It's a phantom review that I cant find on Toms but here is a mainboard review
from anandtech last year that compares the integrated sound with the X-FI:
http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2733&p=12> Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007
19:45:23 -0400> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected]>
Subject: Re: [H] Mobo Sound vs SB X-FI Xtreme Sound> > Thanks for the comments.
I'll hunt around at Toms. I guess I remember > it too, come to think of it.> >
Hayes Elkins wrote:> > X-fi is supposed to significantly reduce overhead, and
that means less > > work from your CPU and less heat. Real world tests show
improvements > > up to 10%, you'll have to search toms for the articles but I >
> distinctly remember that real world delta.> > > > Integrated sound will take
some CPU from you, especially if games are > > using a complex 3D sound
algorithm and you have a situation where you > > have all channels saturated
with activity.> > > > Of the two main integrated sound chips, Sigmatel seems to
be less > > troublesome in my experience and Realtek is a RealPITA.> >> > >
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:24:56 -0400> > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To:
[email protected]> > > Subject: [H] Mobo Sound vs SB X-FI Xtreme
Sound> > >> > > I'm using a Gigabyte p35-ds4 mobo that has "Intel high def"
sound. The> > > old PC had an SB X-fi Xtreme something or other in it. So far,
I'm > > using> > > the sound right off the mobo as I can't see any reason to
put in the SB> > > other than to clutter up air flow and gen heat inside the
case.> > >> > > Am I missing something here? Is cpu "overhead" really that much
less> > > with the SB than with the Realtek ALC889A codec? Is there a
significant> > > performance hit in games, for example?> >> >> >
------------------------------------------------------------------------> >
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