X-FI and Vista 64bit

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L33t Masta

Gawd
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Jan 1, 2008
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Well my onboard audio died for some damn reason and I need an audio source that allows me to input from my XBOX. I have come to the conclusion that the X-FI Xtreme looks like a decent card but I want to make sure it will still work under Windows Vista 64bit. But I have heard alot of people having problems with the card on Vista. I use it mostly for gaming and my old onboard realtek used to give me great surround sound in games and on movies. Can I expect the same from this card?

The Card
 
Well to the best of my knowledge, the XtremeAudio is the version of the X-Fi that is little more than a DAC, all the processing is done in software. So I don't know how well it'll work since I don't have that kind. Now if you get the XtremeGamer, that's a real X-Fi with the processor and all.

I've got that (well rather the Elite Pro version, but same chip) and it works fine in 64-bit Vista. The drivers are not perfect, but they work well enough. I don't get any crashes with it or anything, and it does work with 4GB of RAM and above.

The other reason to get this card is that Creative has a program called ALchemy that emulates hardware accelerated DirectSound to games. Now this gets you two things:

1) Hardware acceleration via the X-Fi. The will take some load off the processor, and can improve the quality of surround in games since it supports EAX 5.0.

2) Surround in older games. Most newer games are aware of Vista's software-only policy for DirectSound and will do surround either way. However many older games mandated hardware acceleration to do surround. So if you don't have an X-Fi (or Audigy) with ALchemy, you don't get surround sound in Vista.

So if you are going to get an X-Fi, I'd spend the extra money to get a real one with the hardware DSP chip. If you don't want to, I'd maybe get another kind of card since that's the real reason to own an X-Fi.
 
Try to find an XtremeMusic. If you can't find that, then look at Auzentech Prelude's and maybe see if the price difference isn't too high. Geez... $140 for an XtremeGamer in Canada? Newegg has them for $50 after rebate in America =\ A little while back you could get a Prelude off Newegg for $160-180ish which is miles better than the Creative X-Fi line.
 
Ya that'll work. It has a real X-Fi chip in it.

You might want to shop around a bit before you buy. Apparently Futureshop hasn't heard that the US and Canadian dollars are on parity now. NCIX seems to have one in stock $108. Also you'd need to check on customs rules, but I'd think of you get one from a US vendor that is under $100 it should be exempt from customs tax and thus it might be cheaper to buy from a US vendor (also no GST and if applicable PST).

As the Count mentioned, you could also look at a Prelude. Those are more or less X-Fis made by another company. They use the X-Fi processor, but they have some better electronics on board, and thus give better sound. Now whether you'd notice and care depends on your speaker system and ears, but it is something to consider if they don't cost too much more.
 
CountChoculaBot said:
Try to find an XtremeMusic. If you can't find that, then look at Auzentech Prelude's and maybe see if the price difference isn't too high. Geez... $140 for an XtremeGamer in Canada? Newegg has them for $50 after rebate in America =\ A little while back you could get a Prelude off Newegg for $160-180ish which is miles better than the Creative X-Fi line.
Click to expand...

Don't have access to newegg in Canada. And with the NCIX shipping costs it would come to the same if I ordered it from there too. I think I'll just go buy the Xtreme Gamer if it doesn't have any Vista issues.
 
I have the XtremeMusic and I am listening to music on it while typing this on vista ultimate 64-bit... sounds great to me....
 
What do you mean component input? Component normally is used in reference to video, specifically a 3-wire analogue connection. I've never heard it used in relation to audio. What kind of connector are you after?
 
Sycraft said:
What do you mean component input? Component normally is used in reference to video, specifically a 3-wire analogue connection. I've never heard it used in relation to audio. What kind of connector are you after?
Click to expand...

Component is the 3 wire connection used for things like XBOX and PS3. There are 2 audio cables for left and right audio respectivly and 1 for video. I use my XBOX through my moniter most of the time because it gives me better picture than most of the TVs in the house. I just want to improve upon the way I was doing it before. I converted the component audio into analog. Maybe I'm mixing my terms up here but as far as I know analog is the headphone type of jack and component is the 3 wire way. I'm not a big audio guy lol.
 
What you are talking about isn't component, it is composite. Video and audio are separate. The analogue video standards are as such:

Composite: A single 75-ohm cable that is almost always yellow in colour. So named because it is a composite of the Y (luminescence) and C (chromanescence) channels. This is the lowest quality connector.

S-Video: A cable composed of two signal pairs, one for Y one for C and a shield. Connectors look like PS/2 connectors. This is higher quality, but still insufficient for HD.

Component: Three separate 75-ohm cables coloured red, blue and green. They carry Y, R-Y and B-Y on separate wires. A high quality analogue connector suitable for HD.

VGA: This is the standard blue connector you see on many monitors. Internally it is actually RGBHV. A very high quality connector, suitable for resolutions beyond HD if the cable is good enough.

Audio is then a separate matter. The red and white connectors are just right and left analogue audio. You can have them with any combination of video connectors.

Now something to note is that the X-Fi (and Prelude), under XP at least, is capable of Dolby Digital decoding. So you can hook the 360 up to it with an optical cable and the X-Fi will decode the signal (and thus support surround sound).

If you are using the 360 on your monitor and you are using the composite cable (3 wire, yellow, red and white), you'd do well to get yourself a VGA cable. This will allow you to play games in a higher rez, if your monitor supports it, and GREATLY improve picture quality. I'm talking better colour, better pixel definition, less ringing and overshoot, etc. Even if you are using an old, low quality CRT it'll be worth it and on an LCD it will be a major improvement.
 
Sycraft said:
What you are talking about isn't component, it is composite. Video and audio are separate. The analogue video standards are as such:

Composite: A single 75-ohm cable that is almost always yellow in colour. So named because it is a composite of the Y (luminescence) and C (chromanescence) channels. This is the lowest quality connector.

S-Video: A cable composed of two signal pairs, one for Y one for C and a shield. Connectors look like PS/2 connectors. This is higher quality, but still insufficient for HD.

Component: Three separate 75-ohm cables coloured red, blue and green. They carry Y, R-Y and B-Y on separate wires. A high quality analogue connector suitable for HD.

VGA: This is the standard blue connector you see on many monitors. Internally it is actually RGBHV. A very high quality connector, suitable for resolutions beyond HD if the cable is good enough.

Audio is then a separate matter. The red and white connectors are just right and left analogue audio. You can have them with any combination of video connectors.

Now something to note is that the X-Fi (and Prelude), under XP at least, is capable of Dolby Digital decoding. So you can hook the 360 up to it with an optical cable and the X-Fi will decode the signal (and thus support surround sound).

If you are using the 360 on your monitor and you are using the composite cable (3 wire, yellow, red and white), you'd do well to get yourself a VGA cable. This will allow you to play games in a higher rez, if your monitor supports it, and GREATLY improve picture quality. I'm talking better colour, better pixel definition, less ringing and overshoot, etc. Even if you are using an old, low quality CRT it'll be worth it and on an LCD it will be a major improvement.
Click to expand...

Oh no. I am using the HD VGA cable for the XBOX 360. It gives one VGA connector for my Samsung 225BW and then 2 composite cables for left and right audio. I then merge them into a single jack that is the size of a headphone jack and run it into my line in. What I want to do is use the HD VGA and quite possibly hook it up through the optical cable to the sound card to get true 5.1 surround from my speakers. It would probably give me far less static than when I had it as a line in only. But I would have no idea how to do that with the VGA HD cable or what I would need. If the prelude is what I need to do this and I can actually do that I have no reservations about doing it. I've been a videophile far too long and I think it's time I become an audiophile too. I'm almost tempted to go buy a brand new 1920 x 1080 LCD for true HD rather than 1680 x 1050. But that's for another forum.
 
So composite and component have no real meaning when it comes to audio. The two cables you are talking about are just stereo analogue audio.

Now, as for using an optical cable: Your VGA cable should have an optical plug in it. If it doesn't look at buying one that does. What you'd need is then an actual optical cable (you can order one at monoprice.com or pick one up at some place like Best Buy) and then, of course, a soundcard that can handle the input and decoding.

Well the Prelude (and the X-Fi Platinum) have the inputs you need. As for decoding I'm not 100% sure. In XP, I know they both have it. In Vista the X-Fi doesn't by default, but there seems to be a hack to get it. If you search around in this forum, people have posted it, it involves grabbing a file from the Dell drivers and using it. I've never tried it. The Prelude I'm not sure, I think it does the decoding, but you'd have to ask someone who owns one.
 
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I can't find an optical out and I have no idea what I am looking for lol.
Is it this square hole in the top of the thick connector?
 
Yes the square hole is the optical connector. You need a cable like this to hook it up.
 
Now I've looked around but no one can seem to give me a difinitive answer as to weither or not I can use optical in on these cards under VIsta.
 
In order to use optical out under Vista with an X-FI you need at minimum the X-FI Platinum edition with the front panel box. There is the Fatality edition and an Elite Pro with an external break out box as well.

Optical in and Out work fine under Vista. For awhile I had my PS2 hooked up to my computer and I've hooked up my PC to my entertainment system downstairs for some HDTV gaming and used optical out for the sound.
 
They do? Then I will purchase the X-FI Platinum with the front box. It gives me all the inputs that I would ever need. Especially when I want to hook up my xbox and record some footage from it.
 
Thanks for the help. Me and Superdemon are just about done making the arraingements for me to buy his X-FI platnium!
 
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