Windows 7 WHQL sound card?

[[F2C]MaDMaXX]

As i'm having issues with my Audigy 2 ZS under win7 64, i'm looking to buy a new card that's win 7 WHQL certified (so i can make sure i don't get the same issue under win7 64)

Is there any easy way of checking which are?

Or does anyone know/recommend any that are?

Thanks.

 

[Sycraft]

Ya.... Soundcard makers are not very good at getting their drivers signed. They claim it is because it is an "unnecessary expense" (MS does charge for validation). I claim it is because their drivers are "Buggy pieces of crap."

I haven't found any add in cards that are WHQL certified, though I haven't looked that much. The IDT chips on Intel motherboards are, but that is all I know of at this point.

What you can look for is anything that conforms to Microsoft's Universal Audio Architecture. If you find such a card (the IDT integrated chips would be an example) installing drivers is actually optional as Windows can support basic features of the hardware directly.

 

[[F2C]MaDMaXX]

Thanks for that, and yeah, i've come to much the same conclusions.

It would seem that the issues can be worked round by using a usb mic, as that doesn't use the soundcard, but the CPU instead.

Kinda sucks and defeats the purpose of using a s/card in the first place (i want to move sound away from the cpu)

I've ordered a USB desk mic and will see how it fairs, at least it's not moving all the sound onto the cpu.