Current Best gaming sound card?

[kiljaden5]

What is the current best gaming sound card?

in 2 categories:

1-top of the line
2-best bang for the buck

I currently have a SB Live! :o card so I'm in the market for a better one, this one is having more and more issues with newer games so i wanna replace it.

I want your opinions!

Also, which speakers (~$70) are good with those cards? I'll probably get the Logitech 5.1s but I'd like to know of any others

thanks

[fubulg6000]

Logitech z560 (althought isn't in your pricetag -not sure about prices now- is a very good speaker set) is one awsome set of speakers. Many people would agree with me. As for the sound card, you can try an augidy 2 or audigy gamer. The drivers aren't the greatest but they work.

[kiljaden5]

the z560 are the THX 4.1 speakers right? if so, those are WAY over my price lol

I see newegg has the audigy 2 oem for 78.. how does it compare to the TB Santa Cruz? or the Fortissimo III?

[niceguyeddie]

i have the audigy 2 platinum and i like it. im using logi z-540 speakers with it and it sounds pretty good. and my speakers were 59 bux. probably cheaper now though.

[Turd Furguson]

The Audigy 2 uses better DAC's so it will produce better sound providing your speakers are decent to good.

I have a Turtle Beach SC and love it. Blows my SB Live 5.1 Platinum out of the water. The simulated 5.1 of the TBSC is wonderful. I hated the CMSS that SB made. The center channel always sounded like crap with my speakers until I got the TBSC.

[pip]

Newegg has the logitech Z640s for $65


http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?submit=Go&description=N82E16836121104

[MooMasster716]

i heard the revolution 7.1 gives great sound quality, though it dosent have its own sound processor so your frame rates will take a hit.

[Hurk]

The best sound I believe is Sound Storm that's integrated into some of the nForce2 motherboards. The SB Audigy 1 or 2 will work well with the speakers pip pointed you to.

[AMD_Me]

I vote for the M-Audio Revolution 7.1. It sounds excellent, and in anything over a 1.1-1.4GHz system frame rates will stay basically the same. Also, if you play in 1024x1280, the video card bottlenecks you more than your CPU, so there is virtually no frame rate difference.

[breez]

If you would need a new mobo, Nforce2-board with SoundStorm would be the best bang for the buck. Analog output isn't as great as Audigy2, but digital should be top notch.

[MooMasster716]

Yea there you go, THanks AMD_Me thats the one M-Audio Revolution 7.1 is the way to go. My brother has one and it sounds better than my audagy gamer. but hes done bench marks on his 2.3ghz pc and games do take a slight hit a few fps but not notacable.

[TonyMc]

I use the Audigy 2 and Logitech z-640 and they sound great together.

[Xevuhtess7]

i have an audigy with logitech z560's they sound pretty good. beware of any of creative's drivers... they totally suck. i stopped using their drivers and im trying out kX drivers and so far they work flawlessly, but they dont have eax support but it is being worked on and should be added

[Zel1]

Look at the philps acoustic edge. If your into music a lot it sounds awesome. I turned my soundstorm off and use this card and its only 50bucks.

[kiljaden5]

I think I'm gonna lean more towards the audigy 2 and use the creative drivers until the other drivers start supporting eax... i think I heard that creative picked up the ball sort of with the audigy 2 as far as drivers go, they're supposedly nowhere near as bad as audigy...

that's just what i heard though

thanks for all the replies

[fiji]

audigy 2 soundcard


or soundstorm, (its an onboard sound on nforce 2 boards)

also speakers, cant remember the model

but i think its logitech

[kiljaden5]

i already have an nforce2 mobo so i won't be getting another just for soundstorm...

for speakers, I'm not sure.. I like the logitech z640 but they're cheak 5.1... I think I'd rather go with quality 4.1 or even 2.1... for a while at Best Buy i've been listening to the Bose speakers they have there for the PC... they sound absolutely amazing for 2 little speakers (no sub)

so the z640 are $65 - cheap 5.1
Bose - $100 - good 2 speaker system
Logitech 560 - $160 - THX 4.1

right now I have a Cambridge Soundworks DTT2500 which are a digital 5.1 system but only work with the SB Live card in digital mode.. in analog they're 4 channel (sub doesn't work in analog)... and besides, they don't even sound great

[leathersmt]

If you are gaming, you should be using headphones for the best quality of wins....lol sorry.
Audigy 2 Platinum is the good one. Altho to be fair, I have no experience with the others. I have used Sound Blaster, since the one you currenlty have, and am Happay with the performance.

[\dev\goat]

If i were you i would not waste money on pc speakers, just get a 1/8" to RCA cable from radio shack for $8 and use your home stereo. *(unless of course you dont have one or was planning on using the pc speakers for everything)*

if you do that make sure you get a really nice sound card like audigy 2 cause the DAC is great and you wont hear any loss in quality on the way to the stereo