HAY GUYS

TheReverend · Local time: Aug 28, 2006, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Render

I've been looking for an answer to this question for a while. Does installing dedicated PCI cards reduce CPU usage? I'm talking about like a NIC, sound card, or PCI to USB cards. I know for certain that sound cards can help decrease CPU load by processing EAX and fancy stuff like that, but what about other types?

I know I have read about how the new "Killer" NIC actually does offload CPU tasks to itself for better performance. As to other NIC's, I don't know.

You are dead on about the PCI soundcards. Although it is cheaper and more affordable to use on-board (Motherboard) sound, it is more CPU tasking than the alternative.

As to PCI-USB ports, I don't think so.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

TheReverend · Local time: Aug 28, 2006, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by Rock

It depends, actually. The nForce2 onboard-soundchip, "Soundstorm" in fact had lower CPU usage than the best PCI cards at that time, including the entire range of Creative Audigy cards. It also featured Dolby Digital 5.1 realtime hardware encoding for the first time ever on a PC platform.

Sorry I didnt mention the one exception that is long since out of production

. But yes you are right Soundstorm does kick. And that was so stupid to quit developing it.

There's nowhere I can't reach.