Question 1

Does this card have a front panel connector?

Accepted Answer

Hi Brad,

This card does indeed have a front panel header connector.
It's hidden below the burgundy metal cover; upper right corner.

Bryan

Question 2

Noob Question. But Would I Be Able to Plug in a microphone , Headphones and Speakers to this?

Accepted Answer

Microphones yes, headphones and 2.1 speakers use the same port, so that is not an option unfortunately.  This sound card does accept the hd audio headers from the front of the computer case, so you can plug speakers into the card itself and the headphones into the front and use your OS to switch output.
Tl;dr: yes

Question 3

Is this card compatible with windows 8.1?

Accepted Answer

James,

Yes I believe it is likely compatible with Windows 8.1.  I run Windows 7 Pro, so I can not guarantee this, but it seems silly that it would not be.  You can also send and e-mail to Creative and as specifically.

Question 4

does it come with the mic in picture below item while in overview?

Accepted Answer

YES: Mine did come with the mic in the picture when I purchased it over a year ago. 
it pics up every sound around you in the background. I wouldn't use it for voice communication, but if you want to pick up everything it works great.

Question 5

does this card require power from  the PSU or is it powered by the motherboard?

Accepted Answer

Hello
This card draws power from the motherboard. No PSU hookup required.

Question 6

I have a Bose companion 3 series II  (2.1) sound set up, 2 satellites and a bad*** sub. I have the onboard realtek sound.. the bose sound is incredible by itself, will i notice a difference with this card?

Accepted Answer

I would say yes.  It also depends on which onboard realtek you have.  I went from the realtek 898 to this card with an old set of Logitech Z2300's and the sound difference was quite noticeable.  The low end crossover is very pronounced now, and has really brought more to my sub.

The stock settings weren't well at all.  It required about 30 minutes to adjust for both the speakers and then another setup for headphones (which have dedicated ports on the card).  I'm not attached to any receiver to use the DTS encoding, so no idea how that works.

I got this card on a flash sale and feel it was worth every penny.  I'm unsure if I would buy it at full price, but any dedicated sound card is going to sound better than onboard.

Question 7

I understand that the card works great for headphones, as the reviews say, but will it also make speakers sound better?

Accepted Answer

When I bought the sound card, I didn't know that it wouldn't work with my motherboard.  I have not had the opportunity to use this card, but I have loaned it to a friend of mine who needed a new sound card for his high-powered system.  He's told me that he has noticed a major difference in the games he plays on his computer especially the first-person shooters.  Having not watched him play one of his games, I don't know how well his system works with this sound card.

Question 8

PCI Express (x1, x4 or x16) Interface. Does this mean it will fit in my pci x16 slot (the one unused by my video card, since I am not SLI'ing)?

Accepted Answer

yes, my motherboard had a bad1x  pci express slot, i stuck the soundblaster into the 4x video slot since im not uskng a crossfire setup and it worked perfectly

Question 9

Which one is new? Sound Blaster Z or ASUS Xonar DX?

Which one is better? Sound Blaster Z or ASUS Xonar DX?

Is this worth investing Sound Card for less CPU usage as well as producing high clarity sound quality?

Will Sound Blaster Z support Windows 8.1 64-bit?

Specs:
i7 3770k
MSI GD65 Z77A Motherboard
Onboard sound: Realtek ALC898
Logitech Z313 2.1 Speaker

Accepted Answer

I own 2 Sound Blaster Z cards: one for my gaming system and one for my media computer for my 5.1 surround in our family room.  I don't think you will notice any difference in CPU usage, but the sound quality of music and games will go up a notch.  Drums suddenly come alive and you can here all of the highs of the cymbals and guitar rhythms and vocals.  I have a Logitech  Z-5500 5.1 system for gaming and watching movies in my office so I don't know if you would receive the same benefit with your speaker set up.  Your motherboard has an optical out port which mine didn't which is one reason I got the board.  The optical out port is best for listening to music and watching movies.  You will not get surround sound for games with that port.  You have to switch to the analog ports on the sound card for 5.1 surround sound with games, though I see you are not using it for that purpose. (surround sound) 
To sum up, my 5.1 analog and optical speaker setup sounds better than my motherboards Realtek onboard sound. I took out the board several times to see if there was any real difference and each time I did I could tell the difference immediately.  If you want to try it, purchase it through Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart because they have no hassle return policies.  I purchased mine through Newegg because I got a better price when it was on sale.  I don't know how good Newegg's return policy is compared to the ones I mentioned.

Question 10

WHAT IS THE DISADVANTAGES OF THIS?

Accepted Answer

I've found none.  I use a Sennheiser  PC 350 headphones with microphone.  I like the over ear design as I wear hearing aids.  I've had no problems.   It is a great sound card.  If you decide to buy this card I don't think you'll regret it.  Hopefully I've eased your mind.

Questions & Answers