Sound card suggestions?

[VivienM]

I took out an old SB Audigy, in part due to concerns about drivers (based on experiences on another system, Creative drivers don't like > 4 gigs of RAM on x64 Windows), and thought I'd enable onboard audio on an Asus P5QL-E.

The thing started bluescreening every two days or so, and having turned off the onboard sound, it seems not to be bluescreening so far.

So, byebye onboard audio on this board. Time to go back to a sound card.

So, I'm looking for something with:
a) stable drivers for W7 x64
b) front-panel audio connector
c) ~80-100USD, and available in Canada
d) PCI-E interface would be nice... or maybe not, given it looks like the cooler on my 5770 eats up TWO x1 PCI-E slots.

Any recommendations?

Or should I dig out my first-gen X-Fi from the closet and hope that Creative magically fixed their horrible driver issues?

 

[Lazlo Panaflex]

Others here have used Win 7's default driver, so I'd say stick with your older X-Fi (& avoid Creative's crappy drivers).

 

[borisvodofsky]

If you have the GOOD x-fi, you can do the "op-amp" mod and make it THE godly sound card.

thats' currently the best possible sound from a PC without dropping $xxx

All the materials needed for the MOD is available for FREE. So it's a matter of balls, skills, and time.