sound problems with AC'97

[drworm2005]

I have recently installed win98 on my machine, The only reason
is so i can play ONE game that is
not supported by the windows NT file system. The installation was
ok but then when i got into windows i had a bit of trouble
installing the mobo drivers Eg, USB, RAID, SOUND etc etc etc. I
eventually got most of it to work but no luck with the sound, it
says windows has installed the drivers but when i go to control
panel-system-system properties and device manager i see a little
yellow question mark on the sound drivers, i've tried
installing alot of different drivers but none are any good, not
even the ones on my mobo disk that are meant to be supported by
win98. If i click on the properties for my sound in device manager
i get a error saying

" The NTKERN.VXD, MMDEVLDR.VXD device
loader(s) for this device could not load the device driver.
(code 2) To fix this, click
update driver to update the drivers."

I have tried alot of different drivers from the retro drivers to
the new vinyl drivers, NO LUCK.

If anyone can help me it would be much appreciated,

Drworm2005

 

[Crysalis]

don't use onboard

 

[drworm2005]

But i don't want to go out and buy a sound card just so i can play ONE GAME IN WIN 98 it works fine in Win XP.

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

Hello,

Okay...i'll work backwards here... . Secondly, there is nothing wrong with using onboard audio. Your AC'97 audio device should work correctly. If you're certain that their aren't any IRQ conflicts, then it is undoubtedly a driver issue. You probably haven't found the correct driver.

AC'97 is created by a company called Realtek. They provide drivers and audio mixers here: http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloads.aspx . See if you can located your AC'97 audio driver. You'll need to know what codec version you have.

And firstly, why would you need to hop back in time and install Windows 98, just to have a FAT file system (I presume) so you can play one game...!? You do understand that Windows 2000 and Windows XP support both FAT and NTFS files systems! What Operating System did you have, primarily...!? Is it right that I've assumed that you've jumped backwards to an older OS, or have you jumped forwards..?

...also what game is this...?

 

[Crysalis]

Re: Re:

Secondly, there is nothing wrong with using onboard audio. Your AC'97 audio device should work correctly.

Let me direct you here.

http://www.techist.com/showthread.php?threadid=47831

Read posts my EricB and myself. Onboard is horrible. We aren't salesmen... we are just trying to help people realize onboard isn't good! We aren't trying to be like the people that fight over AMD vs Intel. This is different... there is a noticeable difference between onboard and PCI. TRUST US.

 

[drworm2005]

After reading the thread i would like to agree with you, i have had no problems running win XP with onboard but if i did throw in a PCI card i would definetly get better.

Is there any possibility after putting a PCI card in and still running win 98 there would still be issues like i have been having?

Can anyone tell me a definite yes or no about using one with win 98?

I have looked at a pricelist from where i get my hardware from (they seem very cheap $50-$80 lower than most places.)

I found: Creative Live 24Bit $60AU
and Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS $167AU

Are these prices reasonable or would you suggest a different model.

Thanks for your help.

Drworm2005.


PS. I don't mind about the cost of the card as i was thinking about upgrading my PC in about 6-12 months.

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

Hello,

Yes ...I understand that onboard is poor, however if couples well if you are poor yourself...

...If you dont watch movies, play music or games however, and are just the casual office and messenger user, then I don't think there is anything threatening about onboard.

Also, I was more interested in delivering information related to the enquiry in question, rather than express my opinion primarily.

Plus, to hop over from neutral to defensive, there are some newer onboard audio devices which aren't too bad. My Onboard AC'97 ALC650 Nvidia MCP2 Audio Interface operates considerably well and provides sufficient qualit, without draining too much system resources.

 

[Crysalis]

If you are THAT poor that you can't afford a $20-$30 soundcard, then your computer probably isn't even worth upgrading anyway.

I agree that onboard is ok for average/novice users. I suggest that if you are doing ANYTHING more than word processing/email/surfing the web, then you should have a soundcard. Yes, some onboard "chips" are ok, but remember... its all the same thing... AC'97. Its all the same only with a feature changed features/firmwares. It all sounds the same... it just depends on your speaker setup.

Back to the question:

Those sound cards look good. I'm glad that you realized that they aren't that much. Most people flip when they hear that they need to buy a card because they think they are $200+ I have never seen a soundcard for normal PC use over $140 (US). The only one I know thats expensive for normal computing is the Audigy 4.

Using a soundcard is fine with windows 98... there have always been soundcards... its not something new that evolved with XP. Actually, soundcards were the only way to get sound... onboard came second.

Those soundcards are both good cards. I suggest the Audigy 2 ZS if your willing to spend the money. Take into consideration what you are using your computer for. If it is just a normal use computer with minimal gaming, then the Live! will be fine. If you like movies, intense gaming, etc etc, then the Audigy will fit you better.

It comes down to what you do with your computer. You found two good cards (i'm impressed! Good job!) and you are willing to spend the money (WOW!). Just decide which is best for you. The audigy is an awesome card, but the Live! isn't that far behind. Live! cards existed before Audigy so they are a little older, but they still give you similar quality. They are very comparable. Just think of future upgrades as well (5.1 sound). The Audigy would be better for 5.1. There are alot of things to consider here. Just decide which you want and which fits better.

You won't be dissappointed either way. It will be a world of change after onboard usage. Just remember to disable the onboard sound "chip" in your BIOS before you install the new card.

 

[Alvin.C]

Re:

ok ok...perhaps I'm not that poor, but would rather conserve the money for other uses...

 

[drworm2005]

I do play games, watch DVD's and a bit of video authoring. I was thinking of getting the Logitech Z-5500 DTHX when i get my upgrade but from what i knew i could use it with onbord. I think the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS sound like the better choice to get. When i get my upgrade i will post back sometime and show you some pics.

Thanks for your replies.

Drworm2005.