DarkAztek

So my audio card shit the bed last night because I tried to pull too much power from it. In desperation and strapped for cash, I decided to get this USB audio card I saw. It was like $30 at a Best Buy and I figured it would probably make everything sound like a midi file... But hey, I needed sound.

LO AND BEHOLD, I WAS WRONG! It's a Sound Blaster X-Fi Go! and although the sound is not at the professional level quality that I am used to, it sounds fairly decent.

Now the part the confuses me: When USB 3.0 comes out to the public, it's pretty much going to be the fastest way of connecting around. Files fly by and the impressive read/write speeds of 2.0 (about 10-15 MBS) are going to be laughable. ...So why aren't more computer parts connected through USB?

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Mal

I know I'd prefer to have all of my components inside my case.
Of course, you could always use USB connections inside as you would any other internal connection, but what's the point when PCIe 2.0 is faster? Also, PCIe 3.0 isn't too far off, which is going to double PCIe 2.0 speeds.

RNB

My USBs fail on me for some reason. I don't know why, but one doesn't even work anymore.

Also, I heard firewire was pretty good.

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manta

http://soundslive.wordpress.com/2007...ewire-and-pci/

The faster the speed, the more quality you can have in your sound. Trust me you'll hear the difference when you switch from the usb sound card to a x-fi fatal1ty. In gaming, movies and everything. Heck in CoD4 you can hear the steps clearly of someone that has dead silence. Also since its usb its powered by the max amount of power that usb can give, while in a pci port you can get extra juice for that extra quality. Also PCI Express 3.0 is coming and its expected to have double the speed of USB 3.0.

But for $30 thats good!

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Mal

PCIe 3.0 will double PCIe 2.0. It will triple USB 3.0.

Freshgrease

I have a Line 6 UX1 for guitar input and such, and it's pretty good for listening to music. I can tell you that there is a bit better quality in my Soundblaster XFI card with my Boston Acoustics floor speakers/Pioneer receiver, but that's minuscule.

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DarkAztek

Ahh, so the truth is revealed. I wasn't aware an upgrade for PCIe 3.0 was coming out. I guess the reason I got so excited about a USB sound card is the fact that it makes putting together a computer about as easy as LEGOS. I'd love it if the average Joe Schmoe could, in the future, build and upgrade his machine just as easily as a tech expert could.

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Mal

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadowwolf yes, it would be easier, but apparently from what ive heard, fiber optics is the quickest connection for anything out there right now. also from what ive been told they are also doing optics internet in japan, i think its T1-3. correct me if im wrong. from what it looks like i might be getting all of this all wrong and i didnt really understand what you said, hopefully that isnt the case.

We're talking about local, non-network connections. Fibre optics are currently, and for a long time (if not always)*, strictly for high speed internet provision, not in-computer connections.

* I can give a quick explanation of why, if you're really that interested and I feel not lazy.

Mal

They could, but:
- fibre optics use light, not electricity, so there would have to be several points of conversion.
- the slow down isn't really in the wire throughput, it's in the reading/writing/processing of all of that information.
- using fibre optics inside these components would be almost completely pointless (and overly constly/bulky with current technology), since most of these components use uninsulated copper wire inside, and the speed of the electromagnetic pulse inside such wire is ~95% the speed of light, so over such short distances there would be no discernible difference at this point in time.
- by the time anything like this would be economically feasible we'll be getting into quantum computing anyway.