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!