Audio Performance
The audio performance tests were done using Audio Rightmark 6.0.5 and a 3.5mm gold plated, oxygen free stereo loop back cable between stereo out and microphone input. Results were taken at the DVD sample rate of 16-bit/48KHz and High Definition 24-bit/96KHz.
What we're looking for:
- Noise Level: A higher negative is better. This is usually viewed in relation to a signal level which provides a signal to noise ratio. As you get closer to zero there's more noise and lesser audio fidelity.
- Frequency Response: Two values listing how close to the lower higher frequencies the codec can reach. If it hits them perfectly it'll display a 0, 0.
- Dynamic Range: The difference between the loudest and quietest sounds the codec can make before it distorts them. The larger the gap, the better.
- THD and IMD percentage: Closer to zero is better. THD and IMD are best looked at together, where as if you have a lot of THD and not much IMD, then it'll offer a warmer accurate sound. High THD and IMD provides a warm, inaccurate sound, low THD and high IMD gives a cold inaccurate sound and finally low THD and IMD gives a cold accurate sound.
- IMD = intermodulation distortion and is a fancy way of saying conversion interpolation, which is a basic detection of the quality loss after an analogue to digital then digital to analogue conversion. By comparing it to a highly compressed source it shows up problems with the codec and converters.
- THD = total harmonic distortion, which shows up unwanted harmonics; integer multiples of the original component sound that can be second, third, fourth degrees or overtones for example.
- Stereo Crosstalk: where the stereo channels "talk" to each other and interact. Ideally you want them entirely separate, unmixed or echoed in either channel, so a higher negative a result as possible is preferred.
16-bit / 48KHz
24-bit / 96KHz
The IX38 QuadGT uses the Realtek ALC888 chipset which offers up to 7.1 channel High Definition audio at 192KHz / 32-bit fidelity. The ALC888 doesn't offer any special Dolby or DTS features, or even content encryption support like the ALC885 or 889a, but it does provide a pretty good basic on-board audio experience.
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Posted by RotoSequence - Thu Dec 06 2007 08:48
With the BIOS holding back memory performance that much, wouldn't it be a rather mediocre, rather than awesome, one?
Posted by BUFF - Thu Dec 06 2007 08:50
Can you say which BIOS version that you tested with?
Obviously it's early days in BIOS development for this board & improvements are expected over time.
Your experience with Vcore is interesting as it goes against what most others have been reporting in places like XS etc. - there people are reporting only ~0.04V Vdroop even with a quad which is obviously significantly different from your results.
I wonder if that's due to a different BIOS?
& there are certainly some people who are looking at buying the QuadGT specifically because it has a x4 slot for a RAID card etc.
At the end of the day it's a design choice & whether it's right or wrong for you is upto you to decide.
Oh & the bundle appears to have been a cock-up - there are supposed to be wire fan brackets for attaching a small fan to the nb included & yes, apparently somebody forgot to spec. the usual abit combined USB & firewire PCI slot plate in the BOM
I totally agree about P35 still being a very strong competitor if you don't need the 2nd X16 slot to run Crossfire which is why I'm sticking with my IP35 Pro.
Posted by Tim S - Thu Dec 06 2007 08:59
Posted by BUFF - Thu Dec 06 2007 09:01
I totally agree about Crossfire being the only reason for going X38 & probably X48 too.