SB Live 5.1

I tried it in the second pci slot from the agp and it didn'T work, I then put it 2 slots further and it worked perfectly.
Does that mean that the slot in which it didn't work is no good or that that card doesn't work on it, whether it's because of my current config of cards ?

I have an AGP card, a network card in the 3rd pci slot, the sb live in the next one, and a modem in the fifth one (which happens to be the last one).

So slots 3, 4, 5 are used (or is it 1, 2, 3 ?), I can't use the one next to the card.

Creative didn't exactly follow PCI specs when it designed the Live! cards. While it typically shows up in Via-chipset based systems, they are known to have issues, like what you've described. The Live! series required 2 IRQs, one of which was for MS-DOS usage. That's been the bane of BSLive! users everywhere when it came to using it under Win2k. Sometimes motherboards can be picky about certain things. I'm not all that familiar with Soltek, so I cant' say if they've got any issues that span their motherboards. More than likely, it's the Live! showing off Creative's screw ups.

Great !
My friend gave it to me since he doesn'T really need it. So I thought I could cope with that instead of buying an Audigy. If it screws up too often though I'm gonna' buy it anyway.
In UT, the sound is really bad, even with the Creative patch. But it's always done that under XP, I don't know why. Even when I run it in Win 98 compatibility mode.
Whether I use the SB Live or the onboard sound the sound screws specifically in that game.

I'd play with the sound properties and EQ (as applicable) and see if you can get it to work better.

Whatever you do dont buy an Audigy.
Its not crap card! Its good IMO but not worth the money.
Its either a crap music card or a too good and overpriced game card. Its in soundcard limbo.
Dont be persuaded by the 96kbps either, its the bit rate you want not the sample rate.

When it comes to soundcards just get the 5.1 Digital SB or an equivalent, anything costing more just isnt worth the money.

There are soundcards everyone uses and soundcards music makers use, only spend more than £30 on a soundcard if you want all the sound banks, built in synths and GM, XG etc support.

Stick with that SB 5.1.

then that's what I'll do

I've got a Philips Dynamice Edge 4.1 sound card that I'll be reviewing shortly. It runs for $25, but that's about all I can tell you right now, mainly because I haven't gotten around to installing it yet.

In the meantime, something like the Hercules Fortissimo II is a good choice. IMO, I think this card sounds better than the Audigy, and was about half the cost when it came out.