Do you use a sound card for games?

eyetrip · 22 Apr 2011 at 18:07

Use the sound on my GPU over HDMI.

No complaints and less cabling - already got so much cabling, any reduction is good

Tealc · 22 Apr 2011 at 18:09

I use an Asus Xonar DX with great results. So much better than my old Audigy 2 ZS that I swore by previously.

I used onboard for a bit before but it just didn't do anything for me.

bhavv · 22 Apr 2011 at 18:11

The onboard sound on the Rampage III Extreme was amazingly crap for such a high end board.

I waited for the X-Fi Titanium HD and got that along with some Corsair HS1As, and the setup is simply phenomenal when correctly setup.

I wish I had waited for the R3E black edition instead my current mobo and soundcard now though, as it has a top end Mobo and Soundcard bundled together for a great price for both.

EdwardTeach · 22 Apr 2011 at 18:17

I use a Xonar DG. It provides decent headphone amp and, has Dolby Headphone which can work well in some games.

DisrupTor75 · 22 Apr 2011 at 18:32

I bought a Creative X-Fi gamer sound card but for some strange reason it's not been very stable in window 7 ultimate 64bit, Some say it's because Creative's 64bit drivers are pants so i just disabled it but left it in the pci slot.

A shame really as i had heard good things about those cards

gronf · 22 Apr 2011 at 18:33

Gimpymoo · 22 Apr 2011 at 18:36

Aye, they handled the whole Daniel_K situation amazingly bad.

I sold my Elite PRO and got an ASUS, very smart.

Creatives drivers are ****.

Buckster · 22 Apr 2011 at 18:46

my Audigy 4 Pro which I bought as an OEM card only about 5 years ago is still going strong

SQ is excellent and better than on-board

the 4 Pro had better DACs than the 4 and other Audigys

bhavv · 22 Apr 2011 at 19:31

I know that what crative did back then was terrible, but their cards work fine for me?

My X-Fi Titanium HD in Win 7 64 bit doesnt have a single problem with the official drivers.

Mean Mr Mustard · 22 Apr 2011 at 20:11

Onboard sound is good enough for me, perfectly acceptable 5.1 surround.

pooley · 22 Apr 2011 at 20:49

I play a bit of BC2 with uses Dolby Headphone so I use an Xonar Essence STX, wouldn't go back to on board again tbh.

Number_25 · 22 Apr 2011 at 20:56

Is there much difference between onboard (7.1) and one off a card?

madindehead · 22 Apr 2011 at 21:07

I used to use a Creative card, until it started dying. Now using on board sound. Will probably go for a Zonar D2X in September.

VeNT · 22 Apr 2011 at 21:08

last one I bought was a sound blaster Live!
not had one since then as onboard was/is better
tbh I've 5.1 and SPDIF and only use headphones (that cost less thank £75) so why bother?

FoxEye · 22 Apr 2011 at 21:48

Number_25 said:
Is there much difference between onboard (7.1) and one off a card?

"On-board" refers to a number of different sound chips by different companies.

From what I read there's good ones and not so good ones

I can tell you that my current one (ALC889) is many, many times better than the on-board on my last motherboard.

mjones1 · 22 Apr 2011 at 21:53

Nope my amp is hooked up by optical and people say there is hardly a difference.

Masterdog · 22 Apr 2011 at 21:56

I use me Xonar D2X as well...love the Audio Centre, really makes a difference to how things sound. But that said if it broke I probably wouldn't bother to replace it. Onboard sound is now perfectly good enough imo.

powelly · 22 Apr 2011 at 22:10

i use a xonar d2, on rock setting you can't beat it and with games that support dolby pro logic IIx its eargasm time

you can't beat some of the settings on it tbh

and it makes my creative Fatal1ty sound great

Number_25 · 22 Apr 2011 at 22:27

So theres no point in really investing on a SoundCard unless you work in the Music/Visual industry?

Avathar77 · 22 Apr 2011 at 22:39

I still use X-Fi extreme gamer, but with PAX drivers, it makes a lot of deference.