[franzdom]

Is there a computing advantage to using the Creative SB-Z for optical output to a DAC?
 
I have a MB that also has Optical SPDIF, so I was considering using that instead of the sound card's.
Back in the day when onboard sound first showed up there was a definite freeing up of CPU if you used a dedicated sound card.
 
I know if you use the analog outputs for sound you get a very slight computer performance bump if you use a sound card. Does that advantage disappear if you are using digital output?
 
This is meant to be a theoretical discussion, as I know I would never be able to notice as the computer hardware I have is quite a bit more capable than I need/use most of the time.

 

[Hydranix]

Not sure if you've ever played a computer game with an onboard gpu and switched to a dedicated gpu, but you can look at the situation in the same way.
 
 
A dedicated soundcard should be the better solution for outputting to a DAC. The chips used on the card are almost always of much higher quality and aren't subject to as severe interference from unrelated but closely placed components on the motherboard. (granted, being a digital output, I don't know how important the latter is.)
 
 
Honestly though, try both and compare which is better. Go with your gut instinct when you compare. Being too critical will cause you to suffer from audiophilalgia.

 

[bequietjk]

Bumping this thread for my own concern.

Is there anyone there who can confirm or comment on this topic?

I have an x99x motherboard with optical output, but I'm wondering if upgrading to a pcie sound card with optical/spdif output will have better results.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Bumping this thread for my own concern.

Is there anyone there who can confirm or comment on this topic?

I have an x99x motherboard with optical output, but I'm wondering if upgrading to a pcie sound card with optical/spdif output will have better results.

When it comes to what you'll actually hear, the main differences will come from the DSP features, most especially virtual surround, ie if the motherboard doesn't even have it. If you don't even use that feature for games and movies, might as well use the on-board.

As for CPU utilization, you'd have to be running something that uses all cores with a lot of background apps (or using a low clock CPU that can't maintain boost clocks, like ultraportable low voltage CPUs or even dual core i3's) to notice the CPU struggling to keep up). And chances are if you are running anything intensive you'd experience input lag for example even before you hit the play button on the music player. If anything maybe you won't feel that normally on some all core task but then get it if for example you then run a movie.

 

[PurpleAngel]

Bumping this thread for my own concern.
Is there anyone there who can confirm or comment on this topic?
I have an x99x motherboard with optical output, but I'm wondering if upgrading to a PCI-E sound card with optical/spdif output will have better results.

I really doubt you will have a noticeable difference using the S/PDIF (optical/coaxial) output on an add-on sound card, over using the optical output from the motherboard's on-board audio.
In the Windows control panel, under Sound, in the Playback tab, you can set the Win OS to Pass-Thru S/PDIF, which bypasses the sound card features, might give you a slightly cleaner audio stream.

 

[Slogra]

If you have 44.1khz audio files, you want them to be played at 44.1khz. So you need to set the output of your card to 44.1khz.

However some cards do not support 44.1khz output, but only 48khz.
So sound needs to be resampled in that case. There used to be huge quality differences with different cards. Not sure how it is today though.
The best way around this issue is to use a player like Foobar2000 with resampling dsp and set that to 48khz.