Low Sound Problem?

I hope this is the correct NG for my query.

I have a GATEWAY 500S / E-3600 with WinXP SP2 installed. The sound was very
low just barely audible using the built-in gateway soundcard so I went out
and purchased a Creative SB Live card.
he sound can be adjusted no higher with this new sound card.

Again volume is at it's max. in both instances but sound is barely audible.
The same speakers work just fine on my other IBM computer for years and my
Sony Vaio laptop?

Any ideas please?

In reading through this forum I see where powered speakers are mentioned as
a possible solution for others having this low sound volume problem? I am
thinking this means my Gateway requires powered speakers of some sort to
play sound when my 10 year old IBM PC did not.

Anyone here agree that powered speakers my solve my problems before I got
out and purchase a set? Remembering the speakers work fine one my other
computers...

Thanks
"Artreid" <> wrote in message
news:zzQFh.11558$Xe1.4152@trndny01...
>I hope this is the correct NG for my query.
>
> I have a GATEWAY 500S / E-3600 with WinXP SP2 installed. The sound was
> very low just barely audible using the built-in gateway soundcard so I
> went out and purchased a Creative SB Live card.
> he sound can be adjusted no higher with this new sound card.
>
> Again volume is at it's max. in both instances but sound is barely
> audible. The same speakers work just fine on my other IBM computer for
> years and my Sony Vaio laptop?
>
> Any ideas please?
>

Can no one here help me with this low sound problem?

"Artreid" <> wrote in message
news:zzQFh.11558$Xe1.4152@trndny01...
>I hope this is the correct NG for my query.
>
> I have a GATEWAY 500S / E-3600 with WinXP SP2 installed. The sound was
> very low just barely audible using the built-in gateway soundcard so I
> went out and purchased a Creative SB Live card.
> he sound can be adjusted no higher with this new sound card.
>
> Again volume is at it's max. in both instances but sound is barely
> audible. The same speakers work just fine on my other IBM computer for
> years and my Sony Vaio laptop?
>
> Any ideas please?
>

-
"Artreid" <> wrote in message
news:zzQFh.11558$Xe1.4152@trndny01...
>I hope this is the correct NG for my query.
>
> I have a GATEWAY 500S / E-3600 with WinXP SP2 installed. The sound was
> very low just barely audible using the built-in gateway soundcard so I
> went out and purchased a Creative SB Live card.
> he sound can be adjusted no higher with this new sound card.
>
> Again volume is at it's max. in both instances but sound is barely
> audible. The same speakers work just fine on my other IBM computer for
> years and my Sony Vaio laptop?
>
> Any ideas please?


It is probably not your sound card.

There are several sound settings on a computer, both hardware and software.

Check the mechanical volume control somewhere on the exterior. It will be
in the manual which, if necessary, you can download and search. Your
keyboard also may have some volume controls.

There are several software controls. Start - setting - control panel -
sound. Under Volume (on top, make sure device volume is NOT muted and set
to the middle of the slide.

Under Advanced, make sure that the volume controls are not muted and off the
bottom.

Also note that windows media player has its own volume control.

Good luck.

I purchased and installed powered speakers and all is well now.

My only question now is how do you know if your computer requires powered
speakers or not?
Nowhere in the Gateway 500S Specs.Docs does it state Powered Speakers are
required for sound?

"Artreid" <> wrote in message
news:zzQFh.11558$Xe1.4152@trndny01...
>I hope this is the correct NG for my query.
>
> I have a GATEWAY 500S / E-3600 with WinXP SP2 installed. The sound was
> very low just barely audible using the built-in gateway soundcard so I
> went out and purchased a Creative SB Live card.
> he sound can be adjusted no higher with this new sound card.
>
> Again volume is at it's max. in both instances but sound is barely
> audible. The same speakers work just fine on my other IBM computer for
> years and my Sony Vaio laptop?
>
> Any ideas please?
>

Given the general absence of detailed specs on computers sold today, the only
way to know if powered speakers are required is to try the unpowered ones. The
tendency these days is to require powered speakers, though. I ran into
something similar last week repalcing a client's old computer with a modern
one... Ben Myers

On Fri, 16 Mar 2007 08:47:54 GMT, "Artreid" <> wrote:

>I purchased and installed powered speakers and all is well now.
>
>My only question now is how do you know if your computer requires powered
>speakers or not?
>Nowhere in the Gateway 500S Specs.Docs does it state Powered Speakers are
>required for sound?
>
>"Artreid" <> wrote in message
>news:zzQFh.11558$Xe1.4152@trndny01...
>>I hope this is the correct NG for my query.
>>
>> I have a GATEWAY 500S / E-3600 with WinXP SP2 installed. The sound was
>> very low just barely audible using the built-in gateway soundcard so I
>> went out and purchased a Creative SB Live card.
>> he sound can be adjusted no higher with this new sound card.
>>
>> Again volume is at it's max. in both instances but sound is barely
>> audible. The same speakers work just fine on my other IBM computer for
>> years and my Sony Vaio laptop?
>>
>> Any ideas please?
>>
>