*Edit* Question no longer relevant. I just posted an update on how it went. I'm using onboard audio at the moment. Lately I have started to use my headset more and more (Sennheiser PC350) and the distortion noises are getting on my nerves. I also have a Logitech Z-5500 speaker set, but the headset is the main reason I'm considering getting a separate sound card. The thing that limits my choices here is my crossfire setup, I only have a PCIe slot free. I'm also not ready to spend a fortune, I can find X-FI Titanium cards for 100 euros but that already is more than I want to spend. I don't have that high demands. I have so far found two cards that are within reasonable price. The first one is a SB Xtreme Audio 7.1 I can get the bulk version for 56 euros. The other one is the Asus Xonar DX which is more expensive, 73 euros. Weird thing is that no one got it in stock, would probably take a month to get it. Any thoughts on these, is the Asus worth the higher price, and any other recommendations within this price range? The selection of audio cards is generally piss poor in the shops here though (finland).
IMO, the only way you can get tangible benefits over your onboard is if you spend at or above the amount that the Xonar DX is at. Anything below would barely give you any worthwhile benefits.
However, if you're not just limited to sound cards alone, you could go along with a budget DAC, like the ones from Fiio. They're pretty low-priced and definitely have incredible value. Assuming your onboard has a digital out, one example of a good, budget DAC is the Fiio D3.
IMO, the only way you can get tangible benefits over your onboard is if you spend at or above the amount that the Xonar DX is at. Anything below would barely give you any worthwhile benefits.
However, if you're not just limited to sound cards alone, you could go along with a budget DAC, like the ones from Fiio. They're pretty low-priced and definitely have incredible value. Assuming your onboard has a digital out, one example of a good, budget DAC is the Fiio D3.
ravenguard90
I'm not sure onboard sound cards can handle home theater type of stuff too well. And, of course, if you want to record music, a good PCI card or external interface is pretty much mandatory and much preferable if you are going to record podcasts. Other than that, yes, the difference between onboard and PCI/external is not that big if all you are going to do is listen to mp3s and CDs.
Other than that, yes, the difference between onboard and PCI/external is not that big if all you are going to do is listen to mp3s and CDs.
LordQuorthon
I'd say it's quite a noticable difference. I'd still rather use my Audigy 2 ZS over any onboard released today. People keep saying they're getting better. Every one I've heard sounds just as bad as the rest. Buying an Xonar DG will do you wonders.
Sound cards seem to be the most under rated hardware piece, I myself have been using a X-Fi since 05 still using the same card and the sound is much better then onboard. The Asus or X-Fi HD will do even more wonders as they're better then my sound card.
IMO, the only way you can get tangible benefits over your onboard is if you spend at or above the amount that the Xonar DX is at. Anything below would barely give you any worthwhile benefits.
However, if you're not just limited to sound cards alone, you could go along with a budget DAC, like the ones from Fiio. They're pretty low-priced and definitely have incredible value. Assuming your onboard has a digital out, one example of a good, budget DAC is the Fiio D3.
ravenguard90
I wouldn't say that. I had one of these and my sound did definitely increase. But that was also because I had some speakers to help along with it.
The Asus Sonar Essense STX is not only a superb soudn card (audiophile level thoug - so it's pricey), but it also includes a built in amp to drive those Sennheisers you've got. I set mine to high gain and these can suddenly came to life.
I believe there is a cheaper Asus card that also has a built in amp. I'd look at newegg/tiger direct/amazon see if they have them.
I appreciate all your answers, thanks! I'd prefer a sound card before a DAC though, since I still use my speakers at least half the time. I was also looking at USB sound cards but any descent ones are rather expensive and still not on par with a PCI sound card if I'm to believe various topics about it. I found the Xonar Essence card but it's 200 euros, so out of the question. All the cheaper ones I can find here are PCI versions. While looking in various sites today I found the bulk version of X-FI Titanium for 65.90 euros, which I understand is in the same "league" as the Xonar DX. I'm going to keep looking for awhile longer though. None of these cards are in stock either so looking at a 2-4 weeks shipping time anyways :P
not true... http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/09/20/creative_xfi_hd_usb_sound_card_review/ performs amazing i have 1 and a x-fi xtreme music, i cant tell any difference
TC, if you can find the X-Fi Pro USB in stock, get it, as it still is a good sound card on its own. However, if you don't mind waiting for the Titanium to come back in stock, then get that instead.
@Jiggly Well you got me interested in it. I've been researching on the 5.1 version of it and it has good reviews. It's also in stock at one of the places I usually buy my hardware at for 89 euros. One benefit would be that I don't have to be concerned about higher temps because of an internal card, since it would make a really tight package inside my rig. It's a bit higher priced than I was looking to spend, but on the other hand still cheaper than most of the PCIe cards. I'm seriously considering it now, anyone got anything to say against it? edit* cheers for the feedback raven. I'm going to look around for the Titanium a bit more and e-mail a couple of sites about it, but if the shipping times really are up to a month I think I'm going with the USB.
The thing here is that folks are suggesting high-quality cards, but if the only thing that concerns you is eliminating the distortion you're getting from the motherboard audio, almost any dedicated sound card should provide you with sufficient isolation to remove noises like hard disk access and a lot of EMI, relatively speaking.
My advice is to buy from a reputable, local dealer with a good return policy - ANY Asus or Creative - and pop it in. If the noise is eliminated, mission accomplished.
If you do go the USB route, be very careful that it also supports your microphone, since you're using a headset.
I'd avoid soundcards all together an recommend getting a x-fi hdusb, or the 5.1 version. So much more convenient.JigglyWiggly_
But not necessarily better for gaming. The fact that no USB X-Fi product has Game Mode or Audio Creation Mode is a dead giveaway that they don't have the EMU20k1 or EMU20k2 DSP that defines a true X-Fi product. I don't trust their ability to handle EAX 5 or CMSS-3D Headphone as a result, even if most games these days don't even use the former (it's usually EAX 2 or 3). For that matter, any "XtremeAudio" cards are also fakes; avoid them. Same with the X-Fi Bravura and Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1. Unfortunately, since I live in the US, I'm generally unaware of what pricing is like in Europe, except that X-Fi-based cards are significantly more expensive for some reason. What I can tell you is that if you don't play anything that uses DirectSound3D or OpenAL, the Creative cards lose their edge.
Not true I can select game mode on x-fi hd usb, and the only difference is 64 channels vs 128. It's gr8 for gaming, I cant notice any difference between it and my xtreme music. Audio quality is superb, so much better than onboard.
Also on my desktop I get audio hissing on my xtreme music, but not on my x-fi hd usb. But then I put the xtreme music in another pc and no audio hissing. So if you want to the safe, easy route USB all the way... also additional benefit of not stealing a slot in your pc.
Not true I can select game mode on x-fi hd usb, and the only difference is 64 channels vs 128. It's gr8 for gaming, I cant notice any difference between it and my xtreme music. Audio quality is superb, so much better than onboard.
Also on my desktop I get audio hissing on my xtreme music, but not on my x-fi hd usb. But then I put the xtreme music in another pc and no audio hissing. So if you want to the safe, easy route USB all the way... also additional benefit of not stealing a slot in your pc.
JigglyWiggly_
Game Mode on X-Fi HD USB? That's news to me...Creative sure doesn't clearly state what devices have what features, and I certainly don't have the money to buy them all just to read their OpenAL capability bits and do some RightMark 3DSound testing. Also, maybe it's the card or just having the right motherboard, but between the X-Fi Prelude, X-Fi Forte, and X-Fi HomeTheater HD, I have never heard any audio hissing or other artifacts using the rear audio outputs. Front-panel audio is another matter, but that will introduce lots of noise no matter what you connect to it. External devices do provide some conveniences, but I just haven't found one with all the gaming features of internal sound cards yet, that's all. But for more audiophile-oriented tasks, they're fine.
I got my ASUS Xonar DG for £25. It has 5.1 support, front panel support and a built in headphone amp. It's great for gaming too.
kraken2109
I would have brought up the Xonar DG, but it's a PCI card and the OP wants a PCI-Express card. That complicates things as far as affordable sound card options go...
Update. I got the Sound Blaster 5.1 USB sound card today. I didn't really know what to expect but had 30 days return time so no problem there. No problem with installation, it was plug and play with installation from CD + driver update. Tried a few different music tracks with my Logitech Z-5500 speaker set. Even if it's a rather bad set considering sound quality I noticed a quite significant improvement from onboard audio. The sound and especially bass was less muddy and I heard details in songs that they haven't produced before. Moving onto to my Sennheiser PC350 headset. The improvement here was big. Everything was much more crisp and clear, with more punch in the bass. I can't hear any distortion noises either. Very pleasing. I haven't bothered to mod the headset before, but with this soundcard I thought why not, so I went ahead and drilled a couple of holes in both enclosures in the cups. The difference is unbelievable, dubstep actually sounds really good now. I'm rather picky about the bass though, drilling holes improved it by a huge amount, but it got a little loose instead. I'm still experimenting with adding cotton to fill the void space for that. But overall, I'm very pleased. Special thanks to Jiggly who really made me consider this sound card.
The thing here is that folks are suggesting high-quality cards, but if the only thing that concerns you is eliminating the distortion you're getting from the motherboard audio, almost any dedicated sound card should provide you with sufficient isolation to remove noises like hard disk access and a lot of EMI, relatively speaking.
My advice is to buy from a reputable, local dealer with a good return policy - ANY Asus or Creative - and pop it in. If the noise is eliminated, mission accomplished.
If you do go the USB route, be very careful that it also supports your microphone, since you're using a headset.
Good luck!
Boz
Bozanimal
A word of warning: neither of the two X-Fi cards I've owned in the past (X-Fi XtremeGamer and Auzentech Forte) protected sufficiently against noise and EMI.
A word of warning: neither of the two X-Fi cards I've owned in the past (X-Fi XtremeGamer and Auzentech Forte) protected sufficiently against noise and EMI.
KHAndAnime
The Forte can be fixed by using a plastic/rubber screw to hold it in. I rarely encounter noise and if I do, I just move my headphone jack around a bit until it's gone. Think my 6.3->3.5 adapter might just be faulty though as it is a bit flimsy.
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