[Corystes]

New Ei system base unit with pentium 4 3GHZ, 960 MB RAM, running XP SP2. Audio device is realtek AC97. Max volume is only just minimally adequate - through monitor speakers or small desk tops. Is there anything I can do to improve things before going back to the dealer?
(Same audio device and speakers were fine with previous base unit - e-machine 200)

 

[cwwozniak]

through monitor speakers or small desk tops.
...
(Same audio device and speakers were fine with previous base unit - e-machine 200)

Do the desktop speakers and monitor speakers have built-in amplifiers?

When you say, "same audio device", do you mean that you physically moved a sound card from your old computer to the new one? Or are you saying that the Windows sound device control panels on both computers report the same sound controller chipset?

 

[MysticEyes]

Have you checked all your settings in the SC's control panel/mixer?

 

[Corystes]

No amps on the desk tops, probably none in monitor. Both PCs report a realtek AC97 audio device. Monitor and desktop speakers kept from previous PC - both worked with plenty of volume there.
Have checked SC control panel settings - all at max.

 

[bonk]

When you go into Control Panel and Audio Devices under speaker settings and then Advanced and have the correct ones been selected?

Do these external speakers have their own power supply?

 

[cwwozniak]

Both PCs report a realtek AC97 audio device. Monitor and desktop speakers kept from previous PC - both worked with plenty of volume there.

It is quite possible that your older PC may have had "Speaker" outputs with enough power to drive un-amplified speakers to suitable sound levels. It seems like newer computers have "Line" outputs that have lower voltage/power levels that may barely be audible with un-amplified speakers. Both systems could have used Realtek AC97 chipsets to generate and control the audio but had different circuits driving the output jacks. I found this to be the case when my old Windows 98 box died and was replaced with a newer PC. A friend had the same problem when she tried to use some un-amplified (walkman type) speakers on her new PC at work

Returning the computer to the dealer in the hopes of getting a different one with built-in speaker level outputs may prove fruitless. My $0.02 says you might be better off buying a set of amplified speakers to work with your new computer.