Again, this forum is to promote the truth about hardware. I once read a post where someone was saying if you get a X-fi sound card you can't use your cases front jacks for mic/ear and stuff and were forced to use the cards back panel ports ( which would prove a problem if you had speakers hooked up to it already ). I had a brief period of time with my last pre-built computer ( returned it ) where the front port ear and mic jacks didn't work and I didn't have much time to check out the soundcard. Anyways with my current system,( I have a X-fi xtreme gamer sound card ) and the front port ear and mic jacks indeed do work. All you gotta do is plug it into the X-fi card, so I don't know what was the whole controversy with soundblaster cheating out customers.