# Creative sound card or onboard



## PoptartBoi (May 24, 2016)

I have a Creative sound blaster Audigy SE will my sound be better on my motherboard or the card?


Sound card: http://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-audigy-se

Motherboard( Gigabyte 78LMT- USB3) : http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5195#ov


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## Jack1n (May 24, 2016)

If you already own the sound card then yes but if you are planning on buying one to replace the onboard solution then its not worth it.


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## rtwjunkie (May 24, 2016)

If you were getting a SoundBlaster Z, then it would be worth it.  Otherwise, onboard sound, unless you already have a card like you do. 

Creative has been providing updated drivers for Windows 10 for their Extreme Gamer and for the Z series, which is commendable (they work well too).  Are they doing that for the Audigy SE as well?  That would be my only concern there.


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## natr0n (May 24, 2016)

Most of the time even the cheap audio cards sound better than integrated.

Your Audigy SE will blow that mobos sound out the water.


http://danielkawakami.blogspot.com/2015/09/sb-audigy-series-support-pack-61.html

http://danielkawakami.blogspot.com/2015/08/p17x-series-support-pack-31-audigy.html


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## Ferrum Master (May 24, 2016)

WM8768 vs ALC892 are very close actually. Due to more metal audigy wins by a hair... but both solutions are horrid to my ears... I owned a that Audigy to... also the RTL used a bit...


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## Frick (May 24, 2016)

Protip is to look for a used SB0460, they're usually very cheap (less than €10 where I live) and they are quite good. It made a huuuuuuuuuge difference even with my crappy Logitech Z523 set, it's actually unbelieveble.


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## Ferrum Master (May 24, 2016)

Frick said:


> Protip is to look for a used SB4060, they're usually very cheap (less than €10 where I live) and they are quite good. It made a huuuuuuuuuge difference even with my crappy Logitech Z523 set, it's actually unbelieveble.



you mean SB0460?


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## Frick (May 24, 2016)

Ferrum Master said:


> you mean SB0460?



Yes that. Dell shipped them with their towers in the day so there seems to be a lot of them around.


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## Ferrum Master (May 24, 2016)

Frick said:


> Yes that. Dell shipped them with their towers in the day so there seems to be a lot of them around.



I got few too from UK for like 10ounds. Some had the funny controllers also on the other side. But they perform superb still! Drivers are fine.

I completely vouch for a used X-Fi as I use one still too. 

There is on UK ebay a bid for a Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro with the breakout box. BTW that box uses PCM1794A... and that's a nice sounding piece of silicon still, despite the age.


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## PoptartBoi (May 24, 2016)

rtwjunkie said:


> If you were getting a SoundBlaster Z, then it would be worth it.  Otherwise, onboard sound, unless you already have a card like you do.
> 
> Creative has been providing updated drivers for Windows 10 for their Extreme Gamer and for the Z series, which is commendable (they work well too).  Are they doing that for the Audigy SE as well?  That would be my only concern there.




I'm not sure if they did drivers for the card would it be better to just use the onboard  and put the card in my Dell Optiplex 755 SFF the onboard sound on that system sucks it's only going to be used as a media PC.


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## Kursah (May 24, 2016)

Try em both...whichever sounds best is the one you use. Odds are the sound card will be better than most onboard solutions, even modern ones. It was ridiculously obvious 10 years ago with such comparisons but onboard audio has improved greatly since then while sound cards have really remained on an even keel in all honesty.

A simple Google search for "Audigy SE and Windows 10" came up with this: http://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?prodID=14257

Might as well give it a go!


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## WhiteNoise (May 26, 2016)

If you output to a dac + amp or receiver then I'd say no. But if you output straight to PC speakers then yeah. You will hear a difference with a sound card vs onboard in that configuration usually. Thouh some mobos have great onboard. If you want to output to a dac and amp though or receiver then I'd stick with what you have or onboard digital out.


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## hat (May 29, 2016)

Meh... the Sound Blaster Audigy SE is really old. I'd stick with the onboard. Onboard audio has gotten better over the years.


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