static int __devinit
 snd_nm256_create(snd_card_t *card, struct pci_dev *pci,
-                int play_bufsize, int capt_bufsize,
-                int force_load,
-                u32 buffertop,
-                int usecache,
                 nm256_t **chip_ret)
 {
        nm256_t *chip;
 
        chip->card = card;
        chip->pci = pci;
-       chip->use_cache = usecache;
+       chip->use_cache = use_cache;
        spin_lock_init(&chip->reg_lock);
        chip->irq = -1;
        init_MUTEX(&chip->irq_mutex);
 
-       chip->streams[SNDRV_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK].bufsize = play_bufsize;
-       chip->streams[SNDRV_PCM_STREAM_CAPTURE].bufsize = capt_bufsize;
+       /* store buffer sizes in bytes */
+       chip->streams[SNDRV_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK].bufsize = playback_bufsize * 1024;
+       chip->streams[SNDRV_PCM_STREAM_CAPTURE].bufsize = capture_bufsize * 1024;
 
        /* 
         * The NM256 has two memory ports.  The first port is nothing
                /* Ok, try to see if this is a non-AC97 version of the hardware. */
                pval = snd_nm256_readw(chip, NM_MIXER_PRESENCE);
                if ((pval & NM_PRESENCE_MASK) != NM_PRESENCE_VALUE) {
-                       if (! force_load) {
+                       if (! force_ac97) {
                                printk(KERN_ERR "nm256: no ac97 is found!\n");
                                printk(KERN_ERR "  force the driver to load by passing in the module parameter\n");
                                printk(KERN_ERR "    force_ac97=1\n");
        else
                chip->buffer_size += NM_MAX_PLAYBACK_COEF_SIZE + NM_MAX_RECORD_COEF_SIZE;
 
-       if (buffertop >= chip->buffer_size && buffertop < chip->buffer_end)
-               chip->buffer_end = buffertop;
+       if (buffer_top >= chip->buffer_size && buffer_top < chip->buffer_end)
+               chip->buffer_end = buffer_top;
        else {
                /* get buffer end pointer from signature */
                if ((err = snd_nm256_peek_for_sig(chip)) < 0)
        snd_card_t *card;
        nm256_t *chip;
        int err;
-       unsigned int xbuffer_top;
        struct nm256_quirk *q;
        u16 subsystem_vendor, subsystem_device;
 
        }
 
        if (vaio_hack)
-               xbuffer_top = 0x25a800; /* this avoids conflicts with XFree86 server */
-       else
-               xbuffer_top = buffer_top;
+               buffer_top = 0x25a800;  /* this avoids conflicts with XFree86 server */
 
        if (playback_bufsize < 4)
                playback_bufsize = 4;
                capture_bufsize = 4;
        if (capture_bufsize > 128)
                capture_bufsize = 128;
-       if ((err = snd_nm256_create(card, pci,
-                                   playback_bufsize * 1024, /* in bytes */
-                                   capture_bufsize * 1024,  /* in bytes */
-                                   force_ac97,
-                                   xbuffer_top,
-                                   use_cache,
-                                   &chip)) < 0) {
+       if ((err = snd_nm256_create(card, pci, &chip)) < 0) {
                snd_card_free(card);
                return err;
        }