Chaintech is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer well-known for its high quality motherboards and graphics cards—though they also dabbled in sound chips, modems and memory modules. In recent years Chaintech has stopped manufacturing motherboards to focus on flash memory, and they no longer manufacture or distribute sound cards or sound chips.

Chaintech's last sound card is still much sought after, and you can also find Chaintech motherboards with onboard Chaintech sound chips as well. The following information will bring you up to speed on the pricing and costs of Chaintech sound chips, and help you decide what to buy:

1. Order PCI sound cards for under $50 from online Chaintech sound chip suppliers.
2. Purchase motherboards with integrated Chaintech sound chips for between $70 and $180.
3. Read reviews of Chaintech motherboards and sound cards to help you decide what to buy

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Order standalone sound cards for under $50 from online suppliers of Chaintech sound chips

The last Chaintech sound card released was the CT-AV710. This Chaintech AV-710 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI sound card was extremely well reviewed. It offered an enhanced two channel mode that greatly increased the crispness and quality of stereo sound. Because it has been discontinued, it is much sought after and extremely hard to find.

I recommend: Purchase the AV-710 Chaintech sound card from Memory4Less or AxionTech for under $50. Newegg also regularly gets them in stock, usually in ones and twos. You can request the sound card using a form on their website.

Spend between $70 and $180 on Chaintech motherboards integrated Chaintech sound modules

Chaintech never penetrated very deeply in the sound card market, so it can be hard to find Chaintech sound chip providers with standalone cards in stock. Another option is to purchase a Chaintech motherboard with onboard Chaintech sound chips. Although Chaintech has gotten out of the motherboard market, you can still find some of their motherboards for sale.

I recommend: Micro Express International has Chaintech motherboards for between $70 and $100. Code Micro has a couple higher-end motherboards that run around $180.

Choose between sound chips by reading in-depth sound card and motherboard reviews

When you read reviews of the AV-710 PCI sound card, it's easy to see why it's so ridiculously hard to find. It is still sought after as a one of the best performing sound cards in its price range, and is really the only one you'll be able to find and purchase. The decision-making process is a little more difficult when it comes to Chaintech motherboards, because there is more of a selection. Use the reviews to decide which motherboard is best for your purposes.

I recommend: TechGage Networks and Icrontic both offer in-depth reviews of the Chaintech AV-710 sound card. Epinions has reviews on many of the most popular Chaintech motherboards.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be aware that Chaintech sound chips and sound cards are discontinued, and as such, are no longer eligible for manufacturer support. If you experience any problems, your best bet is to do a Google search on the model of the sound card or motherboard, as well as either the error message verbatim or a brief description of the problem (e.g., 'Chaintech AV-710 not working no sound').

Chaintech is best known for the production of motherboards and video cards, but also offers several sound chips. Chaintech sound chips use the popular via chipsets, offering high audio resolutions for cleaner sound.

As with any sound chip, when you buy Chaintech sound chips online or through a brick and mortar supplier, there are a couple of options to consider. The first number to look at from Chaintech sound chip suppliers is the signal-to-noise ratio. A high signal-to-noise ratio means less background noise. The second number to evaluate is the resolution, also known as bit-rate, of the sound chip. The higher this number, the more detail the sound has. Consider the following when deciding to purchase Chaintech sound chips for your business:

1. Decide on a list of features you want a sound chip to have and find Chaintech sound chip providers with those specific chips.

2. Update Chaintech sound chips often to boost sound driver efficiency and avoid technical issues with the chip.

3. Keep your Chaintech sound chip working with good technical support.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find suppliers of Chaintech sound chips

In addition to the technical specifications, such as signal-to-noise ratio and resolution, look for providers of Chaintech sound chips that offer chips with the inputs your business needs. A 'mic input' allows you plug a microphone into your sound chip for recording audio and for video conferencing. A 'line-in jack' gives you the ability to record audio from musical instruments or from stereos directly to your PC.

I recommend: Shop a variety of Chaintech sound chips via the online Chaintech store at NewEgg. Purchase Chaintech motherboards with built-in sound chips at Micro Express International.

Keep Chaintech sound chip drivers up-to-date

New drivers are periodically released for sound chips to offer enhanced performance. A reinstallation of drivers is also often a quick fix for a technical difficulty. It's a good idea to download the drivers and keep them on-hand.

I recommend: DriversCollection.com offers the latest drivers for a wide-range of Chaintech sound chips. DriverStock.com is another resource for Chaintech drivers.

Get technical support for Chaintech sound chips

A non-functioning sound chip may not bring your business to a grinding halt, but having resources to fix problems as they come up is useful. Response time can vary, so initiate the technical support process from a couple different avenues immediately to achieve the quickest fix.

I recommend: Walton Chaintech offers a support forum for technical difficulties and questions. While waiting for a response from Walton Chaintech, contact a technical support firm, such as Gurus2go. Gurus2go offers technical support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for businesses over the phone. They will also come to your office if you need on-site support.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before you purchase a Chaintech sound chip, make sure you have a free PCI slot on your computer. If not, you may need to upgrade to a motherboard with more PCI slots.

Chaintech sound chips provide quality sound for your PC. They are great for games, music, movies and other features on your computer that require high quality sound. Before you start looking for Chaintech sound chip suppliers, you should contact Chaintech sound chip providers. These providers can offer you information you may need if your business requires the use of high-quality sound on your computers, for presentations or other uses. If you're thinking of using them, you'll first want to research Chaintech sound chips advice and ratings.

There's certain information on Chaintech sound chips you're going to want to research. You'll want to talk to providers of Chaintech sound chips about the different types of sound chips, read several reviews about them and find out how you can get custom sound chips for any jobs that need them.

1. Find out more about Chaintech sound tips from providers.

2. Read customer and company reviews and other information about Chaintech sound chips.

3. Find out where you can find custom sound chips.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn more about Chaintech sound chips from providers

Providers of Chaintech sound chips can further educate you on the different types of Chaintech sound chips. They can also help you with any problems or questions you may have about the sound chips. If you're looking to solve problems, or just need some support on how Chaintech sound chips work, providers can be the best help you may find.

I recommend: FixYa provides information on troubleshooting, problem solving and support for Chaintech sound chips. Hot Hardware provides information, specifications and images of Chaintech sound chips.

Read different reviews and other information about Chaintech sound chips

If you want more advice about Chaintech sound chips than the providers gave you, your best bet is to read several reviews about them. Users can sometimes be your best source for learning about products, since they're the ones who use them like you'll be. You can also receive reviews from companies who review and compare products on a regular basis.

I recommend: Techgage offers information on Chaintech sound chips, including ratings and prices from different suppliers. NewEgg provides an overview, customer reviews, specifications and even a product tour of Chaintech sound chips.

Learn where you can get custom sound chips from

Suppliers of Chaintech sound chips should be able to provide you with custom sound chips that you may need for certain jobs. You'll want to know where these suppliers are located, and how to get in touch with them. Many may be set up to allow you to purchase Chaintech sound chips online.

I recommend: A to Z in Computers offers specific Chaintech sound chips. ComputerGeeks.com offer custom Chaintech sound chips.