I'm not happy with my current sound set up in games. My logitech G35 decided to not play nice, so I sent it to the spare parts place. I got a Steel Series Siberia headset  and updated realtek audio drivers on my Asus M5A99FX PRO R2.0 mainboard to use onboard sound again. It is real clean but lacking in the bottom end of sound, and the worse part is I have no surround sound at all now. So lets begin, I'm thinking about getting the SB Z Pcie card. Anyone use this? What about an ASUS  card? I use this primarily for gaming. Hearing footsteps and or gunfire in the right direction is extremely important. Don't think I'll be messing around with them headphones with built in software to make it sound surround. Done had a creative labs set and a logitech set like that, I remember a old sound card back when win xp came out that was great on cod with standard headphones. Any Ideas?

My friend has just got that card and he is really happy with it, if you haven't check out the creative website and check out the details and features etc. but from what i have read it is not usually worth it here's article about it

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/sound-cards-do-they-really-enhance-pc-gaming/  

hope this helps

After getting a second   video card,  i was forced to remove my Asus sound  card to make room,  and went back to using my Realtek audio.  I'd say it's VERY close to the fidelity of the Asus,  and I'm still satisfied with it. I use 5.1 speakers and headphones; movies are good,  and most crucial,  game audio localization is excellent.  Built in motherboard  audio had come a looong way recently.

Unless you have interest in audio work,  the onboard audio is just fine. Or if you connect to a high quality home theatre.

As always,  i greatly support true surround headphones.  Simulated surround  is definitely better than plain old stereo,  but nothing beats true surround with separate drivers (speakers/channels).

Three appears  to be common issues with those Steel Series lacking the low end.  Steel had claimed to have addressed this on a revised "V2" model.  Is this the one you have?  Most Realtek software has an EQ,  which can help.  There are also third party  programs that can do it for you.

Yea, I picked them up on clearance sale for $80. Not USB so has no surround unless realtek on mainboard supplies it, which it doesn't. I can hand'em over to wife and get another set. But was thinking I'd be better off with a better soundcard instead for the long haul. Seems like I've been getting a new set every other year with a mouse on the opposite year.

And while were talking. You think a SSD for games, not op system. would improve perfomance overall or just the wait time of map loading only. Cause I run 2 wd Raptors now, 1 for op system and 1 for games.

Well the new SB Z is a lot better than my mainboard sound. Gonna found out how much better in game. Makes headphones sound like a completely new set.
Party On.

A little late,  but most any Realtk onboard from last decade should have surround support  through analogue 3.5mm and toslink (optical).