merkman 0 Posted October 27, 1999 Well... after experimenting with ripping DVD's, I've managed to corrupt my Windows 98 O/S, and I'm going to have to format my hard drive and start over. Don't ask me how I did it, but suddenly I can't go into My Computer or Windows Explorer without a blue screen of death that locks my PC tighter than an Everlast chastity belt without a key. Anyway... I've backed up my e-mail, install disks, documents, etc. to my second hard drive. Now I'm going to replace my Xitel Storm Platnium with a new card I'll get on the way home. The question is... what to get? I'd like something with an optical digital out, so I could output sound to my stereo as I do now. However, I realize the Xitel Vortex 2 card is one of the only optical out sound cards out there. "Why replace it then?" you may ask. "Aren't Vortex 2 sound cards supported in Windows 2000?" The answer is sometimes right now. I've got a ABit BP6 motherboard with two socket 370 Celeron 366MHz processors, and appearently the current Vortex 2 drivers for 2000 aren't multi-processor compatible. So, I'm in the lerch. I realize the Live is probably my next best bet... but I don't really want the regular Live, and I understand the new ones are having problems in 2000. Does anyone have the Gamer-X, and have you got it running? Well... I better get some work done. However, thanks to those who have helped me understand my vortex 2 troubles, and maybe I can get some suggestions here that will really solve my problem. Thanks, Glenn Merkel Share this post Link to post
merkman 0 Posted October 27, 1999 I'll answer my own post with an update on what I'm gonna do. I found that a local shop sells the SB Live Value's for $52. This would give me the basics for input and output, but no digital connections. I then went to Hoontech's homepage, as I remembered them creating SB Live add-on's. Sure enough, they have developed several, and for now I ordered their first solution. It's a set of digital outputs (SP/DIF and optical) that connect to the header on a Live or Live Value, and will allow me to output the way I do with my Xitel (Vortex 2) sound card today. This add-on was only $12, and so for about $65 or so (tax and such) I should have a solution that will work with Dual CPU's in Windows 2000, provide me with digital outputs, and if I decide to upgrade further in the future, Hoontech has more advanced options with digital inputs and outputs, MIDI connections, etc. Or the Live Drive may be available seperately by then. Now, if I could just remember how to fdisk my NT partition, so I can redo my entire C drive... both the FAT32 and NT stuff. =) If someone doesn't mind reminding me with a quick e-mail I'd appreciate it. Thanks! Glenn Merkel Share this post Link to post
Seldzar 0 Posted October 27, 1999 Now the question really becomes are those digital outputs with the addon part gonna work? Remember the drivers are WDM, Windows Data Model. In other words very basic. I would be very surprised if you can get those to work. But hats off to ya if ya do.! Share this post Link to post
merkman 0 Posted October 28, 1999 Yeah... I thought of that. But I'm assuming they will work in 98, even if they don't in 2000... and since I'm not likely to get all my games running in 2000, this setup will work for now. Currently, I'm just trying to stay logged on to Freei long enough to get IE 5.0 and all the other 98 updates running. Then I'll reinstall Windows 2000 RC2... and then maybe worry about 2151. We'll see. =) Glenn Merkel Share this post Link to post
