Audigy 2 - retail or oem?

[FlyingHamster]

With some christmas money that I got, Im thinking about getting an Audigy 2 ZS sound card. My only problem, is that Im having trouble deciding whether to get the oem version or retail.

The retail is $89 at newegg and oem is $74. The retail comes with Tomb Raider and Raven Shield, and also has the gold connectors, whereas the oem doesnt. Do those gold connectors make a difference? Also note that the oem isnt the ZS version. What do u think?

Let me know, thanks.

[ArcticFox]

Since the price isn't that much more for the Audigy2 ZS, get that one. The cards you mention are two different things, one is the plain Audigy2 and the other is the Audigy2 ZS, with a higher signal-to-noise level for cleaner sound, and a couple other things I forgot already. So yeah, get it and don't look back!

[FlyingHamster]

lol ok. thnx.

Do you want Tomb Raider and Raven shield? If not, just get the OEM. You won't notice the difference between the signal to noise ratios of the cards, and the gold connectors do help connectivity, but it isn't anything you'll notice. And hey, that's $15. That's three meals!

[woodbutcher]

Go for the Gold.
There is more then signal to noise ratio differences between the cards.
2 has support for 6.1, 2 ZS has support for 7.1.
There are many other differences, IMO the ZS is the way to go (sorry Quadra-ped one)

WB

[pinipig523]

go for the retail version. the oem version usually has driver issues that you may want to avoid. the retail version ensures that when you get it, you get the driver cd and know for full fact (barring any cross-component issues) that the card should and will work. too many times have people complained about their inability to get an oem card to work due to driver related problems.
dont try to save the extra cash and just go for the retail version - you wont regret it.

[ArcticFox]

Originally posted by pinipig523
go for the retail version. the oem version usually has driver issues that you may want to avoid. the retail version ensures that when you get it, you get the driver cd and know for full fact (barring any cross-component issues) that the card should and will work. too many times have people complained about their inability to get an oem card to work due to driver related problems.
dont try to save the extra cash and just go for the retail version - you wont regret it.

Dude, he's talking about 2 different cards if you didn't know that.

[troublesome '03]

i got an audigy 2 oem......just having serious driver problems....and can't fix them...only the eax advanced HD driver installs and not any other creative applications. it says that the required hardware components can't be found. Even though i get nice clean 5.1 sound, it still says taht the requred sound card cannot be detected...WHTS UP WITH THAT?? i'm worried that i bought the wrong card.....I know its an Audigy 2 OEM with the colored connectors....and i have tried 2 different computers....same error....3 different Operating Systems...same error...i'm so mad, can anyone help or duz ne1 have a solution to this or understands why it gives this error.....trust me i've tried everything. BTW, i got Z-680s damn they're awesome!!!

[pinipig523]

Originally posted by ArcticFox


Dude, he's talking about 2 different cards if you didn't know that.

isnt he asking about retail (zs) or oem (non-zs)? so i told him get the retail version because any and all oem have driver problems.

[ArcticFox]

Interesting - I'll make sure to never buy an OEM SB card, which I was planning on doing.