Sound Card should be installed in x1 slot. On that way she not influence on GPU speed even with 28 lanes.
No matter how motherboard look without x1 slot for me not exist. ASRock example build bunch of motherboards without x1 slot for X99.
Even mATX board need x1 slot, even better x4 and than customer could install something else if don't want sound card.
ASUS Rampage V Edition 10 is for me perfect motherboard layout.
With x1 and x4 slots. That's motherboard perfection and I can't calm down 2h after I see her pictures because I wait and wait and she show up much later.
I don't know how people could use Onboard sound, no matter on quality.
Difference between medium Realtek and Supreme FX is double better, from SupremeFX to SBZ is again same, from SBZ to SBZxR or Xonar STX II again is far better.
I had SBZ 4 years, after that I had excllent offer to buy SBZxR for only 120 euro and after I sold mine SBZ she cost me arround 60 euro. After few months I still notice difference even looking youtube, every noise is little different, every. And I could imagine than when someone upgrade from Onboard to 180$ worth card.
SBZxR keep high price, but Xonar Essence STX II cost same but I saw on discount for 180$ or euro. Anyone who think what to do should invest instantly.
Special because most of people who think about Sound Card pay 500$+ for GPU and replace for 2-3 years. Sound Card stay until motherboard support connection.
Even after 10 years difference is not so huge as 2 generation of GPU. Better sound processors with real difference show up rear, on few years.
It's normal if someone want best processor power, best Graphic, fast SSD and M.2, nice monitor... why is different with sound from PC,
it's important as anything else.
No matter how motherboard look without x1 slot for me not exist. ASRock example build bunch of motherboards without x1 slot for X99.
Even mATX board need x1 slot, even better x4 and than customer could install something else if don't want sound card.
ASUS Rampage V Edition 10 is for me perfect motherboard layout.
With x1 and x4 slots. That's motherboard perfection and I can't calm down 2h after I see her pictures because I wait and wait and she show up much later.
I don't know how people could use Onboard sound, no matter on quality.
Difference between medium Realtek and Supreme FX is double better, from SupremeFX to SBZ is again same, from SBZ to SBZxR or Xonar STX II again is far better.
I had SBZ 4 years, after that I had excllent offer to buy SBZxR for only 120 euro and after I sold mine SBZ she cost me arround 60 euro. After few months I still notice difference even looking youtube, every noise is little different, every. And I could imagine than when someone upgrade from Onboard to 180$ worth card.
SBZxR keep high price, but Xonar Essence STX II cost same but I saw on discount for 180$ or euro. Anyone who think what to do should invest instantly.
Special because most of people who think about Sound Card pay 500$+ for GPU and replace for 2-3 years. Sound Card stay until motherboard support connection.
Even after 10 years difference is not so huge as 2 generation of GPU. Better sound processors with real difference show up rear, on few years.
It's normal if someone want best processor power, best Graphic, fast SSD and M.2, nice monitor... why is different with sound from PC,
it's important as anything else.
Any card that was capable of running both cards at 16x wont have an issue in the least with adding a sound card.
FWIW X8 still supersedes the bandwidth required by the GPUs so even if they dropped back to x8 no performance hit.
A suggestion that I found to be quite lucrative is to ditch the sound card and use the Toslink out or even USB to an external DAC. Plenty on the market from a few hundred to a few thousand and most are audiophile/studio quality with 24 bit 192kHz sampling rate. This dissolves any worries of lane distribution, leaves more room in your case and most importantly of all get you the best possible sound reproduction available.
FWIW X8 still supersedes the bandwidth required by the GPUs so even if they dropped back to x8 no performance hit.
A suggestion that I found to be quite lucrative is to ditch the sound card and use the Toslink out or even USB to an external DAC. Plenty on the market from a few hundred to a few thousand and most are audiophile/studio quality with 24 bit 192kHz sampling rate. This dissolves any worries of lane distribution, leaves more room in your case and most importantly of all get you the best possible sound reproduction available.
