I have been a huge fan of turtle beach products ever since a few years ago when they were the de facto sound card for DELL systems. Of the 10 TB cards that I own, I have never had a problem with any of them. Very reliable and low in cost cards.

The sound quality is exceptional on such an inexpensive product, especially the Montego II. I have compared it with sound blaster cards that I have and have yet to be able to tell the difference. I do not have a trained ear, I confess, but I listen to mp3s, audio cd-roms, and play many different games with these cards.

The average cost for just the simple Montego II card is about $30-40 which is less than half the price of a competing sound blaster card. True, you do not get all of the fancy features of sound blaster cards, like digital out, but if you are simply planning on plugging a set of computer speakers into this card you won't be dissapointed. The included media software is also top notch. Other products may add some bells and whistles in the software, but you must remember that you are paying for the video card and not the software.

This is a great card selection for any budget system or for the beginner not willing to spend a lot on their computer peripherals. It is also great for pretty much any other system.

I run a dual p3 700@933 with 256mb of ram as my main system, and simply love this card in it.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 30