Audigy Non Pro vs Audigy 2 ZS Oem vs Audigy 2 ZS Retail

hav0k99 · Jan 23, 2006, 04:31 PM

I'd like to know which one of these 3 is the best for gaming and ONLY these 3. I play Battlefield 2 and Counter Strike Source. Right now I can get the Audigy 4 non pro and Audigy 2 ZS Oem for $45 shipped. I am replacing an Audigy 1 oem. Please no X-fi recommendations these are the 3 cards I want to focus on.

rico01 · Jan 23, 2006, 05:28 PM

I'm a bit confused, is it the 3 in the topic or the 2 you mention in the post that are interesting and you want to focus on?

In any case, I'd pick A2ZS retail. The OEM versions can have severe driver problems and iirc are not supported by Creative per se. The plain Audigy 1 is a 5.1 card the others are 7.1 so if amount of speakers is an issue do not pick that. The Audigy 4 non pro is possibly slightly better, with emphasis on slightly, than the 2ZS but the margin is very slim so go for the cheapest which I would guess is the A2ZS.

Then again... A4 is newer.

hav0k99 · Jan 23, 2006, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rico01

I'm a bit confused, is it the 3 in the topic or the 2 you mention in the post that are interesting and you want to focus on?

In any case, I'd pick A2ZS retail. The OEM versions can have severe driver problems and iirc are not supported by Creative per se. The plain Audigy 1 is a 5.1 card the others are 7.1 so if amount of speakers is an issue do not pick that. The Audigy 4 non pro is possibly slightly better, with emphasis on slightly, than the 2ZS but the margin is very slim so go for the cheapest which I would guess is the A2ZS.

Then again... A4 is newer.

Let me clear this up. I'm wondering about all 3 but the 2 I mentioned are available to me used by different sellers for $45 each. I hear rumors tha the Audigy 4 non pro is a rebadged Audigy 2 Value.

Shakey_Jake33 · Jan 23, 2006, 06:24 PM

I never had a single problem with my old Audigy2 ZS OEM, and it modded to Audigy4 fine.

An Audigy4 Non-Pro is essentially just an Audigy2 ZS with better DAC's, IIRC. That's why people ignored the Audigy4 on release and bought the cheaper Audigy2 ZS.

hav0k99 · Jan 23, 2006, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shakey_Jake33

I never had a single problem with my old Audigy2 ZS OEM, and it modded to Audigy4 fine.

An Audigy4 Non-Pro is essentially just an Audigy2 ZS with better DAC's, IIRC. That's why people ignored the Audigy4 on release and bought the cheaper Audigy2 ZS.

can anyone else confirm the Audigy 4 non pro > Audigy 2 ZS?

Jan 23, 2006, 04:31 PM	#1
hav0k99 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Audigy Non Pro vs Audigy 2 ZS Oem vs Audigy 2 ZS Retail I'd like to know which one of these 3 is the best for gaming and ONLY these 3. I play Battlefield 2 and Counter Strike Source. Right now I can get the Audigy 4 non pro and Audigy 2 ZS Oem for $45 shipped. I am replacing an Audigy 1 oem. Please no X-fi recommendations these are the 3 cards I want to focus on. Last edited by hav0k99; Jan 23, 2006 at 05:45 PM.

Jan 23, 2006, 05:28 PM	#2
rico01 Audio Junkie Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 126 Rep Power: 0	I'm a bit confused, is it the 3 in the topic or the 2 you mention in the post that are interesting and you want to focus on? In any case, I'd pick A2ZS retail. The OEM versions can have severe driver problems and iirc are not supported by Creative per se. The plain Audigy 1 is a 5.1 card the others are 7.1 so if amount of speakers is an issue do not pick that. The Audigy 4 non pro is possibly slightly better, with emphasis on slightly, than the 2ZS but the margin is very slim so go for the cheapest which I would guess is the A2ZS. Then again... A4 is newer. __________________ My middle-name is Audiophile.

Jan 23, 2006, 06:24 PM	#4
Shakey_Jake33 DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bristol, UK Posts: 80 Rep Power: 0	I never had a single problem with my old Audigy2 ZS OEM, and it modded to Audigy4 fine. An Audigy4 Non-Pro is essentially just an Audigy2 ZS with better DAC's, IIRC. That's why people ignored the Audigy4 on release and bought the cheaper Audigy2 ZS. __________________ CPU: Intel Core2 Extreme X6800 2.93GHz RAM: 2GB (2X1) GEiL DDR2 800MHz CAS4 GPU: OCUK GeForce 7900 GTO SILENT 512Meg Motherboard: Asus P5W DH Deluxe Sound Card: Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic Speakers: Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Case: Antec P180 Black PSU: Seasonic S12 600W