As the thread title. I would like to ask please? With today's modern motherboards is there still benefit from keeping a dedicated sound card? Im on a soundblaster Z which was from (I think) 5+ years back when I was still on my Asus X-99A Im still using it in my current system Asus Strix X299-E gaming and would like to know, with the current gen motherboards (z490, x570) if im going to upgrade if its still worth keeping or does the new chips have better audio? Im only on a headphone though which is a Sennheisser HD598
It's not only the newer chips to take into consideration, but also the way the new mobos are made, 8/ 10 layer PCBs with seperate layer for each channel etc. I just bought a z490 and when i was researching them the audio capabilities were one of the strongest selling points after power delivery. I had a couple of sound cards in past and they would always blow away the onboard, not so much now and i believe this is a well accepted opinion. I'm using a gigabyte z490 and the realtek software has improved much since last time i used it, sound is great too.
Honestly, no. Maybe for the software, more options, and if you have some seriously powerful headphones or sound system. Soundcards have been on their way out for quite a while now, onboard sound is nowhere near what it used to be. Even mid range boards like the AMD AM4 B550, B450, B350 boards had good enough sound chips on them that would easily drive most (if not all) common consumer headphones. Sure you will get those audiophiles that will always recommend a card. for the HD598's you will be fine with any mid range to high end motherboard made in the last 2 years easily. But why not just test it for yourself when you get your new board. See which setup you prefer, as sound can be quite subjective based on personal tastes and preferences.
I wish they made motherboards with no audio, no video, just CPU socket, chipset, I/O ports, PCIe, and storage options. Keep costs down, no need for licensing stuff. As for soundcards, they will be on their way out. They are excellent external solutions they just exceed the quality. External DAC, tube preamp, and a solid state amp is my setup. Nice part is as I upgrade in the future, all this equipment will still be here for the next PC or laptop.
Yeah, I'm struggling with that question as well, but for my usage scenario, I'm more concerned about getting surround/Dolby Atmos on my headphones via SB Zx control module. For music appreciation, I have my iFi Micro iDSD Black Label, and audio for my soundbar's via mobo audio via SPDIF. Now, I have my Zx ready to install, but wondering if it's worth the effort....
what are there any advantages if I take out my SBz now? Like for example less drivers cluttering my system etc? My mobo is a Strix X299-E
I use a SMSL M300 MKII DAC, and I get HRTF Surround via Asus' Sonic Studio III software. This app is designed for it's Realtek solution, but allows you to bind it to other audio solutions. I also have the option of using my G6, which I SPDIF Out to my DAC. Also, I have the Dolby Access (Atmos for Headphones) and DTS For Headphones X plug-ins for Windows Sonic, which can output to any DAC.
DAC's and soundcard's that can do 32bit 384 khz or similar and if you use Hi-Fi headsets are reasons to use something else than onboard. But it's normally good enough for gaming and general use as long as it can deliver enough power to your headset. (And beside most gaming headsets use USB and bypass the sound card all together with it's own dac)
Hi W@w@y, Consider this i just got one of these. A long with some new speakers, With the right setting it sounds like a f..king stereo system https://us.creative.com/p/amplifiers/sound-blasterx-g6 https://www.edifier.com/ca/en/speakers/s880db
