Internal Connectors:
CD in (MPC3), aux in (MPC3), TAD in (MPC3), wavetable header.

Bus Architecture:
32-Bit PCI 2.1 local bus. Plug and Play compliant.

System Requirements:
Pentium 90 PC with a minimum of 16MB RAM, running Windows 95/98/NT 4.0, with headphones or powered speakers.

Perhaps the most important feature of the SonicVortex2 is that it is powered by the Aureal Vortex2 chipset. With a CD packed full of demos to show off all of the great features of the Vortex2, it won't be long until you are a believer. From reflections to occlusions, the Vortex2 chipset will make any card a winner, and the SonicVortex2 will certainly stake a claim in the sound card market.

While supporting 76 DirectSound streams in hardware, the Vortex2 chipset can allow simultaneous playback of sound from separate sources. This means having Windows sounds occur while playing games or listening to CDs - certainly something we had all lived without in the early days of Windows.

The only real difference between the SonicVortex2 and any of its competitors is its S/P-DIF optical sound output line. While this may not seem like a big deal now, it will certainly make minidisc recording a snap. The soundcard can even be hooked up to a home stereo system, making for some exceptionally clear sound. While most of its competitors will have you buy pricey add-on cards for digital outputs, VideoLogic has taken a step we'd like to see more OEM's take. While they could have made a more complex daughtercard with more outputs and inputs, they opted for a solution that, while costing nothing extra to the consumer, delivers probably the most important interconnect that a daughtercard would have.

The SonicVortex2 doesn't come with much of a bundle, but it does come with enough to get you started. With a host of MP3 compression and playback software along with tons of game demos, the CD will get you well on your way to enjoying your new sound card. But perhaps the most interesting thing on the CD are the Aureal demos. At Sharky Extreme, of course, we have seen these demos time and time again, but to the first time listener, you will really get to hear what the Aureal Vortex2 chipset is capable of - something every bundle for every piece of hardware should attempt to accomplish.