24-bit Sound Cards

Editors' Take: Creative's new Sound Blaster X-Fi cards impress with their audio quality and feature sets, but they don't come cheap.

Specs: PCI, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, 7.1 channel surround, PCI

Editors' Take: Creative's new Sound Blaster X-Fi cards impress with their audio quality and feature sets, but they don't come cheap.

Specs: PCI, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, 7.1 channel surround, PCI

Editors' Take: Creative's new Sound Blaster X-Fi cards impress with their audio quality and feature sets, but they don't come cheap.

Specs: PCI, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, 7.1 channel surround, PCI

The Bottom Line: Creative's new X-Fi processor makes the X-Fi Elite Pro the most advanced and priciest Sound Blaster ever.

Specs: PCI, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, 7.1 channel surround, PCI

The Bottom Line: Creative's Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro is the must-have sound card for hard-core gamers, PC-theater aficionados, and audiophiles.

Specs: PCI, Microsoft Windows XP SP1, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP2, 7.1 channel surround, PCI

The Bottom Line: If you don't mind sacrificing a few convenient features for truly portable design, Creative's Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook turns your laptop into a bona fide sound system.

Specs: PC Card, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, 7.1 channel surround, PC Card

The Bottom Line: The spare Turtle Beach Catalina sound card provides inexpensive 7.1-channel audio, but the lack of a discrete digital signal processor could hamper gameplay.

Specs: PCI, Microsoft Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP, 7.1 channel surround, PCI

The Bottom Line: The Creative Sound Blaster Audigy LS offers enough features to please casual and midrange gamers and media enthusiasts at an extremely low price.

Specs: PCI, Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition / Windows ME, 5.1 channel surround, PCI

The Bottom Line: The Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro is Creative's most capable audio-output device to date, perfect for the PC audio enthusiast not yet ready to commit to professional-level audio gear.

Specs: PCI, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP2, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition / Windows ME, 7.1 channel surround, PCI

The Bottom Line: The Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum is a great card for the demanding gamer or media enthusiast.

Specs: PCI, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP2, Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition / Windows ME, 7.1 channel surround, PCI