Best sound card for gaming

[eidairaman1]

Creative has always used cutting edge graphics on their packages and their software looks all futuristic and cool, but the truth is Creative's hardware and software is bottom rung crap that rarely works properly together - witness the dozens of third party drivers that have been written for Creative hardware in an attempt to address these problems. I used Kx Mixer for my Audigy 2 card just to get it to work in XP. Nothing I tried would get it to work properly in Win 7. Yes, it's old hardware, but how hard is it to continue support on your own hardware when each legacy unit that's still in service is a testament to the manufacturers quality and longevity? Almost every other PC hardware company maintains a driver database to cover any hardware that will still plug into a slot or port, and the O.E.M.'s drivers are almost always the best ones to use. Not in Creative's case, though - their driver problems are legendary and their lack of solutions in the face of universal criticism also reveals their total lack of concern for their customers. Of course, all the above is just my opinion as a long time sufferer. Yes I could have bought a different brand, but locally only Creative is available and I was young and foolish. I am now using the on board Realtek ALC892 that came on my Asus P8Z77-V, and it works great using the optical SPDIF at 24 bit 96,000 Hz. So stay away from Creative and go with any Asus card that fits your budget.

Might have to force XP mode in 7.

ya I experimented with KX drivers for a PCI 512 in XP, I wound up going back with the original drivers since i figured out how to install everything manually from the Setup CD (Which wanted to install everything)

that card Had the best MIDI file playback i ever seen.

 

[KingPing]

My new ASUS Xonar DX arrived today, it works like a charm along the Creative Titanium HD. I won't be using headphones with it, that's what the Titanium HD is for. Both music and games with my 5.1 sounds miles better than the onboard.

 

[Kusuri]

I was about to start a thread like this, so I hope it's ok I can get some answers as well in regards to the Asus Xonar cards.

Unfortunately I'm in the market for a new sound card, as my Auzentech X-Fi Forte started to fail. I was very happy with it for about 2 years until it started giving off random popping noises ...

The noise started 1 year ago, but it's so random I could more or less live with it... but it seems to be back in full force.

I just use a 5.1 set of Logitech speakers (G-51) and mainly play games. I was looking at the Xonar DG, but I must ask what's that about "simulated surround" Frag Maniac mentions and does that affect me considering I'll simply use the 3 usual green/black/orange analog jacks (front/rear/center)?

With the current X-Fi Forte I'm not even using Dolby or DTS, just Gaming mode + speakers set to 5.1.

Do you think I will notice any difference in sound quality in games?

 

[eidairaman1]

My new ASUS Xonar DX arrived today, it works like a charm along the Creative Titanium HD. I won't be using headphones with it, that's what the Titanium HD is for. Both music and games with my 5.1 sounds miles better than the onboard.

i wore headphones for 7 years in the military, im tired of them honestly

 

[KingPing]

I was about to start a thread like this, so I hope it's ok I can get some answers as well in regards to the Asus Xonar cards.

Unfortunately I'm in the market for a new sound card, as my Auzentech X-Fi Forte started to fail. I was very happy with it for about 2 years until it started giving off random popping noises ...

The noise started 1 year ago, but it's so random I could more or less live with it... but it seems to be back in full force.

I just use a 5.1 set of Logitech speakers (G-51) and mainly play games. I was looking at the Xonar DG, but I must ask what's that about "simulated surround" Frag Maniac mentions and does that affect me considering I'll simply use the 3 usual green/black/orange analog jacks (front/rear/center)?

With the current X-Fi Forte I'm not even using Dolby or DTS, just Gaming mode + speakers set to 5.1.

Do you think I will notice any difference in sound quality in games?

Simulated surround or virtual surround, simulates a 5.1 or 7.1 surround when you use a 2.1 speakers or headphones, if you already have a 5.1 system like the G-51 there is no need to simulate anything as you already have real surround.
Dolby or DTS are digital signals to connect the PC to receivers etc. through optical cable, your G-51 is connected through an analog signal (3 cables).

 

[Kusuri]

Simulated surround or virtual surround, simulates a 5.1 or 7.1 surround when you use a 2.1 speakers or headphones, if you already have a 5.1 system like the G-51 there is no need to simulate anything as you already have real surround.
Dolby or DTS are digital signals to connect the PC to receivers etc. through optical cable, your G-51 is connected through an analog signal (3 cables).

Thanks! So I guess the Xonar DG would be good enough for me. I did read a review on Amazon of someone who said it even rivals his Forte. I sure hope so because the loud popping/crackling coming at random when I'm least expecting is driving me nuts. I'm afraid it'll even damage my speakers if this goes on.

Seems like I'm not the only one with the Forte issues (it's kinda funny, but also sad):
Auzentech Forte sound card machine gun sound issue...
X-fi Xfi Hometheater HD Bug Auzentech Creative Kna...
X-Fi Forte 7.1 - YouTube

As for the whole X-Fi thing (which I suppose the Asus Xonar DG doesn't have) it doesn't matter with recent games nowadays or does it? I think the only game I can remember that even has an option to make use of it was BF2, and I had BSODs because of it until Auzentech or Creative finally decided to release a patch to fix them in late 2011... Yeah right when I was no longer actually playing it anymore.

I played some old games with the ALchemy thing too, but don't really do that anymore nowadays either, so I guess now I don't really need that as well.

I would keep this card if there was some way to fix it though, what a shame.

 

[Miguel2013]

on what games does a sound card helps? I been playing games with and without sound card and the performance is the same!

 

[eidairaman1]

on what games does a sound card helps? I been playing games with and without sound card and the performance is the same!

with what speakers and headset?

 

[KingPing]

I would buy a Xonar D1 or DX, IMO are worth the price, though the DG isn't bad either. Whatever Xonar you buy, use these drivers http://brainbit.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/ because ASUS ones are crap.

The Xonars have some sort of EAX 5.0 emulation, i didn't test it properly yet so i can't give you any advice on that.

 

[eidairaman1]

I would buy a Xonar D1 or DX, IMO are worth the price, though the DG isn't bad either. Whatever Xonar you buy, use these drivers http://brainbit.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/asus-xonar-unified-drivers/ because ASUS ones are crap.

The Xonars have some sort of EAX 5.0 emulation, i didn't test it properly yet so i can't give you any advice on that.

the brainbit drivers are just Asus drivers that have been tweaked/fixed.

 

[KingPing]

on what games does a sound card helps? I been playing games with and without sound card and the performance is the same!

In all, IMO the difference is huge, the speakers and headphones are as important as the soundcard.

 

[BumbleBee]

a headphone or speaker is the most important component in the chain. source is second.

computers are a good transport or mixing and mastering but all those components are outside the case because computers use switching power supplies that can be cheap, sound cards have a lot of limitations and inside a case can be really noisy (EMI/RFI).

if you take two components and stack them like this then put a compass on top the compass will behave erratically.

 

[eidairaman1]

In all, IMO the difference is huge, the speakers and headphones are as important as the soundcard.

dont get me wrong dude but i did notice a difference from going from onboard to onboard (P4 with Asus P4S8X- to AsRock 970 Extreme 4), and the speakers used are 10+ years old now. Labtec Spin 70s.

I also noticed sound cards do improve sound quality and have better EMI shielding compared to onboard audio (way less noise when all sound parts are isolated from a motherboard)

 

[BumbleBee]

the EMI shielding is a gimmick.

 

[eidairaman1]

the EMI shielding is a gimmick.

what im saying about that is due to isolation away from the motherboard, it doesnt mean it cant still be affected but i notice more onboard audio has noise come across whether from a HD thrashing or even just a mouse being moved, whether board was in a case or not.

 

[BumbleBee]

none of the metal shields surround the whole card and even if they did I can demonstrate what happens to a compass when a power supply gets to close to another and this is with components much more expensive. some of these sound cards even have plastic. it's purely cosmetic.

 

[eidairaman1]

none of the metal shields surround the whole card and even if they did I can demonstrate what happens to a compass when a power supply gets to close to another and this is with components much more expensive. some of these sound cards even have plastic. it's purely cosmetic.

ya because every electronic device have a magnetic field (Induction occurs often)

i can only guess they would reduce it but not eliminate it because it is not possible

 

[Frag_Maniac]

If you believe EMI shields do nothing, then I suppose you'd have to believe none of the many products made that use it (such as coax and other video cables), or the huge corporations like 3M that manufacture such things as shield tape are a mere hoax.

One of the most common materials used for such shielding is aluminum, which is known for it's ability to reflect electric fields.

The problem with assessing the usefulness of such things as alu EMI shields on sound cards is it's totally dependent on the quality of parts on the sound card and other components within the system, their distance from one another, and the way the shield is built.

 

[BumbleBee]

I never said I don't believe in EMI shielding. sound cards are designed to be low cost solutions that's the bottom line. Creative is not above decoration.

 

[Frag_Maniac]

I never said I don't believe in EMI shielding. sound cards are designed to be low cost solutions that's the bottom line. Creative is not above decoration.

My post about EMI shielding was not at all intended to defend Creative's sound card designs, just something I thought necessary to clarify the basics about shields given what had been said against them.

I also made it clear an EMI shield is only as good as it's design, and that their usefulness depends on the application. It could be argued either way, but the fact is, you can take a lot of products and make them look useful or useless depending how they're made and used.

I've also in fact said in recent posts that Creative if anything uses cookie cutter manufacturing, varying their card generations by little more than mere software, and now firmware in their Recon product.

Are you really surprised the bulk of the Recon DSP is mostly a plastic shroud that does nothing? I suspected it when I first saw them. Why Creative has so many faithful followers is beyond me.

Back on topic, I maintain that this is the best deal in a budget sound card. Then again, I base that on what MY personal first priority would be in buying one, sound quality.
ASUS Xonar DS 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Inter...

If you really want and feel you need gimmicks that enhance quiet sounds to hear footsteps of enemies, Creative isn't exactly the only choice, and using such a feature can become a misleading crutch. When it comes right down to it, good kill/death ratios are built on skill and smart tactics, not gimmicks.

 

[BumbleBee]

Creative has been around since the beginning but hasn't really been the same since Vista. the new Creative Sound Blaster ZxR ($250) looks at least interesting.

http://personalaudio.ru/review/sound-cards/foto_kart_sound_blaster_z_i_zxr_iznutri/

it comes with a daughter board which is the DA converter and a control pod like the Asus Xonar Phoebus

 

[RejZoR]

I'm also waiting for the Sound Blaster ZxR/ZxG. They at least look like a proper flagship soundcard compared to current crappy cheapo Core3D...

 

[btarunr]

Lol this thread isn't about audiophile sound cards. It's about affordable sub-$100 cards that are good for gaming. The Recon3D is as low as $65 on Amazon, and its Scout Mode and CrystalVoice work really well with a lot of FPSes and online games.

 

[wat]

I got a Xonar DX and I highly recommend it. I didn't notice the sound quality too much compared to my integrated, but I really noticed it when using my 5.1 speakers. The sound coming from the rear was just way too quiet compared to the front. The Xonar DX fixed that...

 

[BumbleBee]

I'm also waiting for the Sound Blaster ZxR/ZxG. They at least look like a proper flagship soundcard compared to current crappy cheapo Core3D...

unless the russian site has a prototype.. I don't see any molex connectors. the daughter board even gets powered by the main board.