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nForce4 Ultra Roundup: Charting the Mainstream

 by Wesley Fink on July 5, 2005 10:28 PM EST
75 Comments | Add A Comment
75 Comments

Audio Performance

For this Ultra roundup, we limited audio testing to the Rightmark 3D Sound CPU utilization test, which is the same benchmarks that were run in the nForce4 SLI roundup. This benchmark measures the overhead or CPU utilization required by a codec or hardware audio chip.

Audio Performance - Empty CPU

Audio Performance - 2D Audio

Audio Performance - 3D Audio

As you can see, none of the onboard audio solutions were quite as low in CPU utilization as the Creative SoundBlaster Live! Chip, which is used on the MSI K8N Neo4 SLI Platinum tested in the nForce4 SLI roundup. However, Abit's separate Audio Max board, like the similar DFI Karajan Sound Module, lowers CPU utilization of the ALC850 codec substantially. The ALC850 is used in the nF4 Ultra roundup, with all using the on-board codec except Abit and DFI. The audio "modules" seem to work on more than one front. Both DFI and Abit talk about reduced noise with the module, but it appears that the isolation of the modules can also drop ALC850 CPU utilization to close to the levels of a hardware solution.

DFI and Abit deserve praise for their excellent design work on the Karajan module and the Audio Max respectively. They both reduce overhead substantially to very low levels compared to competing implementations of the same Realtek ALC850 codec.

Ethernet Performance Final Words
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  • lsman - Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - link

    yet, "As you can see, none of the onboard audio solutions were quite as low in CPU utilization as the Creative SoundBlaster Live! Chip, which is used on the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum."
    so creative on board is a reference? because you do not test the MSI K8N Neo4 platium.

  • Wesley Fink - Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - link

    #2 -
    As we said several times in the roundup, we reviewed the MSI and Asus in the SLI roundup. The SLI and Ultra chipsets are exactly the same chipset with SLI enabled on the SLI chipset. We did not see what new information we could bring you by reviewing the Ultra versions fo the same boards. As you can see in the benchmarks in this roundup the DFI perfoms in Ultra exactly as it did in SLI.

    The MSI was an Editor's Choice in the SLI roundup and is a similar good choice as an Ultra board. There have been some issues with the Venice and San Diego overclocking and MSI has finally released a new BIOS to address these problems.

    The Asus was not a particularly good overclocker in the SLI roundup, and not an Editors Choice, but it was a decent performer at stock speeds.


  • Djinni - Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - link

    Very good work, but I too would of liked to see the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum in there since thats what I just bought yesterday :P

  • MaxisOne - Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - link

    Nice .. but partially useless considering the Asus A8N-E and MSI offerings are missing from the lineup which is what im looking to compare to the DFI Ultra D

  • ChrisSwede - Tuesday, July 5, 2005 - link

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