This is from a reply sent by the owner of www.vortexofsound.com forum, originally from former Vortex computer engineers.

"For audio cards that use A3D audio chip there appears to be an incompatibility that causes the KX133 system to deadlock when system traffic is heavy. The reason for this is that the A3D chip issues one memory read request cycle to the North Bridge and expects a grant within 4 mico-sec of latency time. If PCI TRDY# is not asserted after 4 mico-sec, the A3D hardware will de-assert the FRAME# and REQ# to terminate the operation. However, the A3D audio software driver cannot acknowledge the termination and continues waiting for hardware response. Hence the system hangs. This issue will only occur during heavy system traffic when the North Bridge cannot grant access to A3D audio chip within the 4 mico-sec latency time. There is no known work-around for this issue, and the principal advice is not to use A3D-based sound cards with the ABIT KA7 or other KX133 based motherboards. Source: VIA Application note Serial #AN137 Date 07/05/00. "

This also applies to the KT133 chipset as well, non-operating system specific (any windows platform), non-motherboard specific (As long as KT133 or KX133 chipsets are used), and basically means that if you got any A3D soundcard, while you may have a CHANCE of making it work, will most likely be in your trash the next morning.

Hope that helped a couple poeple out there.

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- ImageZ

(Guns don't kill people, WINDOWS kills people.)