get a x-fi card or keep with Audigy 2?

[gareth170]

hi

im thinking about buying a x-fi card. but i wanna know would i see any improvemeant over the Audigy 2? and like what?

out of Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer and Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic, which one is better?

 

[easyrider]

Better sound quality and EAX 5 support.

 

[gareth170]

so which one better XtremeGamer or XtremeMusic?

also what's it different between Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Sound Card - Retail and Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Sound Card - OEM?

 

[easyrider]

so which one better XtremeGamer or XtremeMusic?

also what's it different between Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Sound Card - Retail and Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Sound Card - OEM?

Nowt between them

OEM is bare card the retail is more stuff in the box, (not sure what)

I would just get the cheapest.

 

[flexo786]

im sure that the music is supposed to be better due to higher quality parts or something like that

 

[thepigf@rmer]

I never used EAX on the Audigy 2 due to framerate suffering, plus i prefer the original sound over that reverb effect that EAX adds. Same goes for the X-Fi although it looks as though the framerate suffers slightly less.

Also i've noticed sound distortion when using the X-Fi if the volume on the Creative sound panel is set to 100% so i have it set to 80% at the mo.

I've not been overly convinced upgrading from an Audigy 2, both still great cards imho. If you have the spare cash......go for it, if your on a budget keep the Audigy 2.

Plus there is the Crystalizer which is supposed to make mp3's sound fantastic, slightly clearer/cleaner imho, but not as fantastic as all the reviews make it out to be.


At least i managed to sell my older card for a tenner

 

[gareth170]

another question..

on the XtremeGamer and XtremeMusic cards do they have a front panel connecter on them? if yes would my audigy 2 zs front panel work with them?

 

[ca9phoenix]

i'm about to refit my audigy 2 in my system.... i've been using onboard sound for ages and am hoping now finaly the vista 64 drivers are up to scratch

 

[somewhatdamaged]

I bought an X-FI Fatality XTreme Gaming Edition and it doesn’t work on my Vista x64 with SLI enabled. I will sell it if you are interested for £65 +£5 recorded delivery postage

No point me keeping it, may as well just accept the loss

PM me if you are interested, the card is only 10 days old

Thanks

EDIT - Sorry if i'm not allowed to try and sell this on these forums?

 

[gareth170]

I bought an X-FI Fatality XTreme Gaming Edition and it doesn’t work on my Vista x64 with SLI enabled. I will sell it if you are interested for £65 +£5 recorded delivery postage

No point me keeping it, may as well just accept the loss

PM me if you are interested, the card is only 10 days old

Thanks

EDIT - Sorry if i'm not allowed to try and sell this on these forums?

its ok. ive just bought a X-Fi XtremeGamer. at first it wouldn't work on vista64 but vista32 worked and xp. but when i reinstalled vista64 its working perfectly...

have u tryed reinstalling vista?

 

[V F]

i'm about to refit my audigy 2 in my system.... i've been using onboard sound for ages and am hoping now finaly the vista 64 drivers are up to scratch

They aren't, but I'm on Vista 32bit. Though I can't see there being much difference between the two.
For music the Audigy 2 ZS was great in Vista, for gaming, no. It was quite poor I felt. 2.1 muddy/mush sounds. Well not muddy, but it wasn't crystal clear and rich quality either. I was getting nothing out of my center speaker and the sounds were very poor out of the rear, quite faint in fact.

 

[somewhatdamaged]

its ok. ive just bought a X-Fi XtremeGamer. at first it wouldn't work on vista64 but vista32 worked and xp. but when i reinstalled vista64 its working perfectly...

have u tryed reinstalling vista?

Yeah reinstalled Vista 3 times, works on occasion, then after i reboot goes incredibly crackly and unusable. Have had to pull the card out and use my onboard audio. Sucks but what can i do

Tempted by the Prelude but worry because its a very similar chip and might have the same problems?

 

[RaiderX]

i had no problems with my fata1ity card in vista 64, just the X-fi features kept closing BF2

 

[V F]

Yeah reinstalled Vista 3 times, works on occasion, then after i reboot goes incredibly crackly and unusable. Have had to pull the card out and use my onboard audio. Sucks but what can i do

Tempted by the Prelude but worry because its a very similar chip and might have the same problems?

Thats just the weird thing, there's a few people suffering the same problem with the Prelude but only with 4GB mem, and some they are not. Which its working just fine with their 4GB systems, gremlins....?

 

[RaiderX]

i believe its something to do with having an 8800, vista and an Xfi

 

[gareth170]

i believe its something to do with having an 8800, vista and an Xfi

lol... that helps...

of course it must be one of them thats making the issue..

it could be your motherboard chipset that it doesn't like....

 

[cozm01]

8800 X-fi fatility and Vista 64bit working fine here.

 

[gareth170]

so i really think it could be his motherboard chipset that it doesn't like....

 

[helmutcheese]

Its 4GB Memory and X-FI+8800 btw thats issue in Vista64 and some claim they are ok with certain drivers not Necessary the newest.

 

[HighlandeR]

Having currently got an Audigy 2 + 3.5 breakout box I can definatly say I miss my Xfi kit, I had the fatality with 3.5 break out box also.

Mp3s sounded a lot clearer and more naturaly less harsh and brassy I guess....

Its not a major difference but noticable if your using high quality headphones u would notice it (£100 + heaphones) thru speakers I bet not much difference cos its just blasting out!

Either way cant go wrong with an cheapo Xfi card.