Jason was absolutely right about the software- you can control the "invasiveness" of our software. Just choose a custom installation for tons of options.
As to our cards: The Creative chips have a lot of kick. What other PCI card actually helps the CPU in processing (besides a video or capture card) Rhetorical question!
Take a look at some recent benchmarks. You'll be amazed. No other company has anything like the Audigy 2 in processing power or true audio quality. Competitive offerings make a stab at one or the other.

D