Sound Cards Shorting out Power Supply

[Opencircuit74]

Hello everyone. So, I have an older computer (Optiplex 790) that only has 2-channel audio. This is bad, because It is used to play games like fortnite on, and I just can't stand it. To fix this, I tried to install a sound card from my box of sound cards, and all of them either shorted the computer's PCI slot or are not compatible with Windows 10. The problem seems to be that the sound cards that short the slot (and another slot on a ASUS P5B Deluxe) are all PCI Universal cards, so they have 2 notches on them instead of just one. I don't know if this is the issue or not, but I would really like to get this fixed. I have an Audigy 2 ZS, a Sound Blaster Live, a Sound Blaster X-Fi SB0460, and an MSI X-Fi Xtreme Audio card. Thanks!

[Spotty]

8 minutes ago, Opencircuit74 said:

To fix this, I tried to install a sound card from my box of sound cards, and all of them either shorted the computer's PCI slot or are not compatible with Windows 10. The problem seems to be that the sound cards that short the slot (and another slot on a ASUS P5B Deluxe) are all PCI Universal cards, so they have 2 notches on them instead of just one. I don't know if this is the issue or not, but I would really like to get this fixed.

I have an Audigy 2 ZS, a Sound Blaster Live, a Sound Blaster X-Fi SB0460, and an MSI X-Fi Xtreme Audio card. Thanks!

If you are having difficulty with the notches on the cards, it sounds as if you are trying to insert them in to the wrong slot. Some of those cards are PCI, and some are PCIe. They require different slots and are not compatible with each other.

 

The PCI cards will need to be inserted in to a PCI slot.
The PCIe cards will need to be inserted in to a PCIe slot.

If you're trying to force a card in to the incorrect slot type you will short out your motherboard and likely damage the motherboard and/or the soundcard.

 

PCI

Sound Blaster X-Fi SB0460
Audigy 2 ZS

Sound Blaster Live

PCIe
MSI X-Fi Xtreme Audio card

 

Here's a picture of your motherboard. The PCI slot is highlighted yellow, and the PCIe slots are highlighted green.

[Opencircuit74]

49 minutes ago, Spotty said:

If you are having difficulty with the notches on the cards, it sounds as if you are trying to insert them in to the wrong slot. Some of those cards are PCI, and some are PCIe. They require different slots and are not compatible with each other.

 

The PCI cards will need to be inserted in to a PCI slot.
The PCIe cards will need to be inserted in to a PCIe slot.

If you're trying to force a card in to the incorrect slot type you will short out your motherboard and likely damage the motherboard and/or the soundcard.

 

PCI

Sound Blaster X-Fi SB0460
Audigy 2 ZS

Sound Blaster Live

PCIe
MSI X-Fi Xtreme Audio card

I know I am putting them in the right slot, and I listed the MSI because it was giving me Windows compatibility issues. I just don't know why the cards would be shorting the power supply. I might look around for a schematic to find a bad capacitor or something, because remember, these are 15-year old electrolytic caps.

[Opencircuit74]

I don't even know anymore. I just tested the cards again on the 2 systems that they shorted, and they all worked. I really just don't know.