No SoundStorm For nForce3

If you were drawn to buying nForce2 because of it’s unique SoundStorm audio you might be disappointed to learn there will be no APU/SoundStorm integrated into future nForce3 products. Here’s that quote from NVIDIA’s website:

For motherboard partner product design and cost flexibility, we have elected to make NVIDIA SoundStorm technology available as an “add-on” chip at a later date. For now, you can find NVIDIA SoundStorm in several NVIDIA nForce2-based motherboards currently shipping.
What happened to NVIDIA SoundStorm? @ NVIDIA

So where does that leave us for integrated audio with nForce3… These are a couple of snips from Geoff Gasior’s review of the Shuttle SN85G4 (nForce3-150):

Realtek’s oft-used ALC650 codec also makes an appearance on the SN85G4’s motherboard. As far as audio goes, the nForce3 150 offers nothing above basic AC’97 compatibility, which rules out any and all hardware 3D audio acceleration. By only offering limited audio capabilities in the nForce3 150, NVIDIA can produce and sell the chips more cheaply, but it’s a definite step backwards technology-wise. Because the nForce2’s robust 3D audio capabilities are so well documented and the chipset’s ability to do hardware Dolby Digital encoding in real time is still unequaled, it’s disappointing that the nForce3 150’s audio support so weak.

…Even with simple 2D DirectSound audio, the nForce3 150’s pokey audio implementation consumes precious processor cycles. Things get a lot uglier when we dip into 3D audio.Without the hardware necessary to accelerate 3D audio, the nForce3-equipped SN85G4 shows incredibly high CPU utilization in RightMark’s 3D sound benchmark. All of our test platforms feast on CPU cycles when doing 3D audio in software, but at least our nForce2- and KT600-based systems can fall back on hardware acceleration to all but eliminate their CPU utilization. Our nForce3-based platforms aren’t so lucky.
Shuttle’s XPC SN85G4 small form factor system Athlon 64³ @ The Tech Report

So assuming your upgrade path is from nForce2 to nForce3 you’ll probably be taking a big step backwards as far as audio is concerned. Unless, of course you go for an external audio solution. Some upgrade, huh? With nForce2 you got great audio with a motherboard thrown in, remember? But let’s not dwell on the extra cost of an external card or those lost CPU cycles… This is what the Inq had to say about it:

Many partners have questioned Nvidia’s decision not to integrate its Soundstorm technology on nForce3 (Soundstorm was a key part of nForce2’s success, single-handedly pushing Dolby Digital 5.1 sound into the mass market). That means that users upgrading to Athlon 64 effectively have to downgrade their sound performance. Of course, this could all be part of its master plan - Nvidia is planning to release a stand-alone sound board in the next few months.
Aopen backs Nvidia to the hilt, hilts Via in the back - Computex 2003 We think Nforce 3 is great @ The Inquirer

So it was NVIDIA’s decision to drop its unique integrated audio in favour of a (probable) totally separate product? Well, yes and no. Here’s what our NV source has to say on the reason why:

In the land of nForce 3, there is only a single chip. That means that every single one must have all the features that are 100% guaranteed to sell. Based on this information, the decision was made to drop APU. If we made two different chips again that would be one answer. However, our customers (ASUS, MSI, etc.) continue to tell us that you (the end user public) don’t want SoundStorm OR don’t want to pay for it.

…but on a brighter note:

At this point no decisions have been made about future products. As far as management is concerned, if the customer (i.e. ASUS, MSI, etc.) doesn’t ask for it, it won’t get built. You are the buyer of product from our customer, thus you have a say in what gets built. However, your attitudes must be known to those customers else they will continue on with business as usual.

So if customer demand drives features into products, it’s up to us individually and collectively as end users to make that demand known to the manufacturers. If you want important features such as SoundStorm - and those manufacturers depend on features like this to make their products stand out from the crowd - you have to voice your concern directly to the board manufacturers; NVIDIA meets the demand.

You might not care one way or the other what happens with SoundStorm audio, know what SoundStorm audio is or what future development of it could bring. But there’s some feeling in the community that this kind of apathy (from users and manufacturers) is consigning a unique feature to the recycler. NV and the manufacturers will carry on regardless either way, it’s us as end users that may be losing out.

If you want to have your say in this, drop by the forum and take a vote in the polling booth - nForce3 & SoundStorm Audio - How important is it to you?

Here’s a few threads on the subject, feel free to start up your own:

nForce3 - no integrated SoundStorm
No APU planned for future nForces?
nForce3 250, does it have Soundstorm or not?