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Creative Labs Sound Blaster PCI 512  Sound Card

Creative Labs Sound Blaster PCI 512 Sound Card

List Price: $79.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good alternative to more expensive cards
Review: I chose the Sound Blaster PCI 512 sound card for use with a low power, 5 speaker surround sound system (Cambridge/Creative Labs.) I mainly use this card for gaming and listening to music.

The card has separate front/rear channel plugs for surround sound speakers, a microphone plug, and comes bundled with a decent amount of software. The control software contains controls for "Environmental Audio", which applies different affects to audio output. The most entertaining component of the bundled software has to be the keyboard, which lets you play with a few hundred different instruments and effects- very fun if you don't have a real keyboard to play with.

I have not noticed any flaws in this sound card's performance, and I have not encountered any bugs in the drivers or control software.

This is a great card for anyone looking for a simple, affordable option for gaming and music. Without a high-quality speaker system, you will probably not notice the difference between this sound card and more expensive ones such as the Sound Blaster Live!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: soundblaster that isn't
Review: I have had this card for too long. I bought it when I upgraded to a Pentium 3 (that processor does not like ISA cards). I had upgraded from the AWE64 which was an awesome card in its time.
This PCI512, it is not a Soundblaster chip. Its made by a company Soundblaster bailed out of trouble or something. Anyway it does not share 100% compatibility with soundblaster drivers. If you can afford a new sound card, you can afford to pass this one up. It doesn't work very well in all situations. If you are like me, you buy Soundblaster because they set the standards for compatibility. Atleast before you buy this card go to the soundblaster website and look for yourself what support you cannot get for it. I found very, very little. In fact, it had to be from another source that I found out that my gaming problems was because the PCI512 is not a Soundblaster chip. Soundblaster never comes out and says publicly that you are not buying an original SB design.
Bottom line? This card almost works. Probably that is why SB felt safe to market it under their own name.
I rate it one star because for the money you can do ALOT better. All of the SB PCI series are like this from what I am told.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Quality sound card., great tech support.
Review: I have to say, the comment about tech support would ordinarily imply that something "happened" that required my calling them. Rest assured, it didn't. My archaic computer (Compaq PResario 5070) has its sound card built into the motherboard, and I was told by the store guys that since i couldn't pull it out I would need to go into the BIOS and reconfigure them and disable the original drivers and such in order for the Sound Blaster to work. Well, not knowing anything about my computers BIOS, I called tech support and they were very friendly and helpful. The card is working great, and has all these cool 1/8 inch input jacks that I never had before on my old soundcard. Line in, Mic, front speakers, rear speakers... I don't do any gaming, I mostly got it for home audio recording, and as you can see from the actual hardware, it's been really helpful. Great product.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Quality sound card., great tech support.
Review: I have to say, the comment about tech support would ordinarily imply that something "happened" that required my calling them. Rest assured, it didn't. My archaic computer (Compaq PResario 5070) has its sound card built into the motherboard, and I was told by the store guys that since i couldn't pull it out I would need to go into the BIOS and reconfigure them and disable the original drivers and such in order for the Sound Blaster to work. Well, not knowing anything about my computers BIOS, I called tech support and they were very friendly and helpful. The card is working great, and has all these cool 1/8 inch input jacks that I never had before on my old soundcard. Line in, Mic, front speakers, rear speakers... I don't do any gaming, I mostly got it for home audio recording, and as you can see from the actual hardware, it's been really helpful. Great product.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Quality sound card., great tech support.
Review: I have to say, the comment about tech support would ordinarily imply that something "happened" that required my calling them. Rest assured, it didn't. My archaic computer (Compaq PResario 5070) has its sound card built into the motherboard, and I was told by the store guys that since i couldn't pull it out I would need to go into the BIOS and reconfigure them and disable the original drivers and such in order for the Sound Blaster to work. Well, not knowing anything about my computers BIOS, I called tech support and they were very friendly and helpful. The card is working great, and has all these cool 1/8 inch input jacks that I never had before on my old soundcard. Line in, Mic, front speakers, rear speakers... I don't do any gaming, I mostly got it for home audio recording, and as you can see from the actual hardware, it's been really helpful. Great product.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very good card
Review: This is a very nice card, espically for games n' such, nice upgrade from my old SB16 card. And since it's from Creative you know it works. Overall a great card and I recomend it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: sound blaster pci 512
Review: This is the best card for your money the pci 512 is a real sound blaster not like what the guy said below there. I a beta and benchmark tester for games ive tested lots of games bottom line the 512 works real good with most and all most all games. I have tested games with diff sound gards sb live 5.1,pci 512,pci 128.between the sb live and pci 512 the is not much difference just in looks. so i highly reccomed this card but if you can put in just 10 buck get the sb live 5.1

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: sound blaster pci 512
Review: This is the best card for your money the pci 512 is a real sound blaster not like what the guy said below there. I a beta and benchmark tester for games ive tested lots of games bottom line the 512 works real good with most and all most all games. I have tested games with diff sound gards sb live 5.1,pci 512,pci 128.between the sb live and pci 512 the is not much difference just in looks. so i highly reccomed this card but if you can put in just 10 buck get the sb live 5.1


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