As someone who has installed up to 6 sound cards in a PC, it's definitely possible to install more than one sound card in a system. 😁

Two sound cards shouldn't be a problem at all as long as hardware resources are assigned to avoid conflicts.

Insofar as why to install multiple cards (and which cards), that entirely depends on what specific features you are trying to get out them. Usually the intent behind multiple sound cards is because different cards offer different features that aren't covered by a single card. Without knowing what the specific goal is here, it's hard to make any recommendations.

The other challenge you'll find is trying to get PCI sound cards working well under DOS. I believe Phil did a video awhile back on the Sound Blaster 128 PCI and went through using it under DOS. The ESS Solo-1 is also good for DOS although not sure as to its compatibility with the Intel 865PE chipset.

I see, thanks for the comments! I am planning to play DOS games (using a compatible card out of the bunch mentioned in my original post), as well as Windows bases games using a secondary compatible card, that is it!

Assuming that some of those cards will work under DOS, they'll also work under Windows. So I'm not really seeing the need for having multiple cards in this setup.

Yikes, you are basically asking for "the best of the worst" in that lineup. Normally I'd say that if any of the cards has an sblink linterface it would be the best for dos, however your P4 motherboard likely doesn't support that anyway so there goes that.

Personally I'd probably choose the ess from that lineup. The sb128 and the cmi8738 would go straight in the dumpster (though the 8738 does have people who like them).

There really isn't much reason to choose one over the other for dos, let alone have 2, they will all be mediocre (with the 128 likely the worst). This usually pops up with isa cards where one would choose one card for genuine opl3, another for ESFM etc - stuff that typically isn't supported on a single card.

You would probably be better off with a sb Live or better yet an Audigy (or a card that does A3D). Dos sound/emulation/performance will be much better along with the possibility of using different wavetable files if you want

I would keep the Solo-1 for DOS compatibility, ditch all the rest from that pile, and pick a YMF or A3D as a Windows-specific card. There is a world of better alternatives still available on the cheap.

Many thanks for amazing insights and comment!

Its curious that Phil really like the SB 128 PCI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6_bu4gcpHQ

I am picking up an almost brand new Audigy 2 ZS (Tomb Raider bundle!) very soon, **for now at least** I will install the SB 128 PCI til the Audigy 2 ZS arrives next week!

C0deHunter wrote on 2025-09-03, 12:42:

[...]

* Sound Blaster AWE64D (model CT4650-A1 - CA02951 - 8670)

Whoa, that one's very uncommon - the last of Creative's own designs (i.e. not just using Ensoniq or E-mu chips). There's a reason they stopped though, so that's a very interesting card but not a very good one. It's pretty useless for you for DOS though as it needs an SBLink connection to the motherboard for that, and Intel dropped those with the 8-series chipsets.

Can you explain more about this SBLink that you guys mentioned? I am not really sure what it is. Thanks!

EDIT:
Found this interesting link, which explains SBLink:
https://www.dosdays.co.uk/topics/pci_sound_cards_in_dos.php

C0deHunter wrote on 2025-09-03, 18:21:

Can you explain more about this SBLink that you guys mentioned? I am not really sure what it is. Thanks! […]
Show full quote

Can you explain more about this SBLink that you guys mentioned? I am not really sure what it is. Thanks!

EDIT:
Found this interesting link, which explains SBLink:
https://www.dosdays.co.uk/topics/pci_sound_cards_in_dos.php

Yep, that's it - basically physically connects the PCI card to the chipset's (serialized) ISA DMA & interrupt lines which allows the card to be addressed from within DOS.

Great if you have it, but it was never common and moreover needed actual ISA support in the chipset, so almost all boards that had it also had ISA slots, which limited its usefulness greatly.

Were you guys able to help me identify this card:

* Sound Blaster CT1373-DCQ
(No model mentioned on the board, only copyrighted year 2000 and assembled in Singapore silk-screened on the PCB)
Could it be this one?
Creative ES1371 or ES1373 sound card.

Thanks!

Do you want to know what its technical capabilities are or what marketing name Creative gave it?

This is an SB64/128 PCI based on Creative's minor update of Ensoniq's 1370 AudioPCI chip. It could have had all kinds of names on the box.

C0deHunter wrote on 2025-09-03, 17:07:

Many thanks for amazing insights and comment! […]
Show full quote

Many thanks for amazing insights and comment!

Its curious that Phil really like the SB 128 PCI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6_bu4gcpHQ

I am picking up an almost brand new Audigy 2 ZS (Tomb Raider bundle!) very soon, **for now at least** I will install the SB 128 PCI til the Audigy 2 ZS arrives next week!

I don't hate the SB 128, It's just there is very little need for it today.
It uses the same dos drivers as the SBLive/Audigy range, so in dos there is no difference.
Its fine in Windows, MIDI is a bit lacking but so are most budget cards.

Problem is for about the same price you can get a SBLive and gain EAX support.

I think in your situation the Audigy 2 will cover you in all 3 OS's, so while it is possible to run 2 sound cards, there really isn't much point.

chinny22 wrote on 2025-09-05, 00:32:

I don't hate the SB 128, It's just there is very little need for it today. It uses the same dos drivers as the SBLive/Audigy ran […]
Show full quote

C0deHunter wrote on 2025-09-03, 17:07:

Many thanks for amazing insights and comment! […]
Show full quote

Many thanks for amazing insights and comment!

Its curious that Phil really like the SB 128 PCI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6_bu4gcpHQ

I am picking up an almost brand new Audigy 2 ZS (Tomb Raider bundle!) very soon, **for now at least** I will install the SB 128 PCI til the Audigy 2 ZS arrives next week!

I don't hate the SB 128, It's just there is very little need for it today.
It uses the same dos drivers as the SBLive/Audigy range, so in dos there is no difference.
Its fine in Windows, MIDI is a bit lacking but so are most budget cards.

Problem is for about the same price you can get a SBLive and gain EAX support.

I think in your situation the Audigy 2 will cover you in all 3 OS's, so while it is possible to run 2 sound cards, there really isn't much point.

Great! I just acquired a Live! card, and will install that til my Audigy 2 Zs arrives.

EDIT:
I am having all sorts of issues with my Live (SB0060):

After installing the Win98 drivers, the OS takes at least TWO MINUTES too boot up.

After installing the DOS drivers, some games, such as Tyrian2K, Raptor reboot the system upon running their setup (or the main game) executable.

Any help would be appreciated.

For Windows, which drivers did you install and did you do a full install?
(I'm not aware of the drivers significanlty slowing down boot time but the Live! has alot of bloat as well)

For Dos are you trying to run the game from within wondows or rebooting into dos mode?

For Windows 98, I used Joseph_Joestar's modified drivers (v3.1), posted in this list thread:
Guide: Installing Windows 9x and DOS drivers on Sound Blaster Live! cards (version 3.1)
I intend to use pure DOS.

Many thanks!