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X-Fi Xtreme Music RAM?

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I recently picked up am X-Fi Xtreme Music PCI sound card. I notice it has a Hynix memory chip onboard. I know that the Elite and Fatal1ty boards have 64MB of XRAM on board, but what is the RAM on the lower end cards for? Is it disabled, or is it for something else?

Any idea's?

Thanks!
 
Same ram as far as I know, but the Fatal1ty version has more of it.. it has 64 megs while the lower end versions have only like, 4.
 
I didn't think that the xtreme music had x-ram on it period. If it does, but it's only 4mb...I wonder if replacing the low density IC with a higher one would do the trick???

It worked with the Palm Vx years ago :p
 
Actually isnt it just 2 megs, not 4, of regular mem on none X-Ram cards?
 
It's 2 megs. It serves the exact same purpose as X-Ram, APU cache, only it doesn't say it in the drivers because of the ID in bios.

The problem is 2 megs isn't enough to store appreciable sound files on, so it is effectively only used for APU cache.
 
nst6563 said:
I didn't think that the xtreme music had x-ram on it period. If it does, but it's only 4mb...I wonder if replacing the low density IC with a higher one would do the trick???

It worked with the Palm Vx years ago :p
Click to expand...

It's possible. You would have to flash the bios code on it as well.

I bet it becomes a popular mod pretty soon, then CL will reduce the price of teh X-Ram model.
 
I would tend to suspect there is some other circuitry involved in using the X-ram & not sure how you would find out tho. All the boards have the same basic layout but just switching the mem chip seems unlikely as being all one would need to do
 
It's all that was needed to turn your 4mb palm pilot into an 8mb version. That's why the idea crossed my mind. Hell, someone with the right equipment could pull it off in a very short period of time.

I wonder if the x-ram is accessed via the card itself or through the drivers? IE, the drivers instruct the card to load certain files to the ram on the card and the amount of ram is auto-detected much like a motherboard. Then all that would be needed is a driver hack or something along those lines.
 
The RAM chip on this is a SD 1Mx16 PC166 Hynix HY57V161610ET-6.

So, 16Mb/8 = 2MB, right? Not enough to do much at all. I was hoping it would be the full 64MB and all it'd need would be a firmware flash or something. That sucks. I'd like to look at an Elite or Fat. board to see how similar they are. Maybe you could change chips, update firmware and have a better card... :D
 
if you had the two boards side by side and took some very high-res pics and posted them I'm sure the brains on this forum could point out differences in the circuitry.
 
Here's a link to the X-Fi Xtreme Music card. Warning, it is 4.3 MB in size, but you can read all the IC labels. I'll try and find a high res shot of one of the others.

http://www.overclockersrip.net/imgs/IMG_1765.JPG

I should really set the camera to a lossless image format. Although these JPG's turn out fairly well...
 
Judging from this pic (http://images.soundblaster.com//images/corporate/artwork/XFiPro_pdt_hi.jpg), the Elite is way out of the question. The Fatal1ty looks a more similar to the others. I'm looking for a high res pic, all I can find are lower res that you can't really tell the IC #'s...

I'd really like to find out about upgrading this card... I wonder if the outcome would really make up for the effort? :D

edit:

http://www.overclockersrip.net/imgs/card_front.jpg

That's the Fatal1ty version. They look similar, other than the lighting in the corner. This pic is from uk gamer site, but I put the image on mine so not to use his bandwidth. (http://www.ukgamer.com)

In fact, the XM card has the disabled LED points on the board itself, in the corner. Same PCB, I think. Same model # listed on the PCB, as well. I really think this might work... Just change out the RAM chip and put new firmware on the baby... :D

$180 difference on the cards at Newegg. It would definitly be worth it. But, the first tester would be out $113 if it didn't work. I guess you could always solder the old RAM back on and reflash...

http://www.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail!!!!!!!354975&Row=295074&Site=US

edit: link not working right, just do a search for the chip: 48Lc32m16a2, it's a Micron 512Mb (64MB) IC.

That's the 64MB RAM chip needed. $48 each. That drops it down to a $130ish savings, plus the labor. Still doing OK, I think.
 
for $48 for a new chip...that's almost nothing :D The labor would equate to fun for me, + I have access to SMT equipment to changing it out wouldn't be a big deal.

It's kinda hard to tell, and I didn't have the time right now, but you may also need to change the capacitor layout near that ram chip. You can see the XM card has the pads there already for the larger chip. It is quite possible that all that is needed is a new chip and no flash. dunno...who's gonna try first??? ;)

I don't even have a X-Fi card yet...love to get one though. My original SBLive! card is really showing it's age when the onboard sound is just as clear :p
 
Well yes they all use the same PCB and the silkscreened number is same on all, thats NEVER been a question I thought. Its whats used on it thats different depending on card. Don't fool yourself for even a minute that CL is gonna toss on bits a particular card "normally" wouldnt use. Its how they make their coin and wasting parts is not a cost effective behavior on their part.

I wouldnt be suprised if the cards would at minimum after changing the chip need a firmware change and thats gonna be issue. Since CL says it, the firmware, isnt flashable on our end not sure how you can do it. Heck even with the Music and Plat if you have NF4 MB issues you have to mail your card to them at CL and they redo things, firmware wise. Since thew issue is religated to the 2 meg cards I cant help but suspect is more to it than just one chip.

Anyway, as long as the ppl experimenting realize all this I wish you good luck but think its a pipedream, its not like flashing a 9800 to a 9800 pro where the BBA cards all used the exact same layout/chips.
 
From Maximum PC (http://www.maximumpc.com/2005/09/creative_labs_s.html). It is just a lower amount of XRAM, just not enough to do shit.

Creative is building the X-Fi into three distinct PCBs, with four versions of the card available at retail: The basic X-Fi XtremeMusic features a multichannel 24-bit Cirrus Logic DAC, a Wolfson 24-bit ADC, and 2MB of “XRAM.” The X-Fi Platinum adds a bay adapter to the XtremeMusic. The Fatal1ty FPS uses the same DACs as the XtremeMusic but ups the XRAM to 64MB and gives you a status LED. All three can hit 109dB SNR, which is just a tick better than the 2 ZS’ 108dB. The Elite Pro can hit 116dB thanks to its higher-end AKM DAC. What’s XRAM for? It will act as a local audio buffer eventually, but right now, it doesn’t do much.
Click to expand...
 
Let's score some typical Maximum BS:

"The Elite Pro can hit 116dB thanks to its higher-end AKM DAC."

Last time I checked, the ADC was AKM, and the DAC was a Cirrus Logic, in fact 4 of them.

"What’s XRAM for? It will act as a local audio buffer eventually, but right now, it doesn’t do much."

Except allow 128 voices in heavy duty games, and lowers CPU hit in CMSS-3D. Not much at all... :rolleyes:
 
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