I've purchased a new system (P4, 3 GHz 800 H/T, ATI 9800 Pro (256 MB RAM), Western Digital 80 GB HD) for ACoF (this is DEFINITELY payware :-hah!). The fellow at my local friendly computer shop suggested that I could easily go with the on-board sound (Intel), unless there was a specific reason for adding another card. If I were to add a sound card, it would be the Audigy. Can anyone here advise me as to whether or not I should be adding the Audigy at this point for ACoF (or any other reason - being deaf in one ear, I'm definitely not an audiofile, so I don't need too much in the way of super recording capabilities :-), but I do want FS to sound really good, and I don't want the sound card slowing up the rest of the sim)? It's an extra couple of hundred (Cdn) to add it, but if it makes a difference, then I'd definitely do it.Many thanks for the assist.Glenn

Go for the audigy. On board sound has caused some problems within FS2002 I believe. I can think of no reason that having a sound card would have any adverse effect on MSFS.With ref to your deafness. I am about 70% deaf in my left ear and I found a while ago that a good set of speakers helps. Mine are surround sound with the four speakers positioned appropriately and a large subwoofer under the desk. Probably because of their quality I can turn up the volume without any loss in quality and the subwoofer has definitely made quite a difference. By the way I bought the SB Live 5.1 so I could use the speakers (surround sound).BTW good to see your new spec.

The easiest way to tell is to remove the sound file from your favorite plane, turn off ATC and compare. I'm not a stereophile, but didn't notice enough difference in mine to even spend $10 for a sound card.

I was having a graphics slowdown on my system while playing GTA Vice City.....I tracked it back to my on board sound. I got a really inexpensive used SoundBlaster Live card from EBAY for like $30, it cleared up my graphics problems, made the game run smoother, and the sound, sound better.If you can swing it get the SB Audigy. It is a great card. For a less costly one, the Santa Cruz by Turtle Beach is excellent....or you can do what I did and just get a used one from EBAY or Half.com....in any case, I think that it made an improvement in both the sound and the frame rates....and with FS2004, unless you have a newer video card and CPU (which you do), you will need all the help you can get.- JDR[div align=center][link:www.jetdoc.com/STO/]Visit The Bookstore & Gift Shoppe][/b

Glenn, don't bother!Unless you have definite problems with the on-board sound, you can save yourself the cost of a sound card.I've got a p4 2.4 system with on-board sound (Asus P4PE main board) and get great sound through my Cambridge Sound Works speakers. With 3 GHz processing power, you can afford to spend a little bit on sound processing without hurting FS performance!

HiYep I agree, I also have have an on-board sound card and Cambridge soundworks speakers, and it works just fine. No problems at all.Tim

Speaking of sound cards, anyone have know why when i installed my Audigy Gamer with latest drivers, every time i start and aplication, or a movie plays it makes a sharp BEEEEP in my speakers and then the sound cutts out? Or if i am playing an MP3 and i start internet explorer it makes a BEEEP and sound stops?Win2kpro SP4GeFoce FX (still had problem on old Radeon 7000) (both pci)Intel P3, 810/810e chipsetRan fine on ME!thanks

Gentlemen, thank you VERY much for the information. Based on what I have read here, I will start with the on-board, but won't hesitate to add the Audigy should the recommended tests suggest doing so.I really appreciate your help in this. Thanks again,Glenn

Well Glenn, I've done extensive (enough!) testing on this very issue using my RealTek 5.1 AC97 audio chip vs adding an Audigy II. I found that in Audio Winbench 99 cpu utilization using DirectX Basic is roughly 0.3-0.8% with Audigy II, and 3-6% using Realtek onboard with the latest drivers. If you want to translate that to something indirectly meaningful, you might conclude that with a 3GHz CPU you can expect to see roughly 90-180mHz taken away from FS2004. Now this might not seem like much, but if you paid $1200 for your new machine, then roughly $42-$84 worth of processing power is the cost of using onboard audio. By the time you bring in complex 3rd party aircraft, you are going to need every CPU cycle you can muster IMO. I ended up adding the Audigy II (oem version for $69) and I can say with complete certainty that I get 3-6% improvement over onboard audio, PLUS is you increase DirectX to Standard or Advanced, there is virtually no hit with the Audigy II, and a hit of 4-10% with onboard audio. If you never use complex addons, then you have plenty of performance for onboard audio. If you use lots of addons, you'll use every CPU cycle available. The Audigy II definitely improved performance, but again, only by 4-8% (i use DirectX Standard) on average, which again, is compatible with what Audio Winbench 99 showed. So I kept it!Noel

Oh sure, confuse the issue with facts :-lol!Seriously, thanks for this Noel! You make some very convincing points about this. It is true, the reason I'm buying such a heavy-weight system is to wring every last fps/deny every stutter possible. I will have to give this some serious thought overnight.Thanks Noel, I appreciate you taking the time to detail these numbers. It helps a bunch.Glenn

OK, once again thank you all for your extremely helpful advice. I've "re-thunk" the whole thing, and I think I'll go ahead and add the Audigy. The "clincher" was Noel's comments regarding complex add-ons. I am intending to use a few select but very complex aircraft along with enhanced scenery in as many places as possible. In 2004 I will want to fly totally from the VC if at all possible (assuming I can get decent enough refresh rates of the instruments there) as well. The suggestion that I might require every ounce of CPU power possible is plausible to me since I like my sliders full right for the most part (demanding, ain't I :-hah). Given all that, and Gordius' suggeston of the speakers (which would work quite well for me since when I use headphones, I completely lose the engine sounds when turning my head to the left because of my deafness - thanks for that idea), and the fact that I'm building a system that will carry me for at least 2, if not 3 years in reasonable style, maybe spending the extra cash on an Audigy at this point would make sense. I guess it's partly a case of I'd rather have it and not need it, then not have and always wonder if I could use it.So, thanks again guys. I really appreciate your help in this.Glenn