Is it really worth it?

Radea85 · Jul 8, 2002, 05:16 PM

i got a integrated VIA AC97 as a soundcard (LMAO)...wuld it be worth the 20 USD to upgrade to a live 5.1? (dont tell me to get a better model....)....like i mean is CPU time guna be that much lower and will things sound much better? t/y...

DaSnIpE · Jul 8, 2002, 05:22 PM

Live 5.1 is actually a great soundcard for 20 $, I'd go for it in a second if I only had onboard audio.

The Live 5.1 has EAX and all those other goodies while ur Ac97 audio has the basics, it all depends but I seriously think it's worth getting the Live 5.1 for only 20 $

DallasStar · Jul 8, 2002, 06:38 PM

Well.... for 20 bucks, Live is pretty good. ESPECIALLY if you're upgrading from onboard audio (ugh

). However, if you want something that sounds better and is still economical, get the Phillips Seismic Edge II 5.1. It costs 40 bucks, but that is more than made up for when you consider the trouble that the Live series causes so many people. I'm not anti Creative or anything (as you'll see in my sig). I'm just anti-SBLive.

Also, if you have a 2 or 3 speaker setup (or headphones), you'll love the virtual surround sound offered in this card (its supposed to be VERY convincing).

Malus · Jul 9, 2002, 06:33 AM

It is very convincing.

Necrosis · Jul 9, 2002, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Radea85
i got a integrated VIA AC97 as a soundcard (LMAO)...wuld it be worth the 20 USD to upgrade to a live 5.1? (dont tell me to get a better model....)....like i mean is CPU time guna be that much lower and will things sound much better? t/y...

Amen to what has already been said; you'll be amazed at the quality difference compared to your onboard vs. the LIve 5.1.

So um, a huge freaking YES!!!

Frank D · Jul 11, 2002, 03:41 AM

Yes you should upgrade, why?

- Hardware 3d acceleration in games and other media
- You'll get better sound, the VIA stuff sounds kinda dull
- You'll have an digital output!for 5.1 sets or better
- 4 point speaker support
- And the very nice cool problems with creative that almost everyones has! LOL

digitalwanderer · Jul 11, 2002, 03:58 AM

For $20 a SB-live is a great deal and a whole lot better than what you have!

Jul 8, 2002, 05:16 PM	#1
Radea85 \|>>®åðêå85<<\| Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Uhm...? Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Is it really worth it? i got a integrated VIA AC97 as a soundcard (LMAO)...wuld it be worth the 20 USD to upgrade to a live 5.1? (dont tell me to get a better model....)....like i mean is CPU time guna be that much lower and will things sound much better? t/y... __________________ i-3D http://radea85.netfirms.com/radeasig.jpg /Me waits impatiently for image tags to be turned on

Jul 8, 2002, 05:22 PM	#2
DaSnIpE Driverage Snipe Join Date: May 2002 Location: Montreal, Canada or NYC, USA Posts: 372 Rep Power: 0	Live 5.1 is actually a great soundcard for 20 $, I'd go for it in a second if I only had onboard audio. The Live 5.1 has EAX and all those other goodies while ur Ac97 audio has the basics, it all depends but I seriously think it's worth getting the Live 5.1 for only 20 $ __________________ Antec SX1030 Case - Enermax 431 W Whisper PS - 4 Case Fans -ThermalRight AX-7 With Panaflo Ultra Fan - Sb Audigy / Logitech Z-560 Speakers / Sennheiser HD497 Headphones WD 80GB 7200 rpm HD - Samsung SyncMaster 955DF - LG 16x10x40x Burner / Pionner 16x Slot DVD View my rig http://nl.dodhq.net/Rig/

Jul 8, 2002, 06:38 PM	#3
DallasStar Junior Join Date: May 2002 Location: Wave Existence Posts: 2,065 Rep Power: 0	Well.... for 20 bucks, Live is pretty good. ESPECIALLY if you're upgrading from onboard audio (ugh ). However, if you want something that sounds better and is still economical, get the Phillips Seismic Edge II 5.1. It costs 40 bucks, but that is more than made up for when you consider the trouble that the Live series causes so many people. I'm not anti Creative or anything (as you'll see in my sig). I'm just anti-SBLive. Also, if you have a 2 or 3 speaker setup (or headphones), you'll love the virtual surround sound offered in this card (its supposed to be VERY convincing). __________________ "A picture of my existence... would show a useless wooden stake covered in snow... stuck loosely at a slant in the ground in a ploughed field on the edge of a vast open plain on a dark winter night." --- Franz Kafka

Jul 9, 2002, 06:33 AM	#4
Malus BSD SMASH! Join Date: May 2002 Location: A rabbit hole. . . Posts: 1,170 Rep Power: 0	It is very convincing. __________________ quad (FreeBSD/amd64 8-CURRENT): Intel Q6600 - Asus P5E-VM HDMI - 2x2 GB Kingston PC6400 DDR2 Ram - Seagate 320GB 7200RPM HD - 2xSeagate 1TB 7200RPM HD in RAID 1 via ZFS - Lite-On 20x DVD Multi Recorder - Coolermaster Centurion 5 router (FreeBSD/amd64 8-CURRENT): Intel E4500 - Intel D945GCNL - 2 GB PC6400 Mushkin Ram - Lite-On 48x24x48x16 - Seagate 320GB 7200RPM HD - Silverstone SST-SG02-F wanderer (FreeBSD/i386 7-CURRENT): Lenovo Thinkpad T61p mini (OS X 10.5): Intel Core 2 Duo @ 1.8Ghz, 4 GB Mushkin PC5400 Ram - Headroom MicroDAC Portable sound: Rockboxed iPod Video -> Westone UM2's Not-So-Portable Sound: Headroon MicroDAC -> Singlepower PPX3-SLAM -> Grado RS-1's or Beyerdynamic DT-880's Very-Not-Portable-Sound: Squeezebox v3 -> Denon AVR-1507 -> B&W 683's & Sunfire HRS-10

Jul 11, 2002, 03:58 AM	#7
digitalwanderer Colour Commentator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Highland, IN USA Posts: 5,619 Rep Power: 0	$20?!? Grab that deal and run like hell! For $20 a SB-live is a great deal and a whole lot better than what you have! __________________ WTF is up with the sigs?

Jul 11, 2002, 03:41 AM	#6
Frank D DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 4 Rep Power: 0	Yes you should upgrade, why? - Hardware 3d acceleration in games and other media - You'll get better sound, the VIA stuff sounds kinda dull - You'll have an digital output!for 5.1 sets or better - 4 point speaker support - And the very nice cool problems with creative that almost everyones has! LOL