8RDA3+ Press release

[bradmax57]

Originally posted by Lysimachus
Walrusbonzo, why would you want to use the on-board audio anyway? If you want good performance and great sounds with games, install a sound card and turn on-board audio OFF!

In this day and age, sounds cards are a must.

I would disagree for the reason that if I overclocked my 8rda past 200fsb I got no sound, plus the onboard of the 8rda sounds just as good in my opinion

[fibonaccov]

Originally posted by Áedán


I get annoyed about the total confusion there is with sound and how it's implemented on PCs. Too many people do not realise just how it's done, and assume things that are just not true. I'll write an article one of these days.... Along with the surround sound, PSUs and all sorts of other goodies.

Áedán

You bet! I'm just some Epox end-user who doest not know Jack about sound and yet Iwould like to select a motherboard that offers some fairly good on-board audio. I don't want to deal with some Audigy 2 PCI board at the moment (at least I need to be convinced to install one - I mostly used headphones and I'm a gamer) - I've a very simple question for you sound/audio specialists

--> Will I see (hear) some noticeable difference between the current on-board audio on the 8rda+ and the 8rda3+ - in some Analog mode, not digital - I am not using any SPDIF thingy either...

Áedán, writing that guide would sure shed some light for many people here...I think too many folks believe that the CMedia C9739a Audio will be not as good as what they currently get on their 8rda+ (in Analog) - I'd like to know...

Please enlight a noob

Also as I use heaphones mostly - what is the best configuration for me to get eventually? (other than some great headphones of course)

--fibo

[EPoX Tech]

I think that the audio question can be quantified and pigeon holed quite simply.

For those that ask the question of the audio on any given implementation, the audio shouldn't be an issue. Those that don't ask the questions are seemingly the audiophiles who will use a real sound card rather than a creative type card for Audio; i.e. a Terratec or Envy 24HT PCI or low latency USB solution for wave ,and a Yamaha card for MIDI, and connected to real speakers, not what would be termed as "computer speakers".

Moreover, chipset is not important in audio when we need to cast an eye over the big picture - the implementation is where the audio quality comes from - a poorly designed solution will give poor sound quality; for instance it would be possible to make a straight AC97 2.2 solution fed through say an 8235 that is superior in sound quality to a VIA ENVY 24HT - even though component cost is at either end of an ever expanding spectrum.

To cap - Please do listen to the likes of Aedan, or myself, or others offais with design, implementation or even professional musicians (as I am lucky to still fall into the category of and receive my Royalties from the Performing Arts Society). It is for these people that Audio seems to be paramount - they won't use a Southbridge fed 40 pin AC'97 for their audio, but they will be able to tell you the quality or lack thereof of a particular implementation - and as we do state, this is not based upon the Chipset so much, but the implementation of it.

[EPoX Tech]

Originally posted by fibonaccov

You bet! I'm just some Epox end-user who doest not know Jack about sound and yet Iwould like to select a motherboard that offers some fairly good on-board audio. I don't want to deal with some Audigy 2 PCI board at the moment (at least I need to be convinced to install one - I mostly used headphones and I'm a gamer) - I've a very simple question for you sound/audio specialists

--> Will I see (hear) some noticeable difference between the current on-board audio on the 8rda+ and the 8rda3+ - in some Analog mode, not digital - I am not using any SPDIF thingy either...

Áedán, writing that guide would sure shed some light for many people here...I think too many folks believe that the CMedia C9739a Audio will be not as good as what they currently get on their 8rda+ (in Analog) - I'd like to know...

Please enlight a noob

Also as I use heaphones mostly - what is the best configuration for me to get eventually? (other than some great headphones of course)

--fibo

You can do far worse than buying some Sennheiser HD-280 closed cups model - spend about $150 on good headphones and they will last for ever and a day - they will literally look after you.

[fibonaccov]

Originally posted by EPoX Tech


You can do far worse than buying some Sennheiser HD-280 closed cups model - spend about $150 on good headphones and they will last for ever and a day - they will literally look after you.

Right, the ones I got are the SENNHEISER 500-RTL ones - 1 word: superb!

Thanks,

--fibo

[corsairmicro]

So what do we conclude?? I want to buy an EPOX 8RDA3+ . Do u think that the onboard CMEDIA chipset will decrease the performance too much or is it better to use a SB Audigy???

I want to get a very good performance Mainboard + Onboard Sound that doesn't slow down overall system performance.

Any suggests??

[MasterAtArms]

Yes, my suggestion: buy twinmos with winbond chips only £29.xx inc vat + del from komplett.

[corsairmicro]

that was not my question !!!!

[drow_elf]

heres some specs on the cmedia chip:
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/doc/CMI9739...SPEC_Ver12.pdf

(regarding the %##s, i hate you windows......)

[bradmax57]

Originally posted by drow_elf
heres some specs on the cmedia chip:
http://www.cmedia.com.tw/doc/CMI9739...SPEC_Ver12.pdf

(regarding the %##s, i hate you windows......)

from that I'd say its going to be alright for most people, but i guess we'll just have to wait and see how its implemented!

[Mariah]

Does anyone know if the nForce2 Ultas have Native SATA RAID support?

[BigShue]

The Nvidia software is probably a bit easyer to use but the Cmedia isnt as bad as you might think.

The board has still the nForce APU, only an other Codec Chip. I thought I can use the cool nvidia software???


BigShue

ok im not wanting this board for the sound infact i usaly buy the plain 8rda board cause i already have the sb live platnium 5.1 live drive set up anyway and i would rather just use that and not have to have a board with all the onboard crap ill never use i just want a basic kick butt ocing board the rest of the options ill add as i need them... i hope this board will be worth the upgrade from the 8rda? all i really care about is if this board is going to bring to the table what the 8rda became famous for in the first place? what are the new ocing features of this board and are they worth it? this is all i want to know? i already heard that the bios will include the new voltage options so you no longer have to do that volt mod is this true? i mean the only reason for the MCP-T would be the sound storm and the onboard lan and fire wire right or am i confused?

thx guys.. perc.