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$50 Sound Cards Impress Versus Integrated Audio
crookedvulture writes "Most PCs have audio integrated right on the motherboard. There's much to be gained from upgrading to a discrete sound card, though. This look at a couple of sub-$50 sound cards from Asus explores what can be found at the budget end of the spectrum. In blind listening tests, both cards produced better sound than an integrated solution. They also offered superior signal quality, but neither had an impact on gaming performance. The days of hardware-accelerated game audio seem to be behind us, with developers handling positional audio processing in software."
Just an FYI - avoid Asus products if at all possible.
I have had no end of trouble with them with my most recent laptop. It took them four months to actually send it to me - between marking the specs incorrectly, parts being on backorder and it being shipped by 7-day UPS Ground, it was literally months before I had my hands on it.
And literally three hours before it broke, completely. Total system failure - either the CPU, or motherboard, was completely dead.
Their support is even more of a joke than their sales and shipping. I sent an email that night, receiving a message that I would get a response within 72 hours. It took them a full week to even *start* on their robotic "have you tried rebooting/resetting/etc" checklist - although I had by that time contacted them more directly.
It took five weeks for them to repair it. Yes, repair, despite the fact that I told them from day one (and on days two through twenty) that I would prefer a full replacement, which would be both faster and more reliable. After three weeks of no status updates (still "awaiting parts"), I began demanding a refund, as they obviously had enough stock to keep selling it to new customers. After a full month, I began threatening to take them to court.
And when I finally got it back? They fucked up AGAIN. I had, at their insistence, put everything back into the original packaging, from the warranty card to the power cable. I got it back in a poorly-fitting box with far too much bubble wrap, minus most of the paperwork and the detachable cord from the power supply (thankfully it's a standard PC power cable, as I *still* have not gotten that back).
Oh, and as if that isn't bad enough? Now the sound system is going out. The speakers sometimes cut out completely - sounds like a wiring issue.
I ordered it in May. I have, in total, had it in my possession for perhaps a month and a half. You do the math.
I used to be an Asus fanboy. My previous laptop was great - it was a good medium-end gaming laptop for the price of most company's low-end gaming laptops. The one time it needed servicing, they replied quickly and had it back to me within a week. Such was their specialty - good, but not the best, products, at reasonably low prices. Perhaps not the best-looking, and the experience was never "luxury" (drivers had Engrish problems, or odd issues), but the price was worth it. I recommended them whenever asked for laptop suggestions.
But now? After all this? I am not buying from them again. Ever. I'd get a fucking Alienware or Apple before I buy from Asus. I'm practically on a crusade against them at this point, considering how often I tell my story any chance I get.
Particularly sound devices. Their audio drivers, at least on their laptops, are terrible. Half the time it can't even get the "if headphones are plugged in, disable the speakers" part right, even sometimes cutting it back on well after the fact for no discernible reason, or randomly re-disabling any other sound outputs if an HDMI cable is plugged in.