Creative Sound BlasterX G5

The most expensive "gaming" option that gets a solid recommendation here. The G5 offers enough features and output power to justify the price tag and while most purists will shy away from the bundled drivers and sound "enhancements" the virtual surround sound features, scout mode and especially the competent microphone input are a blessing for anyone who has been let down by a motherboard. This semi-portable soundcard is a great solution for all folks out there who have been let down by their motherboard once it was tasked with powering headphone and a ModMic. The G5 easily powers any gaming headset on the market and only higher end "audiophile" models will pose a serious thread.

When should you get this?

Now that you have a fancy gaming PC you realized that your on-board audio is poop and you need to improve it.

Technical Information:

Input Connections:

• Digital: Micro and 3.5mm Toslink
• Analog: 3.5mm TRS microphone input / 3.5mm line input

Output Connections:

• Headphone output: 3.5mm TRRS
• Line output: 3.5mm TRS
• Digital output: 3.5mm Toslink / USB Type A (Power Only)

Power Source: Battery

Output Power

• No technical information available. Suggested impedance range between 32-300 Ohm

Output Impedance: No info available. Impedance range suggests <5 Ohm

Note:

The internal SB-Axx1 sound processor enables you to use 7.1 virtual surround sound.