[poll] Audio Device: integrated or sound card?

[pillar]

Choose which you have & if you have a sound card, you may share what the card is if you wish. Myself, I have a Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS Gamer Limited Edition (hey it gets the job done).

 

[MenOpaws]

My sound is onboard, sinse it is a laptop (ASUS VX2S Lamborghini). Sound is provided by Realtek High Definition Audio Device

 

[iStealVCRs]

Personally, I think sound cards are the way to go, unless, like above, it's a laptop. My PC had an onboard card (SigmaTel *blech*), hated it so I went out and bought a new SoundBlaster card.

 

[Dryft]

I'm using the onboard on my GA-P35-DS3R, and quite honestly it sounds great.

 

[Tanooki]

I have the Creative Soundblaster Platum Edition... it owns hardcore.... espically since i bought it when it first came out... Haha... Only time I wouldn't want to use a soundcard I would use onboard ONLY if I wasn't gamming on the machine... not a big fan of onboard sound.

 

[Ephyu]

Currently stuck with on-board sound. My Audigy died, and I'm really not comfortable purchasing a sound card at the moment. The market's flooded with horrible, overpriced product, with far too many glitches, driver issues, and general bad track records than should ever exist for a "finished" product that sells for upwards of $80.

 

[Lafinass]

Onboard sound is generally low quality and a tax on your CPU. I've encountered the occasional mother board with an X-Fi chip onboard, but even then the sound quality is not up to par with a full board. I personally have an X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatality Pro or some such nonsense, I really wish they'd make their naming scheme less confusing. I'm fairly certain it is the cause of my 1-2 a day solid lock. It's a great sound card, with brilliant quality both in game and while listening to music, but the drivers are bloated and ugly. I'm probably going to get an AzuneTech X-Fi once they get their drivers all ironed out, from what I've read it's the quality of X-Fi without having to deal with Creative.

The new Asus cards are pretty brilliant, but I hesitate to get a card that has to emulate EAX instead of doing it natively.

 

[Ryael]

I use woot.com for midnight deals and got the Razer Barracuda AC-1 for $40 one night instead of the usual $150 on newegg. It's treated me real well and the 720 degrees game sound setup is pretty rockin'. I haven't yet used a 7.1 stereo setup, but had a 5.1 and it was amazing in COD4 multiplayer. It really helps put you in the game.

 

[Joko]

Well Pilliar you got me in a pickle here... i seem to have 3 PCI-e Sound cards plunged into 4 different speaker transmitters and then it takes a Snake cords to three Trapezoidal 10 Ampliphyers each 700$ and of the highest brand, and then to top it off 5 bass subwoofers ( 1 under my bed, 1 under my PC, 1 in my closet, 1 in my ceiling (its a basement) and two surrounding my desk like guards)

 

[Thatguy]

[quote1208980389=Joko]
Well Pilliar you got me in a pickle here... i seem to have 3 PCI-e Sound cards plunged into 4 different speaker transmitters and then it takes a Snake cords to three Trapezoidal 10 Ampliphyers each 700$ and of the highest brand, and then to top it off 5 bass subwoofers ( 1 under my bed, 1 under my PC, 1 in my closet, 1 in my ceiling (its a basement) and two surrounding my desk like guards)
[/quote1208980389]
Your eardrums must hate you!

I have an Audigy Sound Blaster 2 ZS as well. Thing works quite nicely. And I HATE on-board sound. Comparing the two, you would think that your headphones were broken from plugging them into the motherboard after listening to them on a decent sound card

 

[Ryken]

anyone have a cheap sound card that does the trick for them? I'm thinking in the $25-50 range.

 

[Lafinass]

The Audigy series is solid and in that price range.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102002