I'm going to spending around $2000 on my new gaming desktop and am thinking about buying an audio card, that will work in win 7 64bit, to go with it to hook up surround sound too. And I dont know if my onboard audio is good enough or not. I'm getting the ASUS P6TD motherboard and I have no idea about the onboard audio in it.
Good audio card for surround sound?
- Thread starter kc999
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MARSOC_Operator
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- Oct 21, 2009
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Any Creative Labs Soundblaster audio card with the X-FI and EAX technology will be all you need for excellent surround sound up to 7.1.
This one is made for laptops, check it out: http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=209&subcategory=669&product=17988&listby=
gamerk316
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- Jul 8, 2008
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Disagree with any Creative product; If you need a soundcard, go with either Auzentech, ASUS, or one of HT Omega line of cards.
That being said, I don't know of any off hand that will even fit in a laptop (I never tried, in all honesty).
That being said, I don't know of any off hand that will even fit in a laptop (I never tried, in all honesty).
MARSOC_Operator
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gamerk316
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1: EAX is a dead tech; even Creative admits as much.
2: Sound quality is higher on most non-Creative cards (even the Titanium is sub-par, which keeps costs down at the expense of quality)
3: Auzentech cards fully support EAX, as they use the X-fi chipset (but are still hurt by Creatives (lack of) drivers).
4: ASUS supports EAX 1/2 through hardware, and emulates EAX5 (the most important) through its drivers, with basically the same compatability as Creatives method of wrapping EAX calls to OpenAL via Alchemy (the same games tend break with both implementations).
I take overall quality of the sound ahead of any extra effects personally, and aside from legacy titles, you won't see many (if any) EAX games produced at this point.
Basically, if EAX really matters, go with Auzentech, if only so-so, go ASUS, and if not at all, go HT Omega. Creatives cards are below the others in the quality of the output, and with their horrid driver support, I simply can not recommend any of their cards.
My recommendations:
Auzentech: Forte, Prelude
ASUS: Xonar DX, Xonar D2/D2X, Essence ST/STX
HT Omega: Striker, Claro
In the sub $100 range, both the Striker and DX are great buys, and moving up to the $150 range, very few cards can beat the D2/D2X or Prelude in terms of quality.
2: Sound quality is higher on most non-Creative cards (even the Titanium is sub-par, which keeps costs down at the expense of quality)
3: Auzentech cards fully support EAX, as they use the X-fi chipset (but are still hurt by Creatives (lack of) drivers).
4: ASUS supports EAX 1/2 through hardware, and emulates EAX5 (the most important) through its drivers, with basically the same compatability as Creatives method of wrapping EAX calls to OpenAL via Alchemy (the same games tend break with both implementations).
I take overall quality of the sound ahead of any extra effects personally, and aside from legacy titles, you won't see many (if any) EAX games produced at this point.
Basically, if EAX really matters, go with Auzentech, if only so-so, go ASUS, and if not at all, go HT Omega. Creatives cards are below the others in the quality of the output, and with their horrid driver support, I simply can not recommend any of their cards.
My recommendations:
Auzentech: Forte, Prelude
ASUS: Xonar DX, Xonar D2/D2X, Essence ST/STX
HT Omega: Striker, Claro
In the sub $100 range, both the Striker and DX are great buys, and moving up to the $150 range, very few cards can beat the D2/D2X or Prelude in terms of quality.
SiycoBat626
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- Dec 4, 2009
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Gamerk316,
Specs: Windows XP 64-bit desktop, Intel Pentium 4 3GHZ CPU
What audio card brands are more compatible with my specs?
I'm also buying an Radeon HD 2900 XT graphics card to add to it and I need to know if there'll be any problems on compatibility and efficiency.
Specs: Windows XP 64-bit desktop, Intel Pentium 4 3GHZ CPU
What audio card brands are more compatible with my specs?
I'm also buying an Radeon HD 2900 XT graphics card to add to it and I need to know if there'll be any problems on compatibility and efficiency.
believe me therre is tonnes of difference in sound quality,
its what sound card is for.... sound quality WILL IMPROVE.
think it like this can u find a difference in integrated graphics and dedicated graphcis??
thats jsut about how much difference u will found, wether or not u are a critical listerner
so KC999 buy a good sound card, like the one gamernark suggested they are all very good, and Ull WILL find A Difference oh by teh way dont go with creative they are good we all know, but they had serious driver issues over the years.
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