Need a sound card.

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Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
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Yeah, I know there are two of these posts already, but nothing in there that is what I am looking for.

Does this exist?

A PCIe sound card, 5.1 or better with Win7 64-bit support that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

I can't seem to find anything.

I know there are some basic X-Fi's out there that seem to fit, but have heard bad things about them. Also Creative at least used to be the absolute worst company in the world about drivers.
 
Nintendesert

Nintendesert

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2010
7,761
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Look at the Xonar series, depending on what you want to do with it they are pretty affordable. Especially if you go the headphone route and get one with a headphone amp. As cheap as $30.
 
N

Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
4,442
1
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The cheapest Xonar that I have seen is $90.

Can you link to a $30 one that you mentioned?
 
N

Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
4,442
1
0
Zap said:
I found one. It is on your motherboard. :colbert:
Click to expand...

No it isn't. The one on my motherboard is a VIA and it's a piece of shit that doesn't work right. I've already had to screw with the registry to fix a popping sound because it would put the chip to sleep and cause a popping sound from the speaker when it goes to sleep and wakes up.

It is causing the device disconnect sound to play continuously while I am playing MP3's in WMP, and nobody seems to know how to fix that. If that could be fixed, then it would be fine. But it's too annoying to hear the device disconnect sound 5 times during a song. And don't tell me to just disable that sound because that's stupid.
 
N

Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
4,442
1
0
mnewsham said:
Buy a new motherboard or RMA your current one if its still under warranty.
Click to expand...

I just bought this one. Why would I RMA it? The problem is not the motherboard. The problem is the drivers. Unfortunately I cannot RMA the drivers.
 
mnewsham

mnewsham

Lifer
Oct 2, 2010
14,539
428
136
How do you know the problem is driver related? RMA if it is still a problem then I would say it is driver related. And even if it were driver related I would still return it and get a different brand because it isn't performing as stated. Unless it says somewhere that you will hear weird noises using this motherboard, if you give the customer service enough shit they will usually work with you.
 
N

Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
4,442
1
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mnewsham said:
How do you know the problem is driver related? RMA if it is still a problem then I would say it is driver related. And even if it were driver related I would still return it and get a different brand because it isn't performing as stated. Unless it says somewhere that you will hear weird noises using this motherboard, if you give the customer service enough shit they will usually work with you.
Click to expand...

Because that's the only thing that makes sense. That and there are other instances that I have found with similar problems and those people didn't have the same board as I do - just the same chip/drivers.

I'm not going to RMA a motherboard that works fine because some shitty company can't write proper drivers. I usually don't bother with onboard sound because of this, but the CMI PCI card that I have the shitty company who made it decides that it won't support it with proper 64-bit drivers. Of course, I purchased that card based on recommendations for a good sound card last time I was looking and it worked great until I needed the 64-bit drivers.
 
mnewsham

mnewsham

Lifer
Oct 2, 2010
14,539
428
136
You are complaining about the cost of sound cards but you won't fight for the free way? Fine spend your money.
 
N

Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
4,442
1
0
Spikesoldier said:
heres another recommendation for the xonar. you dont need the more expensive ones - the D1 and DX are great cards if all you do is two channel, but i dont know if the $30 one would have the same SnR as the D1/DX and up.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-020-_-Product
Click to expand...

Please read the OP.

I want a PCIe card, not a PCI card. Reason being is the next time I upgrade, my motherboard likely won't have a PCI slot and then I would just have to buy another sound card again.
 
mnewsham

mnewsham

Lifer
Oct 2, 2010
14,539
428
136
Numenorean said:
Please read the OP.

I want a PCIe card, not a PCI card. Reason being is the next time I upgrade, my motherboard likely won't have a PCI slot and then I would just have to buy another sound card again.
Click to expand...

Why won't your next motherboard have pci? O_O
 
Spikesoldier

Spikesoldier

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
6,766
0
0
Numenorean said:
Please read the OP.

I want a PCIe card, not a PCI card. Reason being is the next time I upgrade, my motherboard likely won't have a PCI slot and then I would just have to buy another sound card again.
Click to expand...

hmm

pci-e
5.1 or better and win7x64 support
cheap

looks like you'll have to settle for two out of three criterion.

i know creative made some X-fi's in PCI-e form factor. the X-fi although it is showing its age, seem to be good when you do the op-amp mod. i have not attempted this mod on my 5 year old X-fi xtrememusic.

i had the same reservations about picking up the PCI version of the xonar vs the PCI-e one, but i got $15 or $20 better deal on the PCI version so i went with it. i dont think PCI is going anywhere for a few years, unless you are running like tri-sli or tri-fire where it eats up all your slots.
 
N

Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
4,442
1
0
mnewsham said:
You are complaining about the cost of sound cards but you won't fight for the free way? Fine spend your money.
Click to expand...

I'm not complaining about the cost of a sound card. I just don't see the need to pay $90 for one. A $30-40 card should be fine. But apparently nobody makes one in that range in PCIe for some reason.

I can't call up VIA and force them to make proper drivers now can I? This motherboard does what I need it to do. In fact, there is only one other motherboard which comes close, and is a brand I would purchase. It doesn't have the necessary eSATA ports, however, so it won't work.

I can RMA this board until I'm blue in the face but it's not like they will remove the VIA chip and put a Realtek on.
 
N

Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
4,442
1
0
Spikesoldier said:
hmm

pci-e
5.1 or better and win7x64 support
cheap

looks like you'll have to settle for two out of three criterion.

i know creative made some X-fi's in PCI-e form factor. the X-fi although it is showing its age, seem to be good when you do the op-amp mod. i have not attempted this mod on my 5 year old X-fi xtrememusic.

i had the same reservations about picking up the PCI version of the xonar vs the PCI-e one, but i got $15 or $20 better deal on the PCI version so i went with it. i dont think PCI is going anywhere for a few years, unless you are running like tri-sli or tri-fire where it eats up all your slots.
Click to expand...

I know there are some X-Fi's which fit the bill, but I don't trust their drivers and on the cheaper cards I read a lot of complaints.
 
Spikesoldier

Spikesoldier

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
6,766
0
0
Numenorean said:
I know there are some X-Fi's which fit the bill, but I don't trust their drivers and on the cheaper cards I read a lot of complaints.
Click to expand...

the only time i ever had a driver problem is when the setup.exe would not install right on a XP system. really looking back, i would point fingers at the OS (it was acting funny in other ways) since i had no issues prior to that with the same card.

with discerning whether a cheaper x-fi is a good one, simply look at the pcb. if its a half-height one, dont bother, its a POS. if it is the full height card, then you got yourself a REAL x-fi.
 
N

Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
4,442
1
0
Spikesoldier said:
the only time i ever had a driver problem is when the setup.exe would not install right on a XP system. really looking back, i would point fingers at the OS (it was acting funny in other ways) since i had no issues prior to that with the same card.

with discerning whether a cheaper x-fi is a good one, simply look at the pcb. if its a half-height one, dont bother, its a POS. if it is the full height card, then you got yourself a REAL x-fi.
Click to expand...

Yeah but also I'm still pissed at Creative from back when I had an Audigy and their Win2k drivers caused BSOD's.

That and it was like a guessing game whether or not drivers would be on their website each day.
 
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