Sound Card Needed

[RavenNight]

Hi!

My new rig needs a soundcard, I mainly play BF2 so I want one thats compatable with that, I know loads aren't. It needs to be 7.1 and I'd like it to be internal, I don't mind about a front panel thing or whats bundled with it. My budget is about £40-£60, any ideas?

[Mullet]

audigy2 zs or if you can scrape more pennies together how about the x-fi extreme music??

[RavenNight]

I've been looking at the X-Fi, I understand that it isn't an insane improvement over the Audigy 2 ZS but considering I've only ever used onboard sound....

[noTHINGface]

You pays for what you gets - Audigy2 ZS is a competent card and will serve you well, but of course the X-Fi is an improvement again though many current games dont make use of its specific features (though BF2 does) I'm sure that more and more will do so in the future.

[RavenNight]

Okay just a little update my Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music arrived today. My god, there aren't enough expletives/superlatives to describe how fricking amazing this thing is. Bear in mind that I have previously used on board sound only. This thing is incredible, the quality of music is out of this world. BF2 sounds fantastic, the guns etc. sound insane. I love this thing to bits. if you can possibly scrape together the cash get hold of one now!!!!!

[Mullet]

He steps aside....puts on the elvis wig...takes a bow and says....

"thank you very much"

[DavidM]

Indeed - I think FPS's will benefit from the extra audio channels on the X-Fi - when they've been written around them (or tweaked...) - I may have to start playing with the sound turned on if I ever get one

[Mullet]

David....the change in sounds/quality on BF2 when using the X-fi in comparison with the Zs is very obvious....you simply must get the x-fi!!

[DavidM]

I'll wait till I do my next big system upgrade I think... tbh preffer CSS to BF2 - so it'll be upgraded before the next release of HL2 & CS

[Mullet]

Just how good is CSS??

[DavidM]

I enjoy it... i'm not brilliant - but it's fun