780i mainboard with sli and sound card

[Shindig187]

Alrighty,

I have a 780i main board and a sli set-up...thus making the pci-e x1 useless... Right now i'm running a SB Audigy 2zs through an optical and thinking about an upgrade. I've been reading and have found that there is apparently a "noticeable difference" between my card and the card that I've been eyeing which is that new Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Pro card but as it is a pci-e x1 card, and if i remember correctly, that's not going to work in a reg. old pci slot. SO... any recommendations on a different card that has a "noticeable difference"? I'm using Logitech z-5500 speakers, use the rig for games/watching media like blu-ray and dvd's/ and some basic music editing. Any help would be appreciated....

thanks

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

You should not get a Creative Labs X-Fi card, they have compatibility issues with Nvidia motherboards and can be a huge pain in the a$$... Not to mention the Vista issues... So it is for the best.

Good all around cards:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132001
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829156005

Best for music, and music editing, not so good for movies and gaming:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829121011

 

[dobby]

altough i completely agreee wojt TBR about the asus sonar you should run a mile from the m-audio 1010 or 44 or 66 or any of the delta series. m-audio are really luasy at updating driver for older products which the delta line is.
they do not support anyhting but line level incoming signals. and only give out the same, which is a pain

for music editing at 'below studio level' (IE no mixing desk) the best solution to go for by far are the m-audio firewire or USB (former preferably) solution i know this becasue i spent the last year looking for something suitable, and ended up goiong with the m-audio firewire 410 which i am very happy with. these are external solution but they are VERY good.

the beauty of external card is that they take both XLR and 1/4" Jack as well as giving you gain controls. as well as optical support.

 

[Shindig187]

Thanks for the response! Sounds good, however, I do more gaming/movie watching then music editing...but i take it both of the "first two" are good for those? Would the X-Fi be better?

 

[quantumsheep]

I believe that both of those cards mentioned are better than the creative x-fi cards. If i were you i'd also look at the HT Omega Claro.

 

[belo]

Your 780i board has a pci express slot (not x16). It's small and at the "top" of the board.

I have an audigy 2zs. It doesn't have optical, where'd u get that?

 

[Shindig187]

I'm running optical through the aux. input bay that came with the card I bought. I can't use that pci-x slot (the small one) b/c it's wedged between the two graphics cards that are in there...they placed that slot in a very poor location if you ask me. Here's a link to the card I have w/the front drive bay...but that's how i'm running optical. You can also buy a little "attachment" from creative that plugs into the back of your card, if i remember correctly it runs about 15 bucks...but it sucks that you have to buy it separately from the cards.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?CurImage=29-102-014-08.jpg&Image=29-102-014-04.jpg%2c29-102-014-05.jpg%2c29-102-014-06.jpg%2c29-102-014-07.jpg%2c29-102-014-08.jpg%2c29-102-014-09.jpg%2c29-102-014-10.jpg%2c29-102-014-11.jpg%2c29-102-014-12.jpg%2c29-102-014-13.jpg&S7ImageFlag=0&WaterMark=1&Item=N82E16829102014&Depa=1&Description=Creative+Sound+Blaster+X-Fi+Platinum+Fatal1ty+Champion+Series+Sound+Card

(just like the front bay drive in that, just mine is an audigy 2)


http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?product=1780

(that add on for cards to have digital out)