Sound Blaster awe32 ISA vs integrated AC'97

[aj654987]

Ive got an old athlon 550mhz system that is using integrated AC 97 sound. Ive also got a awe32 ISA card and the K7 mobo has an isa slot. My question is will i notice either increased sound quality or lower cpu utilization with the ISA card? is it worth it to put in the old ISA card?

I recommend staying with the integrated AC97 option unless you have a specific need for hardware MIDI or DOS sound support.

Outside of MIDI, the AWE32 will offer little advantage (performance or quality), and the addition of an ISA card could lead to performance penalties due to latencies involved in accessing the ISA bridge controller. An Athlon 550 has more than enough processing power to spare for AC97 audio playback.

However, if you were to opt for a PCI sound card (even entry-level), then ditch the AC97 integrated controller immediately.

Robert Richmond

[aj654987]

Alright, thanks ill leave it alone. The comp is used for basic task only and really doesnt need any advanced sound. I was just wondering if it would have been better cause that old isa card is collecting dust anyhow. If I upgrade my hercules gamesurround that i got in my main rig then I'll put that in the old pc.

[MD1032]

I didn't particularly like AWE32 on my SBLive. I don't know what my TBSC has, but it's got a better sound than AWE32, which I don't like the effects of at all.