I'm just wondering what you guys thought would be a decent upgrade to a X-Gamers 5.1 sound card, or even if you don't think one is needed. Right now, everything is running fine and I'm pretty happy with it but the sound card in my other box quit working so I'm debating about just getting a cheap 30.00 card to replace the other one or do an upgrade on my main box and move the 5.1 card over to the other machine. The other machine is my V5 machine and it's got two speakers attached to it. My main box has a 5 speaker output to it. Surround sound, as much as I my little apartment allows at least. I'd love to crank it up some (especially when playing CoD2 or something like that) but I think I'd get booted from the place.      So I'm wondering what you guys thought.

well I have been useing a good ole Creative Sound Blaster Live 5.1 and a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 Platinum in 2 different systems with Call Of Duty2 and Red Alert2 and to be very honest there is no difference with the sound, even playing 320 kbps MP3 files there is no difference, so alot of marketing on those creative sound cards.

so I would advise you the Creative Sound Blaster Live 5.1  since that they are very cheap nowadays you can easisly pick one up for less than 35 euro's and in America dunno maybe 35 US dollars there since the United States of America is alot cheaper than the European Uninion

the nice thing about the Audigy2 that it can do 24 bit and has a 6.1 speaker setup. 24Bit samples dunno what's the use in that though, and it has a Platinum 5.25" I/O bay nice for plugging in Keyboards, guitars optical gear you name it, there is also a SB Live 5.1 with a Live Drive same idea in certain.

that one is called the Creative Sound Blaster Live 5.1 Platinum. the ones with Platinum eX are basically the same as the noram Platinum ones only thier I/O Driver bays are external.

and the human ears don't fullfill surround sound great than 5.1, all the 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 setups are more like marketing, they do work but you wouldn't hear the difference anyways, it's just a way how those companies earn the extra cash from us poor lads, the bugga's.

If you need a cheap AND good sound card go for...

Turtle Beach Santa Cruz (only on eBay now)

I use this as my main gaming card and it's FAR easier to setup than the godawful rubbish drivers that Creative ship with their cards! (it has 5.1 too...)

Trust me - Creative cards are problematic at best, trouble at worst! Steer clear and go for tha Santa Cruz! 8)

@ Paulpsomaidis

Hey I run 15 years with creative cards, with jusd the WDM drivers it's just a matter of confguration

never had problems with the SB Live 5.1 as for the SB Audigy2 Platinum, the only thing you have to do with that one is remove the creative splash screen via Regedit and all the worries are over lol

Anywyas the best of the 2 is still the SB Live 5.1 since it works with everygame, they are very cheap , cheaper than a card of ebay and so on in most cases and the Turtle Beach cards don't have the best all round game support as the creative cards

The best creative cards of the old days also made the best Midi, they were the AWE 32 and 64 based models, AWE as meaning Advanced Wav Effects I had the AWE64 Gold! man that was just like plug it in and it worked with everything, the old days were just so much more pleasant

That Auzentech card is somewhat not very well known, so compliancy with most games might be a problem

Hercules also made 5.1 cards, but then again they don't have the sound quallity the Creative SB Live's do, the crystal quallity sound, that is where Creative does score very well, and if you want to go professional and get the best there is always Terratec and there was Aureal3D the Aureal Vortex2 was an exellent piece of hardware, I suppose that is something you would have to find on ebay, that was one of very few that had better sound quallity than the SB Live 5.1 but heh you had to pay for it as well, also a reason I went for the Live 5.1

heh also the Audigy2 hehe well the card isn't that bad it's quite nice to be honest, but for simple things the Live 5.1 is still the better choice, the Audigy2 is nice for mak'n 24bit samples and other great stuff.

dunno what the difference is with the Audigy2 Platinum and Xgamer versions are, do you have a 5.25" IO drive as well Gamma742?

here's the drive I mean t in my X2 4400+ game sys hehe

sounds more like a bad experience mate the most people I know have Creative cards and they all work perfectly, and my 2 system setups with Windows 2000 Pro USA + SP4 & Windows XP Pro USA + SP2 work flawlessly with the Creative cards both are updated and running like  ICE on FIRE! 8)

The ASUS A8R32 MVP Deluxe has the perfect layout for a CrossFire Setup + a 3dfx PCI card and a Sound card that way all parts can be utillized perfectly



The Blue Slot is for the X1900 CrossFire Edition card
Anyways If Creative gave you a bad experience take Terratec a good second alternative.

hmm strange, I used the original drivers first, work with 2000 Pro with that SB Live 1024 5.1 and just did the installation no probs so far did a reboot ya know MS like's that I guess LOL well after that ran the latest update and all 4 speakers working

I must say it also works fine under XP pro, my mom's P4 1.70Ghz S423 system has the same card and really on 2 as 4 speakers no problems


strange that you have so many troubles.

hmm odd, don't have there here while playing Red Alert2 or Farcry or Unreal Tournament GOTYE 1999 under 2K Pro + SP4 as XP Pro + SP2, wierd mate

Did you disable the digital speaker output? that might help