Got X-Fi?

[Ronin13]

A new option has just emerged.

A local chain of electronic shops are selling the new Fatal1ty Extreme Gamer (with the X-RAM, but without the break-out box) for $130. (In comparrison, the Xtreme Music is $115 and the new Xtreme Gamer (the half height card) is $100.)

This seems to be an especially great deal, as hardware prices here in Denmark usually are 1.5 times US prices.

A question about X-RAM:

As I understand it, it's mostly a sales gimmick, as games have to be particularly developed for the X-RAM to make use of it (btw, does anybody know of a list of these games?).

Now, I'm not really sure what effect Vista will have on soundcards, but I recall reading about it doing something or other that might make soundcards obsolete. If so, why would developers go out of their way to include X-RAM support in future titles?

In short, do you see X-RAM as having any kind of merit, or should I keep my focus on the other two cards?

 

[Ronin13]

Bump for thoughts on X-RAM (please see post directly above.)

Thanks

 

[schneiderguy]

Originally posted by: Ronin13
(btw, does anybody know of a list of these games?).

afaik BF2 uses x-ram

 

[ViRGE]

As far as I know, only the games using the Battlefield and Doom 3 engines are X-RAM aware, and I've never seen anyone point out a significant difference. So to answer your question, I don't see the X-RAM as having any practical merit.

As for why developers do support it, doing so offers additional marketing opportunities through Creative. There may be other financial benefits that Creative doesn't make public.

 

[Ronin13]

Originally posted by: Ronin13
A new option has just emerged.

A local chain of electronic shops are selling the new Fatal1ty Xtreme Gamer (with the X-RAM, but without the break-out box) for $130. (In comparrison, the Xtreme Music is $115 and the new Xtreme Gamer (the half height card) is $100.)

This seems to be an especially great deal, as hardware prices here in Denmark usually are 1.5 times US prices.

Turns out that Fatal1ty price was a misprint (actually the $130 was for the half-height Xtreme Gamer, the ad just had a picture of the Fatal1ty board and box. At that same shop the Fatal1ty is $215).

And since the motherboard I've been waiting for (ASUS P5B-E Plus) is supposed to be in stock tomorrow, I went ahead and ordered the remaining parts for my new build. I went with the new Xtreme Gamer (half height card).

I won't be able to compare it to an Xtreme Music, but if anyone's interested I can let you know what I think of it when I've got the rig up and running...

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: Ronin13

I won't be able to compare it to an Xtreme Music, but if anyone's interested I can let you know what I think of it when I've got the rig up and running...

Oh, do tell!

 

[SonicIce]

i dont see digital out on any of them. wheres it?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: SonicIce
i dont see digital out on any of them. wheres it?

For the ones that have it but it's not a standard RCA / Optical output, it's a mode the flexijack can do. You need an adapter to go from the 3.5mm to RCA size, but it's a regular digital coaxial signal.

EDIT: hmmm... the Xtreme Games says it uses optical output from its flexijack, I guess the connection type varies by model.

 

[Thetech]

I came to this party a little late, I'm VERY VERY glad you didn't buy the OEM version I highly recommend you don't because on my old computer I have an OEM SB-Live and I had a hell of a time trying to get drivers for it(in 2003). I read a lot of post from people who were mad because the drivers that creative has on their website didn't work with the OEM version, thank goodness I found my driver cd. Another note I must make is I feel we should avoid supporting the idea of "x-ram" crative already has a monopoly on the gaming sound card market. I wish we had a good alternative product that could do the latest version of EAX just as well, we need another open-source api for games that's just as good or better.

 

[Thetech]

Originally posted by: Ronin13
A new option has just emerged.

A local chain of electronic shops are selling the new Fatal1ty Extreme Gamer (with the X-RAM, but without the break-out box) for $130. (In comparrison, the Xtreme Music is $115 and the new Xtreme Gamer (the half height card) is $100.)

This seems to be an especially great deal, as hardware prices here in Denmark usually are 1.5 times US prices.

A question about X-RAM:

As I understand it, it's mostly a sales gimmick, as games have to be particularly developed for the X-RAM to make use of it (btw, does anybody know of a list of these games?).

Now, I'm not really sure what effect Vista will have on soundcards, but I recall reading about it doing something or other that might make soundcards obsolete. If so, why would developers go out of their way to include X-RAM support in future titles?

In short, do you see X-RAM as having any kind of merit, or should I keep my focus on the other two cards?

Here's an article explaining what effect vista will have on sound cards http://www.openal.org/openal_vista.html

 

[Ronin13]

Originally posted by: Thetech
I came to this party a little late, I'm VERY VERY glad you didn't buy the OEM version I highly recommend you don't because on my old computer I have an OEM SB-Live and I had a hell of a time trying to get drivers for it(in 2003). I read a lot of post from people who were mad because the drivers that creative has on their website didn't work with the OEM version, thank goodness I found my driver cd...

I must say that I've never had any problems with OEM cards and the drivers from Creative's site with my previous builds (using a Soundblaster 16, a SB Live! Value and an Audigy card).

Speaking of drivers, I prefer to get by with as little of Creative's notorious softwarebloat as possible (I'm currently running the Audigy with just the basic driver, so no Creative stuff in my taskbar).

With the new Xtreme Gamer I'll propably start out with the Audio Console so I can experiment with the Crystalizer and various levels of EAX, but in the end I hope I'll be able to get by with just the basic drivers.

For those with a X-Fi card:

How important is it to switch between modes? (Especially between Game and Entertainment as I don't plan on using Audio Creation.)

I mean, is it possible to set up your sound card so it gives the right amount of EAX support in games as well as great sound with movies and music, without having to change modes all the time?

 

[Thetech]

Originally posted by: Ronin13

Originally posted by: Thetech
I came to this party a little late, I'm VERY VERY glad you didn't buy the OEM version I highly recommend you don't because on my old computer I have an OEM SB-Live and I had a hell of a time trying to get drivers for it(in 2003). I read a lot of post from people who were mad because the drivers that creative has on their website didn't work with the OEM version, thank goodness I found my driver cd...

I must say that I've never had any problems with OEM cards and the drivers from Creative's site with my previous builds (using a Soundblaster 16, a SB Live! Value and an Audigy card).

Speaking of drivers, I prefer to get by with as little of Creative's notorious softwarebloat as possible (I'm currently running the Audigy with just the basic driver, so no Creative stuff in my taskbar).

With the new Xtreme Gamer I'll propably start out with the Audio Console so I can experiment with the Crystalizer and various levels of EAX, but in the end I hope I'll be able to get by with just the basic drivers.

For those with a X-Fi card:

How important is it to switch between modes? (Especially between Game and Entertainment as I don't plan on using Audio Creation.)

I mean, is it possible to set up your sound card so it gives the right amount of EAX support in games as well as great sound with movies and music, without having to change modes all the time?

Eh... No, not really. For games game mode seems to be better but the jury's still out. I've used game mode and entertainment mode to listen to music, to my ear's the game mode makes music sound a little flatter(which I prefer). As far as mode changes go I usually just leave it at game mode, I've used audio creation mode about 4 times in the past year I've owned this card and that was just to use the soundfont player(it did sound better in music mode I think that's because it uses the better soundfonts in that mode?).

But it's all pretty subjective unless you find some good tests somewhere, I mean for example I usually prefer a more natural balanced sound with nothing too hyped. I'm somewhat familiar with the sound of a small music ensemble and I know how altered the sound would be if you hyped up parts off the sound spectrum, the oboe might be too far in front etc.

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: Ronin13
For those with a X-Fi card:

How important is it to switch between modes? (Especially between Game and Entertainment as I don't plan on using Audio Creation.)

I mean, is it possible to set up your sound card so it gives the right amount of EAX support in games as well as great sound with movies and music, without having to change modes all the time?

To be honest, it's hard to find a difference between game and entertainment mode(as a cans user) when stereo expansion is set to 0%. It has to be in game mode for EAX to work, but as for if you'll ever need to turn it to entertainment mode I'm not 100% sure. I think it has to be in entertainment mode for 5.1->headphone surround sound to work, but I can't really accurately prove this without an AC3 file where I know exactly what's going on. Normal material such as DVDs isn't a good test to confirm if there's any manipulation going on.

 

[Thetech]

I have a strong feeling there is some manipulation going on ViRGE, I'll have to sit down and have a good listen but if I switch modes I do notice a diffrence in the sound when listening to music.