Edit: my lost soundcard is a x-fi fatality.
     
  2. Trolle

    Trolle Guest

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    why would a soundcard increase your fps?
    it only gives you better sound and thats it
     
  3. allesclar

    allesclar Ancient Guru

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    well it might be able to take the load off the cpu etc, but the differenec would be minimal
     
  4. dcx_badass

    dcx_badass Guest

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    I don't think it makes any difference any more and hasn't for years tbh.
     

  5. Chillin

    Chillin Ancient Guru

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    In the era of modern multi-core CPU's, nearly none.
     
  6. Chock

    Chock Ancient Guru

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    hardware sound over software sound indeed increases fps. it was most noticable during the time of battlefield2 and onward. especialy with EAX driven applications.


    and of course the sound quality is just so much better...
     
  7. FULMTL

    FULMTL Ancient Guru

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    1 FPS lost.
     
  8. naike

    naike Ancient Guru

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    And most sound cards today don't have processing units anyway.
     
  9. drac

    drac Ancient Guru

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    Yep, there is a difference, but its a matter of a few fps now days. Not even worth worrying about. I would only be concerned with sound quality and compatibility. Stand alone cards generally beat on-board in both these aspects.
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2011
  10. A PROPER Sound Card makes around 3-7 FPS difference.

    A PROPER Net Card will make another 3-7 FPS difference.

    Please note that the OP stated a PROPER Sound Card. That means a real Sound Card with a Processing Unit, not a $50 stand-in that uses software to do it.
     

  11. SUnSpot

    SUnSpot Master Guru

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    great ty then I know, Ill not bother getting another soundcard. ooooh maybe I will anyway cause I want to plug my electric piano to my comp.
     
  12. Anubis

    Anubis Ancient Guru

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    should be easy to test..
    bech a game with sound on, then with ingame disabled sound?
     
  13. Phragmeister

    Phragmeister Guest

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    It's not the performance you should be asking about, it's the quality, personally I could never go back to onboard, everything just sounds muffled compared to the clarity of a good sound card.

    Treat yourself to a new one.
     
  14. SUnSpot

    SUnSpot Master Guru

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    Yeah Im looking for a new one now ;)
     
  15. maleficarus™

    maleficarus™ Banned

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    +10....

    Will make things sound better only. With dual/quad CPU's there is no merrit whatsoever to gaining frames with sound cards in 2011!
     

  16. naike

    naike Ancient Guru

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    Afaik, none of the Asus Xonar cards have a processing unit, and they aren't cheap 50$ cards.
     
  17. Anarion

    Anarion Ancient Guru

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    To be honest there isn't any difference in games. With single core CPUs there would be most likely be some difference but not with modern multi core processors.

    If you want sound card with DSP Creative X-Fi Titanium series cards (and some Auzentech cards) are pretty much the only option. All ASUS Xonar cards are software only.
     
  18. TruMutton_200Hz

    TruMutton_200Hz Guest

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    Soundcards from Creative often do have EAX hardware instead of software but their drivers suck. On top of this, PCI soundcards slow down your fps but PCIe soundcards don't. However, none of the above really matters enough anymore nowadays in the real world - because the differences it causes in modern powerful computers are so small it all barely gets noticed anyway.

    I agree the difference in sound quality usually is alot bigger but even that still depends. Audio is subjective, so not every person will always hear a (big enough) difference. Part of it is still science, though. Personally, I don't like PCI / PCIe soundcards very much because they occupy an expansion slot and they not only block some airflow but at the same time also harm the maximum number of vidcards you can put on a motherboard - except perhaps if you go for expensive custom loop watercooling and / or use one of those dodgy PCI / PCIe expansion cables that will often just make your cable management look like it's a total joke.

    Even though sound quality matters to me, there's still the fact with some motherboards onboard sound has improved alot over the years, as well as the fact most games don't have great sound quality in them to begin with. For movies and music, the same thing applies but you can build your own HTPC for those (or use a standalone Blu ray player, preferrably one with a strong DAC and some useful input connectors, like the Oppo BDP-95 for example).

    All things considered, I'm still leaning more towards a quality external DAC unit but nevertheless I won't spend the extra cash until I'm absolutely convinced about the superiority of its audio quality versus its price. I've been holding my patience for quite a long time, mostly because these things are so expensive - but I have a feeling the Asus Xonar Essence One might be worth the wait.
     
  19. solofly

    solofly Banned

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    It does. Once I tested Creative's Audigy 2 against Auzentech's X-plosion and Audigy gave me higher frames, believe it or not...(sound cards make a difference but not all equally - and as for on-board sound, too much interference/noise is my take on it)
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2011
  20. TheHunter

    TheHunter Banned

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    wrong.


    It can help and speed up to 5-10fps, depends on the game and sound engine,..


    Something like Dirt1 it really boosts your fps for 5-7fps.. plus you get eax5 and sound quality to the max.
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2011

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