Ive been using creative sound cards for a looong time with no problems. But I have been hearing about how they are resource hogs, and I have run up against a problem with David Maltbys BAC1-111 where I hear static and sometimes the game crashes.So can anybody point me in the direction of a sound card that supports EAX and my 5.1 analog speakers?

No I can't ;-) If you don't like Creatives cards I'm lost. Old graphich cards are resource hogs as are old sound cards, old motherboards, old cpu:s, old memory, old hard disks, old cars, old...I'm running a Creative SB X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS sound card. I guess that the card isn't much of a resource hog if you set it to run in 'Game mode'.Ulf B

I like creative cards, I have an Audigy 4, use to have an Audigy 2 and before that an Audigy, then a Live, etc.I have just run into sound cracking issues, and now with the BAC1-111 complete blue screen crashes and bad sound distortion.Maybe I will check out the XiFi line, it looks like they stopped making the Audigy 4, maybe for a reason?

Just make sure that the blue screen issues isn't caused by som other hardware problem. :-hmmmGood luckUlf B :)

http://www.tomshardware.com/game/20030405/index.htmmy onboard sound handles 5:1 sound no problem, but fs9 does not so you won't hear anything from the centre speaker or sub unless it is part of a 4 speaker setup

Is it worth it to upgrade an old original Audigy2 to one of the new X-Fi cards? I hear a lot about them. I just bought myself a new set of Logitech 5.1 speakers (X-530). They are pretty good, although far from top of the line. Much better sound quality? Better performance with games? I notice I get occasional stuttering in mp3 music while flightsimming, mostly when alt-tabbing in and out of fs9. Not a big deal though.

That is a good question, because I too have an Audigy2.That tom's hardware article on cpu usage of sound cards was useful, although it is now a bit dated (it was from 2003). I wonder how the X-Fi does as far as cpu usage is concerned? Years back I had a Diamond MonsterSound MX330 and Diamond always claimed it had the lowest cpu overhead of any soundcard out there.

I finally found a review that mentions the upgrade from an Audigy2. It doesn't sound like the upgrade is worth all the money. If I were building a new PC, I would go for one, but for just a straight upgrade, I don't think it is that worthwhile. http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1850367,00.asp

Hi Alex,I have an Audigy 2 (Creative) sound card, and am experiencing the same as you- system crashes related to viewing the BAC-111 in spot view with sound enabled. I did isolate that combination as being what causes it and did a search and found your post. Did you find any solution?I might just revert back to another sound file until I can get this resolved. Thanks for any info :)Bruce.

Yes Creative is well known for their poor driver support. But they seem to have gotten better. They are not as nortonish bloaty as I remembered them.I got an X Fi if you use headphones and use other simes then FS 2004 that supports 5.1 audio they are a big big improvement over the Audigy 2. They do offer a bit better audio quality as well but not something huge. You need good hardware to hear it ;). Audigy 4 should be quite comparable to audigy 2 in sound quality I suppose but lack all the extra features of the X Fi.I got the Xtrememusic without the extra RAM. To much money especially since it

Users of Creative sound cards might want to look into the kx Project drivers. Don't know which Creative cards are supported, but they do alot more with a much smaller driver footprint than Creative's driver package.http://www.driverheavendownloads.net/kXmain.htmGreg

Thanks Greg. I tried installing the sound card after the OS install using the KX Project drivers, but found that some applications that should produce sound (my Elite sim being one) didn't make any noise at all. So, I went back to the ones on the CD that came woth the board. I guess I should at least go look for later Creative drivers now.Thanks, appreciate your helpful advice as always,Bruce.

Thanks. Bruce.

KX drivers doesn

I have not found a solution, and reading Davis post regarding trying to fix it and how he could not do it, I doubt there ever will be a fix. There just arent good choices for sound cards. I spent a few hundred on this audigy 4 I have, and besides the crash with Davis soundset, zero problems and love it. Especially the external device that it came with allowing me to plug in headphones and a few other things.I would rather not go spend a few hundred more right now, especially because my monitor is dying and I need to save up for a new one... Iguess I will fly something else until someone can come out with a new soundset