• If you restart in Safe mode, does everything boot fine, or does the monitor still go into standby?
• Does the moniotr give you any error messages, such as, "No Source Detected?"
• What model is your monitor? Do you have the resolution set to its native display?
• Do you have another monitor you might use to test to determine whether it's the video card (or one you might borrow)?

I've experienced similar issues with my Acer monitor, and unplugging it, then plugging it back in after 10 seconds works every time. Still, the aforementioned might help you resolve your issue, or at least pinpoint the cause of the problem.

Boz

I love new IPs as much as the next person, but there is nothing wrong with sequels. It does become when you make the same game about 5 times (Looking at you Call of Duty). To be honest for me I would say either 2002, 03, or 04 were the best years to me (I just can't remember which year got a bunch of awesome games, but it was one of those years). Also a disc check is drm, so yes there was drm in the 90s. It just didn't suck a** like it does now. As for the OPs list. I wouldn't be all that surprised to see Diablo 3 and Old Republic not make it this year. Agent_Kaliaver

Further, I never had disc check with Unreal Tournament, American McGee's Alice, Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake, and dozens more. That said, I admit many had those little booklets like the special codes for X-Wing, the beakers for Day of the Tentacle, and the picture book for Alone in the Dark. Still, those weren't hallmarked by invasive software, didn't require internet access, and didn't cap your number of installations; certainly nothing approaching SecuROM or the heavy-handedness of Bioshock's DRM.

Boz

X-Com: UFO Defense

Who agress with me? This year seems to be awesome for gaming!

heroes 6, mw3, bf3, diablo 3, dungeon siege 3, skyrm, gw2, old republic, witcher 2, portal 2, and many more. Do you think 2011 is going to turn out as the best year of gaming yet?

ggnoree

Every single title listed in the OP is a sequel. Not one original idea. In general, the 90's were the best for PC gamers:

• No DRM
• Sierra, Westwood Studios, Apogee, Lucasarts, Polygram, Bullfrog, Lionhead, etc.
• Shareware!
• Lucas: X-Wing, Tie Fighter, Full Throttle, Day of the Tentacle
• Sierra: Police Quest, King's Quest, Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry
• Commander Keen, Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake
• Populous, Dungeon Keeper, Black & White
• Lemmings, SimCity
• Command and Conquer, C&C Red Alert
• Alone in the Dark
• X-Com: UFO Defense
• Electronics Boutique and Software Etc.

Some of this is colored by nostalgia, but nothing this year has me all that excited, since it's either a sequel or tainted by DRM in one form or another, be it SecuROM or Steam. It's certainly a far cry from the 90's.

Boz

Is your monitor shutting off or going into standby mode?

• If it is going into standby mode you may be trying to display an image outside its range, and need to start in safe mode to adjust the resolution and refresh rate.
• If it is completely shutting off or not powering on this issue is unrelated to the new video card; it's just a coincidence. Try making sure you have no loose connections, unplug the monitor's AC, count to 10 (to discharge any residual capacitance), and plug it back in.

Good luck,

Boz

Consider that at the price you would be hard-pressed to find anything, let alone anything decent. Just looking at the comments in the link you provided it seems the mic is breaking frequently. You're not getting much of a value if you're going to replace them in a couple months.

As close as I can get to your budget, consider the Koss UR-20, which is an absolute entry-level headphone, but a decent one, and pair it with a Zalman Zm-Mic1.

Good luck, whatever you decide,

Boz

Ok, well ive got the AKG k702s now and i have to say they sound quite amazing without an amp even, i cant wait to see what they sound like when i get the xonar stx.

edinsftw

Hey there, edinsftw, I did a bit of digging for you just because I've been educating myself in the headphone arena in general. I'm going to say that you should be fine with the headphone amp built into the card:

The high Impedance (Z) headphone amplifier used on this card is the Texas Instruments

TI6120A2 which provides better then 120dB dynamic range, a SNR of 120dB and a fast Slew Rate of 1300 V/µS add the fact that this amplifier circuit is swinging from -12 V to +12 volts and we have a serious high fidelity power source for demanding headphones.

The THD+n graph from the specification sheets show impressive results and this amplifier chip has very low distortion within the audio bandwidth. (Guru3D

• TI6120A2 spec sheets from Texas Instruments: TI6120A2 (PDF)
• Asus Xonar STX Manufacturer Page

Looking at the circuit design of the board, the caps that it's using, the EMI/RFI shield; I'd be more worried about a secondary amp introducing noise into the system. To summarize: It's a damn nice card built specifically for audiophile headphones. The k702s are rated at 62 ohms with a max of 200mW, which might mean about 100mW RMS (AKG does not specify). Regardless, the card is putting out a very clean signal with 80 mW at 600 ohms, which means it will put out even more power with the k702s rated at 60 ohms. Clean signal, lots of power, happy listener.

I would suggest reading the Guru3D review in detail; it has some tips about settings in the Asus software you might find useful, including gain settings (Normal, to match the 60 Ohm gain of you AKGs). Also, if you have a dedicated MOLEX, be sure to use it (avoid piggybacking).

If I ever upgrade my headphones I'll have to put some serious thought into getting this card.

Boz

You didn't specify a budget, so I'll go over a few of your options.

One: You should consider a Klipsch sub first. You should be able to find a sub that matches your set (meaning it uses a similar driver), so it will match the timbre of your system more accurately (though Timbre matters less for subwoofers, it is still a consideration). If you visit the aforementioned link and know your speaker set's model number you can click "Live Person" and ask them which subs will match your existing set.

Two: The Dayton Audio SUB-80 is an entry-level sub, and the best value for the money (~$100). It will not cover the entire audible low-frequency spectrum (human beings can hear notes as low as 20Hz, and feel notes lower), but you can't beat the price. To get below 28Hz you typically need a 12" sub and a pretty big box. The SUB-120 gets down to 25Hz, gives you a bit more power and a larger sub at $160, though the a better value would be the BIC Formula F-12 at $215.

Three: Personally I built my sub using a Cerwin Vega subwoofer driver and custom designed a cabinet with an amp from Parts Express, and I've never been happier, but this depends on your desire to do it yourself versus just buying a pre-assembled sub.

Good luck whatever you do!

Boz

I have and use the HD 202s as my primary headphones for gaming. I think they're great; the sound is, quite frankly, the best you'll get for the price. The drawback is that they can fit a bit tight if you have a gigantic head like I do, and you might or might not like the cord placement (a wire from both sides that connects below your chin). They also do not fold up. All this considered I'd still recommend them if you're just using them at your desk.

I don't have any recommended alternatives for a large, over-the-ear phone. However, if you're looking for earbuds you can try the Denon AH-C360 (~$40) or Sony MDR-EX57LP (~$27), or for an on-ear the Sony MDR-Q68LW (~$22).

Good luck,

Boz

@NVIDIATI and/or ChubbyGuy: Is there any reason not to use something like the Headphone DAC from Parts Express (right)? It should work with just about any digital out from the on-board card, right? I know it's probably not audiophile, necessarily, but would it drive a decent set of cans? Or would you be just as well off getting a dedicated card at the price (I know the entry-level Xonar is sub-$50). It looks like it puts out some decent power at 60 mW into 16 ohms, but the k702s are rated at 62 ohms with a max of 200mW (at that resistence the DAC isn't going to be putting out much power), so maybe it's just too little power for the big guys?

I know little about headphone amps; I come from a car audio background originally, so it's tough gauging power for headphones when you're used to everything at 2, 4, or 8 ohms and 100 to 1000Watts RMS. :P

Happy gaming,

Boz

Alright, who's using video game ringtones for your cell and which ones are you using?

I've found 8-bit video game midi files translate well to phone, and use the Lost Woods theme from Ocarina of Time for incoming calls from my wife, but I've also used themes from other areas of Ocarina and Dragon Warrior from the NES.

A colleague a couple cubes over uses the 1UP sound from Super Mario Brothers for incoming texts.

Happy gaming,

Boz