Asus Xonar D2X is the world's first PCI-E interface high end audio card featuring SNR up to 118dB. Xonar D2 provides intuitive DS3D GX to solve Vista gaming audio issues, and Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) for best voice communication quality, the Xonar D2X will undoubtedly provide the best gaming experience ever. ASUS XONAR D2X -SOLUTION TO WINDOWS VISTA GAMING AUDIO PROBLEMS: With the introduction of Windows Vista, the whole audio architecture landscaped has been changed. This has resulted in teething problems for gamers - with the possibility of losing all surround sound or hardware accelerated Direct3D and EAX while gaming in the Windows Vista environment. To circumvent this problem, the ASUS Xonar family of audio cards utilizes an ASUS exclusive technology - the new DS3D GX extension in the Xonar D2X driver; to provide full support for surround sound and hardware accelerated features by translating DirectX to the DS3D GX. While other solutions like OpenAL requires special installation and game support, DS3D GX doesn't. Gamers can enjoy DirectX gaming with hardware enhanced surround sound and EAX effects automatically and immediately after installation. CLEANEST VOICE IN ONLINE OR LAN GAME CHATTING: The Xonar D2X also includes the innovative "Acoustics Echo Cancellation" (AEC) technology to facilitate the best online voice communication quality. AEC can eliminate up-to-40dB speaker echo return and suppress noises that would otherwise enter the users' microphone – making the Xonar D2X the best audio card choice for online chatting in VOIP applications (Skype, MSN, Google, QQ, etc.) or online gaming. UNPARALLELED SOUND CLARITY: The ASUS Xonar D2X also features a signal- to-noise ratio (SNR) of 118 dB for both audio in and out - reaching the maximum limit of audio quality on most PC platforms. Unlike generic audio cards in the market that provide the highest SNR to only the front stereo outputs, the Xonar D2X is able to deliver 118 dB quality audio for all 7.1 channels. DOLBY AND DTS FOR COMPLETE DIGITAL HOME EXPERIENCE: Besides delivering impressive audio quality, the Xonar D2X is also packed with multiple sound technologies from Dolby and DTS to deliver outstanding entertainment experiences.