I decided on getting the Platinum because I was building my own Athlon 850 machine, and I got a bit overzealous with the budget. Instead of taking a more thoughtful approach and purchasing the excellent SB Live Value for about 45 bucks, I went ahead and got the Platinum for around $150.
In all honesty, I do appreciate the fact that the headphone and mic jacks are now accessible through a 5 1/2 " drive on the front, but that is the only difference. The physical card is identical to that of the Value, MP3, or X-Gamer.
In foresight, I wish I had saved the extra $100 and put it towards another component, perhaps a better monitor, processor, or more RAM. Unless you are going to make use of the Spdif In and Out, or the MIDI input and output, I would really recommend buying the Value.
Otherwise, the SBLive family of cards is the best there is, hands down. If you need a sound card, get one of these. If money is no object (or you have generous parents) get the Platinum because everyone will ask what the hell that thing is sticking out the front of your case.
While the accessibility of the jacks is damn cool, I don't think for me that it is worth the extra $100.



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 150