new gameport: what to buy?

On my current machine, I have a T2 plugged into the gameport of an old SB16. This was quite ok for ICR2, but I feel I need all the help I can get when GPL arrives here. In calibration, it seems as if the wheel is a bit too nervous around the center. I heard that digital gameports will help reducing CPU workload as well as eliminate random spikes. I don't have the money to buy that fabulous digital gamecard I read about here (don't remember the name, though), but since it's about time to upgrade my soundcard anyway, I thought I might get one with a digital gameport. What card would you suggest? -- Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome.

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>On my current machine, I have a T2 plugged into the gameport of an old >SB16. This was quite ok for ICR2, but I feel I need all the help I can >get when GPL arrives here. In calibration, it seems as if the wheel is >a bit too nervous around the center. >I heard that digital gameports will help reducing CPU workload as well >as eliminate random spikes. I don't have the money to buy that >fabulous digital gamecard I read about here (don't remember the name, >though), but since it's about time to upgrade my soundcard anyway, I >thought I might get one with a digital gameport. What card would you >suggest? >--

I've had good success with the gameport on my Turtle Beach Montego A3DXstream, and it sounds pretty good to me also. While it won't do anything for GPL, the Aureal 3D sound in games that use it is pretty amazing. It does work better with a faster system (mainly the 3D effects), so might not be the trick for a P200 or less, works real well on my P2-400, but you'd still probably see faster framerates than with the SB 16, and better joystick response. I've seen in some reviews that the Montego gameport acheives about 66% of the acceleration that the PDPI gameport does, and of course helps your sound too :-) If you can wait a while, there are a number of newer soundcards coming out soon. My built-in on the motherboard Ensoniq Audio PCI started getting weird on joystick response, and then weird with sound, so I had to have a new card, and couldn't wait. This card was $100, a very similar card can be had for $60 or less (Xitel Storm VX and Aztech 338 PCI use the same Vortex chipset, as do some others) - and I'd imagine if you wait awhile, they'll be even cheaper. A newer Vortex 2 chipset is coming soon, and will be in cards such as the Diamond MX300 and TB Montego 2, and should work better on slower systems. Another card out now is the Soundblaster Live, which can be had for $100 for the Value edition, and has had many good reviews. The gameport ISN'T accelerated like on the Vortex cards, but has been reported to work well. The thing here is game support, right now the Vortex and A3D have more support, but the SB Live and it's EAX may get more in the future. You might want to wait a bit, see how this sorts out, and for prices to settle a bit. But I'd say a MX300 or a Live Value for $100 would be a good purchase. Ken