FYI - Asus A8N32SLI + Xonar = fail

**laggyNgroovy** · 05-20-08, 10:58 AM

Well..... Xonar is going back. BigDog had posted an open box deal and I figured why not. $75 from NewEgg where the normal price was $99.

It works, but the board is bent downwards at the end. It is too long and ends up torqued up under the heatpipes on the mobo. If it were about 3/4" shorter, it would be fine. Just not comfortable with the card being under constant tension AND direct contact with the heat pipes. I would imagine constant microvibrations from fans and what not would cause some abrasion issues for the heat pipe at some point.

Aaaaanyway.... I guess the lesson here is in some configurations, you'll need to know how much room you have to work with. I would have never guessed a heatpipe on the mobo being in the way.

**jason_jinx** · 05-20-08, 11:24 AM

thats open box for you.

My first build was a m2a-mvp am2 mobo that was open box.
Worked fine and still is......hell I am looking at the machine on and I can tell it envys the intel rig :2

Even if you went brand spankin new you could still have the chance of a DOA mobo.

My bro in law recently got a XFX board 680i. Worked fine then two days later crapped out.

**...bigdog...** · 05-20-08, 11:30 AM

can't you put it in another slot?

I actually moved the g-card on smokens to the "2nd" PCIex slot, and put the sound card above it in the first PCI slot.

If you have a mid tower, of full mid tower, .....it should easily fit. You saw it in mine.

If my X-fi continues to act stupid with Vista64, I'm getting rid of it's bitch ass and getting the Xonar.

**laggyNgroovy** · 05-20-08, 11:51 AM

when i get back to my office, i will download the PDF for my mobo and see about a 2nd slot. i never disconnected the pc and was working by flashlight under the desk. it could have been there, i just didnt notice it if it was.

**Gumby** · 05-20-08, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by ...bigdog...

If my X-fi continues to act stupid with Vista64, I'm getting rid of it's bitch ass and getting the Xonar.

It amazes and saddens me to see that Creative cannot be bothered to support their customers with decent drivers for their hardware. They act like they have no competition in that market. Unless something drastic changes, my next build will NOT include a creative sound card in it for the first time in probably twenty years.

**laggyNgroovy** · 05-20-08, 12:21 PM

Nope, just the single PCI-EX4 and two PCI-EX16 slots on the Asus A8N32SLI mobo.

**BigHub** · 05-20-08, 01:22 PM

I just bought this one:

ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard - 12.0" x 9.6"

Those ATX mobo's look like little lego pieces in my Thermaltake case. Thing is a beast. - 22.8" x 8.1" x 19.3" (D x W x H)

**Consultant** · 05-20-08, 03:28 PM

WOO! $180 for a soundcard! Things have changed since last I shopped for one! HOLY MOLY!

**...bigdog...** · 05-20-08, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Consultant

WOO! $180 for a soundcard! Things have changed since last I shopped for one! HOLY MOLY!

no, you can still buy shitty ones for $20 or $50. Nothing's changed.

As for not using creative anymore.....I made that declaration. This one is on it's last few chances.....but I'm not even building bigdog boxes with creative hardware. Asus Xonar is the new standard.