On-board VIA audio

How good is the free lunch?
Motherboards with integrated components are all the rage, and why not. For mainstream users who aren't picky about their peripherals, integrated solutions are probably good enough. But just how good is "good enough" when we're talking about PC audio, and what's your motherboard really capable of?

There are a number of different integrated audio solutions available depending on which motherboard you choose and what chipset it uses. For reference, we've called upon the integrated audio services of Albatron's KX400+ Pro motherboard, which uses the integrated audio in VIA's VT8235 south bridge. Unfortunately, I don't have access to any nForce or nForce2 motherboards, so you'll have to make due with VIA's integrated audio stylings today.

VIA's VT8235 south bridge is another example of a "soft audio" solution where the CPU ends up doing most of the actual grunt work involved in audio processing. VIA lists "6-channel audio support," for the VT8235 south bridge, but beyond that, details are scarce. The VT8235 does support EAX and A3D 3D audio, but its peak internal sampling rates remain a mystery.

VIA's VT8235 south bridge, and in fact most integrated south bridge audio solutions, are paired with Realtek's ALC650 codec chip. We've been guilty of calling the ALC650 a full-fledged audio chip, and indeed some motherboard manufacturers actually list the ALC650 as being the audio chip of choice on their motherboards, despite the fact that the chip is little more than a well-marketed, well-supported codec.

Part of the reason behind the confusion surrounding the ALC650 is the fact that Realtek actually provides the audio drivers. What's more, Windows XP's own Device Manager lists the integrated audio as "Avance AC97 Audio," regardless of whether the ALC650 is paired with a south bridge like VIA's VT8235 or Intel's ICH4. The fact Realtek provides the audio drivers for these ALC650/south bridge combinations is probably a good thing, since the drivers themselves offer more features than Hercules' Muse drivers. Realtek's drivers offer a few speaker testing options, a 10-band equalizer, and several environmental audio settings. There's even a Karaoke option if you're a drunk, middle-aged Asian businessman looking to belt out a rendition of Rhinestone Cowboy.