Help picking X-Fi sound card for new system

S

Stevarian

Limp Gawd
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Jun 13, 2002
Messages
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I just put together my new system, which is an Abit IP35Pro mobo, Q6600 2.4 ghz quad core, 8 GB of RAM, and the new 4870 Visiontek video card. I am also using Vista Home Premium 64 bit version.

I have Klipsch 5.1 Ultras for my speakers, and a decent set of headphones.

I am thinking of getting one of these cards, and would like some help selecting the best one.

The regular X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1, which is $90.99 at Newegg

The X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Fatality (PCI version) which is actually slightly cheaper after rebate at $85.99 after MIR

The X-Fi Titanium Fatality Professional with PCI Express interface, $129.99 (No Rebate currently)

And finally the Auzentech Auzen X-Fi Prelude at $154.99 after MIR, which has had a lot of good reviews.

It seems to me that I read somewhere that the PCI Express version works better under Vista??? Is that correct?

I also seem to recall reading, but can't find it now, that there is a new X-Fi card coming out soon...is that correct, and does anyone know how long?

I would like the card best for gaming first, then movies and movies second.

I wouldn't mind spending the extra bucks for the Auzen if it was that much better than the others, but if the difference is slight, then obviously I would like to save some cash. And if there are new cards coming out soon, I can wait a while.

Thanks!!

Steve
 
The Titanium seems good for Vista so far. It has 64 MB of X-Ram. Which shouldn't get you X-cited, it doesn't do much for 99.9% of the games out there.
 
I thought for $86 that the Fatality card would be a good buy. Are there currently any issues with these cards and Vista? Is there much of an improvement in performance going to the PCI Express Titanium?

Thanks for the help!
 
Some combinations of hardware cause PCI X-Fi cards to emit loud crackling noises making the sound unusable. The primary reason I switched to the PCI-E Titanium was to get rid of these noises. The common thread throughout most hardware combinations is 4GB RAM, and possibly older nforce chipsets using AMD processors with SLI nvidia video cards. But there seem to be a number of other factors at work as well (memory command rate and speed, for instance) and you're using an intel board and ATI video card, so you may end up not seeing this issue at all.

The Titanium uses a more recent version of the X-Fi chip (EMU20K2 if I remember correctly; all other existing true X-Fi chips are EMU20K1) and was made after Vista's release, so presumably it should run better on Vista than the EMU20K1. The PCI-E Titanium, in at least one synthetic benchmark test, had less CPU utilization than a PCI X-Fi eXtremeGamer - but this is probably not a big deal if you've got a quad core.

It also freed up a PCI slot so I can throw another semi-useful card in there.

If I were you I would try to get an audio card from a retailer that allows returns, so if you end up getting a PCI X-Fi card (could be Creative or Auzentech, it happens with both manufacturers) and it makes crackly noises on you, you can switch out.
 
Doesn't sound like the Azuntech or any costlier variant of the X-Fi would be necessary for your needs... I'd just get the cheapest one or whichever one can be hooked up the easiest to your front panel case connectors (it varies some). I'd probably do what the above poster said, buy it locally even it ends up being $5-10 more after taxes.
 
I missed out a few weeks ago, Circuit City (I think) had the PCI Fatality X-fi card on sale for $99....I was a day late....

Anyway, I also thought I read somewhere that there was an X-Fi 2 coming out soon? Is that true? And if so, when?

Thanks!
 
From what I can tell... the X-Fi 2 was an internal name for the next evolution of the X-Fi.

It was rebranded the X-Fi Titanium. If you look at pictures of the X-Fi 2 (from several months ago) they are identical to the current Titanium's I/O front panel I/O, only the released version dropped the '2' from the front logo.
 
I have an XtremeGamer Fatality Pro that died a few days ago. I got it from ZipZoomFly last November for $90 after $50 MIR. It performed pretty well until its untimely death. It's under warranty but I convinced Creative to upgrade me to a Titanium. I just had to pay $25 for an "upgrade fee" & shipping. I should receive it next Tues/Wed.
 
Just get X-Fi Titanium PCI-E. Currently it is the best X-Fi card.
 
Thanks for the all of replies, now that I know that the Titanium edition is the "#2" I read about, I went ahead and ordered it from the egg....

Does the Titanium have the same issue with microphone input that the prior X-Fi card did...at least as far as Ventrilo is concerned? It seems I read somewhere that there is no microphone amp? Is that correct?
 
to be honest your Abit IP35Pro has a better on board sound card than anything made by creative.
 
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