Current Best gaming sound card?

kiljaden5 · Jul 10, 2003

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!

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

Newegg has the logitech Z640s for $65

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

MooMasster716 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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

Xevuhtess7 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 10, 2003

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 · Jul 11, 2003

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 · Jul 11, 2003

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 · Jul 11, 2003

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

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