What should I buy?

Ok, I know this is a strange post, but here goes.

I'm looking at buying something new, either a case, a sound card, or speakers.

For a case, I'm thinking either a Lian-Li PC60 w/USB (~$160)
or
The cheap aluminum case <A HREF="http://www.pcmods.com" target="_new">here</A>.
I'd be happy with either of them.

For a sound card, I'm thinking either an Audigy (pricey), or the Game Theatre XP. Right now I have a Seismic Edge, and it sucks. No more Philips for me.

For speakers, I'm not sure. I wouldn't mind getting a good 5.1 setup, but I don't want to spend much and don't want to get stuck with crappy speakers.


I'm willing to wait on any of these, but I want to get something soon. Been too long since my last upgrade. Kinda leaning towards the sound card.

Any thoughts?

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

I'll agree about the PC-60. I love mine. The downside of it is that it makes all the other towers on here look cheap by comparison.

I would go for speakers before a sound card. My opinion is that speakers make a much bigger difference in quality of sound than the sound card would.

-- Ah sh*t! sys64738 --

make that three.... for speakers, go w/ ATP5- only 200$ or so. The game theater XP looks nice, I'd go for it.

Your brain: PC
You brain on drugs: Mac

Ok, upon looking things over again, I've decided on the Hercules Game Theatre XP. There are several reasons why I chose that over the Lian-Li, and I'll explain if you want me to.

Now, the question is: is there any advantage of retail over OEM? The price difference isn't huge ($24), but the difference in features doesn't seem to be huge either. Any ideas? Preferably from somebody who has this card, of course. Newegg has the best price, and good info and pictures <A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=57&manufactory=1282" target="_new">here</A>.
Oh, I think I'll go read some user reviews here on Tom's (if there are any).

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

Hey- teh fortissimo is like a condensed SB Live Platinum 5.1 and Livedrive!!

Your brain: PC
You brain on drugs: Mac

The only hardware is the card. I think you were confused by the reviewer's statement:
"What I think Guillemot has done particularly well is that it has combined many of the best features of the Sound Blaster Live with the Live Drive, and they have marketed the product in a more affordable package."

I asked him about that, and what he said is:
"It has features that are like the live drive, what I was driving at in this sentence is the fact that it has optical in and out on the bracket of the card, plus all of the regular analog stuff on the din connector."


It has no hardware except for the card itself (and the small 1/8" splitter). That's the reason I purchased the Hercules Game Theatre XP last night, instead of the Fortissimo II.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. The PC-60 will be my next purchase, I just wanted to get rid of my crappy Philips card. Unless of course, Lian-Li comes out with something new before then.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

Don't know, haven't gotten it yet.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>