good (cheap) Sound Card for a VIA KT266a

[duuuma]

any suggestions? the AC97 on my shuttle ak31a just isn't cooperating....so I want a cheap solution/replacement. Thanks!


Also, I heard soundblaster and Aureal chipsets have problems with VIA....I had to hack my pci bus to get my Aureal to work on my kt133e

 

[spanky]

sblive they go for in the neighborhood of $20-$25 over on FS/FT (even had one fly by at $15 last week)

 

[duuuma]

I thought SBlives have had a history of problems with VIA chipset boards....

Anyone try a dirt cheap pci sound card that works well for just regular computing (mp3's/movies, no gaming)

 

[spanky]

Originally posted by: duuuma
I thought SBlives have had a history of problems with VIA chipset boards....

Anyone try a dirt cheap pci sound card that works well for just regular computing (mp3's/movies, no gaming)

not all. but for those who do have problems with the via chipset... it is usually resolved by resetting the soundcard in a different pci slot, or by installing the via 4in1's.

 

[duuuma]

interesting...maybe SBLive is the way to go then, but how about some of those dirt cheap $10-$12 dollar cards I see on ebay or like this cheap Sound Card

 

[spanky]

well... after shipping, that soundcard will prolly be like $17 i'm guessing? i would rather pay a few extra bucks for the soundblaster. if there is a problem with via cihpsets and that el-cheapo soundcard... i doubt it is gonna effect enough ppl to the point where via might address the problem. prices in FS/FT r usually shipped, or at least u can haggle for a lower price also, u might want to check out ur local staples or officemax. recently, i been noticing they have a clearance table... sometimes u can find decent bargains (i saw a hercules soundcard for $9).

 

[duuuma]

thanks for the tips!

 

[dunkster]

Based on a few reviews and the comparison review at THG, I just ordered a Hercules Fortissimo II ($44 shipped from Axion).

The THG review showed this card scored fairly low cpu-usage for gaming. It's certainly not the card for best audio quality, but it's not priced to compete with Santa Cruz or Audigy.

Hope this helps!

 

[Jeff7]

Cmedia 8738 cards seem to be pretty decent actually, and they are cheap. If you do get one, check Windowsupdate for recent drivers - Cmedia isn't too good about posting new drivers on their own site.

Oh, and FYI, these cards can usually be found CHEAP on ebay; like $10 or less even.

Oh yes, you said your AC97 audio wasn't working. You'd be better off making the noises with your own mouth than using onboard AC97 audio solutions. In my experience, they have trouble just playing MP3 files!

 

[duuuma]

yeah, this AC97 is a nightmare, so I'll probably just get the Cmedia card for around $12 plus tax...haven't tried ebay yet. thx!