$1500 Gaming Rig, Opinions welcome - Page 2

I am not an audiophile at all, but I still noticed a big difference when upgraded from the Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS to the XtremeGamer (the one that looks like a low-profile card).  The Audigy 2 ZS was a pretty good sound card in its day and I thought that it had a very good sound, but I had a very pleasant surprise when I upgraded to the XtremeGamer.

The upgrade reminded me a little of what it's like to get much better speakers even though I didn't upgrade them at all.  The low end is deeper and significantly better (not louder, but better), and the mids and highs are much clearer.  The low end with the Audigy 2 ZS was boomy, but the XtremeGamer's low end is deep and it's wonderfully thunderous.  That is, the deep low end frequencies I can get remind me of the deep low end frequencies of thunder, and it reminds me of the quality of that low end.  It's very satisfying and leaves nothing to be desired (for me, at least).

Now, I'd like to be corrected if I'm wrong here, but isn't the Xonar DG pretty much on par with the XtremeGamer?  Is it even a little better than it?

All I'm saying is, I think that you don't have to be an audiophile in the least bit to notice a difference.  You just have to be the kind of person who hears those differences.  Some people don't, and that's ok, but I did and I'm very grateful for that difference.  It's like how there are people out there who can't tell the difference between a 128k MP3 and FLAC or better.

So I say that you don't have to be an audiophile to appreciate and prefer a high audio quality.  I mean, I think I'm just your average Joe when it comes to this stuff.  Therefore, if you appreciate and prefer high audio quality, then avoid onboard audio and get a sound card that's at least halfway decent.  It looks to me like the experts are saying that it begins with the Xonar DG.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MODISK 

Bigger power supply? (750w)

The 620W SeaSonic M12II is way more than enough for this build - even after adding a 2nd 660 Ti.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alcal 


I suspect your original sound card actually WORSENED the sound coming from your machine. It probably had awkward equalizer presets and produced muddled sound.

No, the sound was nice and clear and the low end was acceptably decent even though I now realize that it was boomy.  Like I said, I thought it produced a very good sound.  Yes, I had to adjust the graphic EQ in order to achieve this good sound, but it still produced that boomy low end.  My subwoofer would even distort because I was increasing the low end in order to compensate because the low end that this sound card produced left a lot to be desired.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alcal 


Did you ever compare your XtremeGamer to standard onboard audio? I suspect that the difference won't be as big as you think, and if it is, you can probably reproduce the effects of the sound card very easily with some well placed equalizer sliders.

Actually yes I did, and I had to have the 2k through 16k all the way up just to get a relatively similar clarity (it could have been just 4k 8k and 16k, but still - that's pretty extreme).  The low end was also inferior in my opinion.

I just wanted to see what I'd be dealing with if my XtremeGamer suddenly died, but I didn't like it.  Although, it would be good enough to get me through to a new sound card.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alcal 

Again, unless it is to run external hardware (surround sound/high resistance headphones) a sound card does very little to improve the listening experience.

Why are you saying this after I just got done explaining that it makes quite a noticeable difference for me?  Are you saying that I'm wrong?  Do you feel that my experience is rare?

Also, I just have a decent 2.1 system.  I don't use headphones, so...

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue.chord2 

5) Seasonic X750 Gold http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151087 for 100 dollars right now, 10 bucks more, and a lot better than the one you listed, also much more future proof. No reason to skimp on the PSU/ Monitor in a build.

Buying the 620W SeaSonic M12II is not skimping on the PSU in any sense of the word.  It is more than good enough for heavy overclocking and heavy gaming.

Quote:

Originally Posted by As1anSwagger 

First of all, I'm surprised at the amount of feedback I received from you guys, its greatly appreciated and helps me to make a more informed decision on what I will be building on this PC.
Back on topic, I think I will stay with the SeaSonic M12II 620W Power Supply. Even if I were to get a second gpu, I think it will suffice.
With the CPU cooler, I'm debating on whether get the Corsair H100i or H60 v2. I originally was going to go with the H60 but then someone informed me about the newly released H80i and H100i. I will continue to look into this until I make a decision.
In regard to SSDs, I will probably switch the Mushkin for the Samsung 830. Other SSDs I've considered were these HERE.
I took a quick comparison between the Seagate Barracuda and Western Digital Blue and both seem to have identical specs and prices. Both come from well known companies with reliable products so I would like more information so I may choose one or the other.
The reason why I wanted to get a sound card in the first place was so I could get a better audio experience than the integrated sound card. I switch back and forth between lower-end earphones and a standard Logitech 2.1 speaker system so I'm no audiophile by any means. After reading through what you guys have said I still have mixed feelings on whether or not getting this sound card will be worth it or not.
As of now I think I will stick with my current cpu, gpu, and motherboard choices.
I live in Springfield IL, USA and it doesn't appear that there are any nearby microcenters.
Thanks for all the suggestions and anymore will be appreciated

For the HDD check this out: http://www.overclock.net/t/1297633/wd10ezex-review-wd-blue-1tb-single-platter-drive