Creative SoundBlaster Audigy...

[VisionIT]

Last thursday, I bought one of these cards... and this morning...

IT BLEW UP

Smoke everywhere... horrible smell and the card was black!

Anyone else seen anything like this? I have never had a sound card do that before.

:rolleyes: :p

[parksie]

I never saw a card actually start smoking. Must have been really faulty :eek:

[VisionIT]

Originally posted by parksie
I never saw a card actually start smoking. Must have been really faulty :eek:

I know... and being only a few days old... it's too young to smoke! :p

Lets hope the PCI slot still works...

[VisionIT]

Oh...

Whats with the hairy grandmother? :D :D :D

[parksie]

I thought it was time for a new random title :D

[Sastraxi]

It's creative... what do you exect ;) It probably didn't like your motherboard :p

[kleinma]

Originally posted by Sastraxi
It's creative... what do you exect ;) It probably didn't like your motherboard :p

Ive had an audigy ex platinum for some time now and I have had no problems at all... conversion to XP wasn't hot at first.. but now they have all the good drivers for it

[siyan]

Originally posted by Sastraxi
It's creative... what do you exect ;) It probably didn't like your motherboard :p

I back you up in the "Creative is overrated" bandwagon :)

[Pirate]

Originally posted by VisionIT
Last thursday, I bought one of these cards... and this morning...

IT BLEW UP

Smoke everywhere... horrible smell and the card was black!

Anyone else seen anything like this? I have never had a sound card do that before.

:rolleyes: :p
You are scaring me . I got Creative SoundBlaster Audigy2 Plantinum . What did you do exactly ? :rolleyes:
and sorry to hear that .

[kleinma]

Originally posted by siyan
I back you up in the "Creative is overrated" bandwagon :)

creative isnt so bad... hell i just installed a few old dos games the other day and i was able to select SB16 and it worked with my currect card.. now thats what i call backwards compatability

[siyan]

Originally posted by kleinma
creative isnt so bad... hell i just installed a few old dos games the other day and i was able to select SB16 and it worked with my currect card.. now thats what i call backwards compatability

Should work on any card. I got mad old school games that used DOS4GW to run on my Intel 810 integrated audio.

Getting it to run in 2K/XP is the hard part.

BTW They're not bad by any means...just overrated.

[parksie]

AFAIK my AWE32 still works. We're talking ISA here, it is physically bent from the weight of two 1mb 30pin SIMMs I put onto it as an upgrade.

If so, it's worked for 8 years. I intend to check it when I get home in a few weeks, and I expect it will be working.

That's good enough for me.

[kleinma]

Originally posted by siyan
Should work on any card. I got mad old school games that used DOS4GW to run on my Intel 810 integrated audio.

Getting it to run in 2K/XP is the hard part.

BTW They're not bad by any means...just overrated.


yeah i am running xp pro.. ms dos games run sound off my card no problem... I dont even think they are really that overpriced either... which would be why someone would consider them over rated.. I got my audigy ex platinum for 200 bucks shipped... thats the unit that comes with the external box and a million input/outputs for all different audio formats

[<ABX]

woa i was gonna buy one of those cards for my old comp that didnt have a onboard sound card. Looks like i changed my mind!!

i hope it didnt wreck anything.

btw has anyone tried to upgrade one of those HP computers with the 100w ps?

what happend was He paid $2500 for a computer with 800mhz + HP CD burner + 17" monitor (i wish he would have asked me)

anyway the hd went so i put in a new 30gig then i put it back to together and plug in the power cord and the ps started arking.

My friend started freaking out and almost ripped the ps out with the power supply.

I took a part the computer again and pulled out the ps and found that it blew some mini-resistors.

Ilooked at the rating for both HD's and it blew it over 70 mw.

now i know why i dont buy premaid comps.

[siyan]

Originally posted by <ABX
woa i was gonna buy one of those cards for my old comp that didnt have a onboard sound card. Looks like i changed my mind!!


Change your mind because you can get a better value with a different card, not because one guy had one blow up on him. If it was a major issue it would have been discovered long ago.

And 100 watts....now that's amusing. :p

[wrack]

Originally posted by VisionIT
Last thursday, I bought one of these cards... and this morning...

IT BLEW UP

Smoke everywhere... horrible smell and the card was black!

Anyone else seen anything like this? I have never had a sound card do that before.

:rolleyes: :p I think it comes with the a controller unit which fits into CDROM slot. Is that unit allright or blown away too.

If thats the case then you should check ur power supply and I bet you have already done. I have never heard anything like this b4 but I have seen smoking monitor.

Also is your PCs cooling is enough for processor, powersupply, hdd, graphics card and that kinda sound card.

I was thinking about to buy one of those after 2-3 months but now I will wait until u find the cause of it.

Cheers...

[siyan]

Originally posted by wrack

Also is your PCs cooling is enough for processor, powersupply, hdd, graphics card and that kinda sound card.

Cheers...

Erm, cooling a sound card? If the temps are that high then the CPU has probably already burned its way through the motherboard and is transferring enough heat through the case (assumed aluminum) to light the desk on fire.

However, a short on the card itself can cause burns.

[Sastraxi]

I'm saying is that Creative has big big big problems with tons of VIA-based motherboards (kt266, kt333, kt400, etc). They offer 24bit/196kHz which is really only useful for recording, as it has to be dynamically compressed, etc, etc, which software can do on 16bit/48kHz. Plus, all decent cards now include legacy SB emulation, because it was the most consumer-oriented and best-supported card back then. Ah... memories of installing Daggerfall and Warcraft 2 *sniff*.

wrack: If you're in the market for a new soundcard, and won't be doing professional-quality recording (aka. with more than $1000 worth of equipment), I suggest Fortissimo, GameSurround, or DigiFire 7.1 :)

[wrack]

Originally posted by Sastraxi
wrack: If you're in the market for a new soundcard, and won't be doing professional-quality recording (aka. with more than $1000 worth of equipment), I suggest Fortissimo, GameSurround, or DigiFire 7.1 :) Actually I am a big fan of Creative Sound cards and I am not doing any professional recording...

Whats wrong with using it for playing games, watching movies on DVDs...???

And the trouble is there are not many good 7.1 DIGITAL surround sound speaker system I could find...

If I am going to buy something then it should worth going for atleast 2 years...

BTW how is Creative Mega Works 6.1 speaker system...Any other suggestion other than that on speakers and sound cards...

Also are there any digital speakers which actully supports 24 Bit/196 KHz sound output...???

Cheers...

[siyan]

Originally posted by wrack
Actually I am a big fan of Creative Sound cards and I am not doing any professional recording...

Whats wrong with using it for playing games, watching movies on DVDs...???

And the trouble is there are not many good 7.1 DIGITAL surround sound speaker system I could find...

If I am going to buy something then it should worth going for atleast 2 years...

BTW how is Creative Mega Works 6.1 speaker system...Any other suggestion other than that on speakers and sound cards...

Also are there any digital speakers which actully supports 24 Bit/196 KHz sound output...???

Cheers...

Everything works fine usually on Audigy/2, except with Via mainboards as Sas said.

Just buy a DDEX (I believe thats the one) compatible receiver, a optical cable, 6 matching speakers that max out the capabilities of the amp, and a nice sub. Excellent 7.1 coming up.

Logitech makes great speakers, and Klipsch too. I'd take them over Creative, once again.

196 KHz? Doubtful....

[wrack]

Originally posted by siyan
Logitech makes great speakers, and Klipsch too. I'd take them over Creative, once again.

196 KHz? Doubtful.... That is what stopping me to upgrade right now as my Gigabyte mother board has VIA chipset and again I like GIGABYTE mother boards so it will have problems.

There is not point of having Good sound card if I can't use its full potential, atleast in sound output which is more important to me.

7.1 Digital speakers is what I am after...

How is YOKOHAMA...or BOSE...???

Cheers...

[Sastraxi]

AFAIK there are no 7.1 systems out (yet), perhaps only by Hercules but that's a stretch. However, these cards are future-proof in which they support all the major setups (2/2.1/4.1/5.1/6.1/7.1.).

[wrack]

Originally posted by Sastraxi
AFAIK there are no 7.1 systems out (yet), perhaps only by Hercules but that's a stretch. However, these cards are future-proof in which they support all the major setups (2/2.1/4.1/5.1/6.1/7.1.). How about 6.1 Digital Speaker systems...

[Sastraxi]

Creative's Inspire 6.1 6600 is digital, there's also a 6700 (not sure of the differences).

[VisionIT]

Just a quick note to Wrack first:

As i'm sure you are aware, I have always/will always use Gigabyte motherboards, and most have VIA chipsets.

I can honestly say, I've never seen a problem with Creative SB/Audigy cards with VIA chipsets. This problem turned out to be a chip on the card! :rolleyes:

Also... try www.musiclandstation.com . That site is fantastic.

You could try some Wharfdale Diamond 7.1's.... as again... they are supposed to be GR8.

Regards,

Paul.

[wrack]

Originally posted by VisionIT
Just a quick note to Wrack first:

As i'm sure you are aware, I have always/will always use Gigabyte motherboards, and most have VIA chipsets.

I can honestly say, I've never seen a problem with Creative SB/Audigy cards with VIA chipsets. This problem turned out to be a chip on the card! :rolleyes:

Also... try www.musiclandstation.com . That site is fantastic.

You could try some Wharfdale Diamond 7.1's.... as again... they are supposed to be GR8.

Regards,

Paul. Thanks M8...Glad to hear that because I also use Gigabyte MB and suggest everyone to use that one...I was also wondering about how are Creative Mega Works speakers...

Cheers...

[VisionIT]

Originally posted by wrack
Creative Mega Works speakers...

* DROOOOOOOOL * :D

MegaWorks 510D's are sweet. They hurt after a while though!

[wrack]

Originally posted by VisionIT
* DROOOOOOOOL * :D

MegaWorks 510D's are sweet. They hurt after a while though! What do u mean heart after a while...??? Is it too loud...???

Bcos I already have 450W system but its only 2.1...

Cheers...

[VisionIT]

Originally posted by wrack
What do u mean heart after a while...??? Is it too loud...???

Bcos I already have 450W system but its only 2.1...

Cheers...

No... I hurts after a while, not heart's! :)

It's damn loud, but it's not the volume you need worry about, it's the quality, and it oooozes that! :p

[Pirate]

Originally posted by VisionIT
As i'm sure you are aware, I have always/will always use Gigabyte motherboards, and most have VIA chipsets.

I hate this company esp when it comes to M/B . I won't trust them again . I used it once , it sucks .

[VisionIT]

You may have been unlucky...

Which mobo did you have?

[Pirate]

Originally posted by VisionIT
You may have been unlucky...
Which mobo did you have?
Asus P4B533 , it rocks . It got lots of awards too .:D

[wrack]

Originally posted by VisionIT
You may have been unlucky...

Which mobo did you have? I have used 3 Gigabyte mobo so far and they rocks...

[wrack]

Originally posted by VisionIT
No... I hurts after a while, not heart's! :)

It's damn loud, but it's not the volume you need worry about, it's the quality, and it oooozes that! :p sorry typing mistake as I do it a lot...

So you mean to say is quality is supurb but its too loud...

I love BASS and I hate TREBLE and the latest Mega Works is 650 Watts and so it should be pretty loud...Enough to vibrate glasses in my room...

BTW no body told me howz yokohama and bose...

Cheers...

[siyan]

Originally posted by Pirate
Asus P4B533 , it rocks . It got lots of awards too .:D

Gah. Asus.

Gah. Intel.

:)

[Pirate]

Originally posted by siyan
Gah. Asus.
Gah. Intel.
:)
What does that mean ?:rolleyes:

[siyan]

It means both are overrated.

[Pirate]

Originally posted by siyan
It means both are overrated.
I just wonder why you are against privileged stuff ?

[siyan]

Originally posted by Pirate
I just wonder why you are against privileged stuff ?

:confused:

[Pirate]

Originally posted by siyan
:confused:



:confused: :confused:

[siyan]

What do you mean by "privileged stuff"

[VisionIT]

Originally posted by Pirate
Asus P4B533 , it rocks . It got lots of awards too .:D

I'm confused!!!

You said you didn't like Gigabyte motherboards, and you said you've used them once and wouldn't trust them again...

So I asked which board it was... and you said Asus :confused:

Have I lost my marbles, or have u?

[Pirate]

Originally posted by siyan
What do you mean by "privileged stuff"
good, distinct, favored stuff .

[Pirate]

Originally posted by VisionIT
I'm confused!!!
You said you didn't like Gigabyte motherboards, and you said you've used them once and wouldn't trust them again...
So I asked which board it was... and you said Asus :confused:
Have I lost my marbles, or have u?
Yes , I'm using Asus and hate Giabyte M/B . What's wrong with that ?:confused:

[VisionIT]

Originally posted by Pirate
Yes , I'm using Asus and hate Giabyte M/B . What's wrong with that ?:confused:

I'm even more confused... make some sense man! :)

Your initial post said you had a Gigabyte Mobo, but you weren't pleased with it, and would never trust them again... but when I asked you which board it was.... you said Asus! :rolleyes:

I've never had anyone blame Gigabyte for an Asus problem before... but there's a first time for everything I suppose. :p

Asus --> Pfft * Like using oil to put out a fire - useless *
Abit --> Mini-Pfft * Good quality, unreliable HPT and software *
ECS --> MAJOR Pfft *There are no words to describe how crap they are *
MSI --> Hmm * The KT3/4 Ultra's are supposed to be good, but i'm not a fan *
Jetway --> HAHAHAHAHA * The only CHEAP & CHEERFUL option for every wannabe I.T firm *
Gigabyte --> GRAND! * The only solution for a reliable, good quality and dependable I.T infrastructure. There are reasons why they are a multi-billion pound company. :p

Every manufacturer has it's problems, and they all have faulty items... but it's important to remember, the after sales support is vital -- The cheapest option is not always the best option.

[Pirate]

Originally posted by VisionIT
I'm even more confused... make some sense man! :)

Your initial post said you had a Gigabyte Mobo, but you weren't pleased with it, and would never trust them again... but when I asked you which board it was.... you said Asus! :rolleyes:

hehe :D I should've read the post carefully .:D . I was using G boards , I hate them . Then I switch to everything for Asus (Graphics Card and M/B ) . I'll tell you why I hate them , because I had troubles *at that time* finding drivers for 2000 and they are slow , sometimes hangs , 3 or at most 4 PCI (I needed more) , Cheapest in the market :D . That's all .

[siyan]

Originally posted by Pirate
good, distinct, favored stuff .

Well, I see it this way. Most people are stupid. So most people are easily swayed by reputation (Asus), commercials (Nike), and marketing gimmick technology (Intel's Netburst).

So, after generations and generations of lies, people start to think that Asus is somehow better than everybody else.

Asus is good, but not as good as they would appear to be. Just as an example, their AMD flagship board, the A7N8X deluxe, isn't even all that "favored". The NF7-S, 75FRN, 8RDA+, etc are much better boards IMHO, aimed at more specific market segments (high end, value, and hardcore o/c) than the Asus we-stick-on-everything-and-overcharge-you ideology. The A7N8X has also been noted to be picky with RAM.

On the Intel side, which I follow sparsely, we'll have to see how their 865 board does, although they'll face fierce competition from other manufacturers in features, performance, and especially price.

Creative is the same way really. Hercules is much better for the money.



This reminds me of the 2000-2001 Intel vs. AMD war. We all know that the Tualatin, Coppermine, and Willamettes had NOTHING on K7. But people still bought Intel because it was "good, distinct, and favoured".

[siyan]

Originally posted by Pirate
hehe :D I should've read the post carefully .:D . I was using G boards , I hate them . Then I switch to everything for Asus (Graphics Card and M/B ) . I'll tell you why I hate them , because I had troubles *at that time* finding drivers for 2000 and they are slow , sometimes hangs , 3 or at most 4 PCI (I needed more) , Cheapest in the market :D . That's all .

:confused: Gigabyte has been a top-tier vendor for a loooong time....

Ever since their break-out 7DX (or whatever it's called....a KT133 board).

[Sastraxi]

I like Abit, but that's simply because of the selection we have around here; never been able to actually try out a Gigabyte. I suppose that I'd like it. You have to face it though, when you're on a budget, Abit is a sure bet. This rig is dependable (albeit a bit slow :().

[siyan]

Originally posted by Sastraxi
I like Abit, but that's simply because of the selection we have around here; never been able to actually try out a Gigabyte. I suppose that I'd like it. You have to face it though, when you're on a budget, Abit is a sure bet. This rig is dependable (albeit a bit slow :().

Well its a KT333....

I find Soltek makes the best value boards...The NF7-S 2.0 isn't all that cheap (or easy to find in Canada, for that matter).

[Sastraxi]

I had a very limited selection, although the prices were right.

[wrack]

When you are loooking to purchase say for example,

Best quality soundcard
Best qaulity graphics card so whats wrong with streaching the budget for mobo...

Cheers...

[Sastraxi]

When you don't HAVE to stretch the budget for the mobo, it's even better :p

[siyan]

Originally posted by wrack
When you are loooking to purchase say for example,

Best quality soundcard
Best qaulity graphics card so whats wrong with streaching the budget for mobo...

Cheers...

Erm, we're not talking about quality here. Lets stop with the ideas about how Asus' and Creative's products somehow automatically are better quality. :rolleyes:

What we are talking about is not overpaying for what you get.

And we don't even neccesarily get the "best" soundcard (AC97 is fine), or "best" video card (considering the 9800 Pro 256MB and FX5900 Ultra are extremely expensive). We try to pay as little as possible for what we realistically need/want.

[VisionIT]

This (in my opinion) is the right order for selecting your best PC!

INITIAL PREPARATION: What do you need from your PC?
1. Choose your type of CPU

2. Then choose your Motherboard (get the best you can afford)

3. Memory's next... DDR/SD/RD or SIM :p

4. Then choose your hard disk's. Bigger's not always best, it's the UDMA & cache rating you need to check.

5. Your graphics&sound should come next (unless they are O/B)

6. Network cards (if required - cheap&nasty 8120b's won't do)

7. Peripherals, IE DVD/CD-RW/DVD-RW. What speeds do you really need? It's better to buy slow&quality (Plextor) than quick&cheap (BTC)

8. Your PSU. The most important part of ANY system. An unreliable PSU can give no-end of problems to any setup, so it's important to get a supply which fits your needs.

9. Monitor's next... the lower the DP (dot pitch) the better for CRT/LCD. LCD's are NOT recommended for game players, as the video effect tends to blur with intense video cards.

10. Keyboard. Get a keyboard which is comfortable to use, as it's the main part of the system you will be using. Don't scrimp on this part.

11. Mouse. Again, it's the most commonly used part of any system. Get one with a high DPI and a comfortable grip.

12. The case. As 90% of cases arrive with PSU's, it's important to check at time of order. Don't waste money on cheap tacky lights which glow, or a transparent side... it's just a case for god sake. Spend your money on something which matters.

13. Speakers/Printers/Scanners are next... cheap speakers will ruin any PC setup, and give the whole package a cheap feel. Get speakers with a reasonable RMS output. If ANYONE tries to sell you speakers because they have a high PMPO value, DON'T BUY THEM. It's the RMS value you need to check, and most PC places won't understand what your saying! :) For a standard SOHO setup, 5-10 RMS should be fine, while gamers/DVD systems will require AC3 surround and around 50 RMS.

Printers&Scanners are user preference, but make sure they support USB2.0, as USB1.0/1's are slowly disappearing with newer boards. Remember, the higher the DPI, the better the quality of reproduction. The higher the DPI, the larger the file size, so make sure your hard disk will cope.

Whilst I agree with Siyan's comment about AC97 sound and the stupid prices or GF FX5900/9800 PRo's, I disagree with the comment about Creative not being high quality. You check any good gamers/multimedia PC, and I bet you'll find a Creative or Turtle Beach sound card installed. But Asus... pfft :p

Well... that's me whacked for the day. I'm going back to my VB app :p :D ;)

Tara...

[wrack]

Sounds like to keep something in mind...Next time I go get a new PC I will surely check 85% of the rules you have established...:)

Good work M8...

Cheers...

[siyan]

Originally posted by VisionIT
This (in my opinion) is the right order for selecting your best PC!
Whilst I agree with Siyan's comment about AC97 sound and the stupid prices or GF FX5900/9800 PRo's, I disagree with the comment about Creative not being high quality. You check any good gamers/multimedia PC, and I bet you'll find a Creative or Turtle Beach sound card installed. But Asus... pfft :p

Tara...

I never said that they were bad quality, I just said that they weren't automatically better than everything else ;)

Turtle Beach rocks.

[siyan]

Originally posted by wrack
Sounds like to keep something in mind...Next time I go get a new PC I will surely check 85% of the rules you have established...:)

Good work M8...

Cheers...

Good rules, but don't forget that guidelines are only guidelines.

[VisionIT]

True...

As I said... it's only my opinion. That's what i'de follow if i were to look for a PC.

Everyone's needs are different, so try to stick to a basic guideline, and you'll be fine.

Regards,

Paul.

[wrack]

Originally posted by siyan
Good rules, but don't forget that guidelines are only guidelines. I said I will check not follow...:p