The Real Difference a X-fi makes - Page 3 - Overclock.net

Stillhouse · 11-06-07

No, the Fatal1ty has the 64MB of XRAM, which is essentially useless. Few games support it, and in those that do(BF2, FEAR) I haven't seen any performance gain. Sound quality will be the same for all the X-Fi series, save for the XAudio which should be avoided like the plague.

Cliff Notes:

If you can find one, get the XMusic. If not, get anything else but the XAudio.

tr8rjohnk · 11-06-07

Quote:

Originally Posted by DUNC4N

Is the above link that I posted essentially the same as say the XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro?

The fatal1ty has the x-ram but mostly the same.

MrSpock2002 · 11-06-07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dezixn

It makes a difference in everything.

EAX is just an added bonus.

Everything sounds better, in every single way. Then there are the nice features, like the Crystalizer which brings out the snappy percussion sounds. That has to be my favorite feature. It makes music sound awesome.

Same. I LOVE Crystalizer!

**soloz2** · 11-06-07

onboard audio is done as cheaply as possible, and it offloads processing to the cpu. A dedicated sound card will process sound on the card and take the load off the cpu. While this isn't a lot it will give you a few extra fps and better sound quality.

The X-Fi is loaded with features specifically to aid positional audio in games and does a great job. For as much gaming as I do I wouldn't think of anything else. I have expensive separates and invest lots of $ into sound quality, yet I still have a card that uses the X-Fi chip

DJ.BigBear · 11-06-07

aaaah... another thread on X-Fi.

question no.1
would i be able to tell the difference? ----- YES

question no.2
will general stuff like avi files,dvd's,mp3,etc sound noticibly different or just games that support high sound quality settings? ----- ALL OF EM!

question no.3
will it be worth it? ----- down to your last penny lad!

question no.4
is it really really really really worth it? ----- like a new revelation sonny!

question no.5
is X-Ram useful? ----- Not Really, only on few games and OpenAL based sound(ie: Prey, Dirt, etc).

question no.6
which X-Fi has X-Ram? ----- FYI, all X-Fi has Ram on it (XMusic has 2MB, XGamer has around 4 to 6MB, while XGFatal1ty, XFatal1ty, XElitePro have 64MB)

question no.7
what is the differences between X-Fis? ----- Ok.. i've made a quick reference on that:
X-Fi Xtreme Audio - Accessories for your barbecue grill or you can use it as a kick ass keychain.
X-Fi Xtreme Gamer, Music, Gamer Fatal1ty, Platinum - sounds the same, plus minus some features.
X-Fi Elite Pro - sounds better since it has a slight difference architecture, and better DAC, Opamps, and Capacitor sizes.
X-Fi Prelude - sounds even better than the rest, since it uses Auzentech technology for sound processing combined with X-Fi chipset.

question no.8
what is this modding i kept hearing of? ----- X-Fi uses cheap, low performing, and unstable components to suppress the selling price, that way we all get cheaper price for x-fi, but also by doing that, it caps out the true potential of your X-Fi.

question no.9
why on earth would i mod my uber expensive card and risk breaking it? ----- too bad my friend, it does wonders to your ears.

question no.10
which X-Fi can be modded? ----- all except Xtreme Audio and Xtreme Gamer.

question no.11
modding it will void my warranty, is there anyway i could have the same audio quality but without voiding any warranty? ----- Get Auzentech X-Fi Prelude.

question no.12
is there any card better than X-Fi? ----- most certainly yes, but not in gaming.

question no.13
do i need the front panel thingy? ----- actually i wouldn't recommend you the front panel.... it degrades the audio quality, if somehow you need it for additional headphone plug, get Plantronics Switcher instead.

question no.14
what are the differences between Xtreme Gamer and the other X-Fi? ----- half height cards, no A/D Link, and cannot be modded.

question no.15
i'm a little low on cash, would Xtreme Audio be enough? ----- actually yes if your budget really cannot be compromised, but i wouldn't recommend you doing so, that card isn't actually an X-Fi....

question no.16
Hey man! your X-Fi sucks! it doesn't work in Vista! ----- try latest driver for X-Fi, it helps a lot... and actually, almost all soundcards are not working perfectly under vista.

question no.17
get a life man! you know too much! ----- i have a life, a great one, if not because of you people keep asking about "is X-Fi really worth it?"

DUNC4N · 11-06-07

Well personally, I don't mind spending a little more for better. I.E. If the "Auzen X-Fi Prelude" is better quality in both sound, and components, than the link I posted above, then I would save a little more and go that route.

Most of the sound out of my rig, is from gaming

Thanks for the advise/tips.

-duncan

DJ.BigBear · 11-06-07

this thread should be stickied.....

bruestle2 · 11-06-07

You can set the cards to add a slight echo effect. This makes music sound awesome!

Because of EAX, you can hear shells hitting the ground, people running behind you, slight echos from loud sounds reflecting off nearby mountains, as well as many environmental effects. These, of course, are dependent on the specific game.

I would certainly suggest buying a sound card! (I have the Creative Xtreme gamer)

**soloz2** · 11-07-07

Quote:

Originally Posted by DUNC4N

Well personally, I don't mind spending a little more for better. I.E. If the "Auzen X-Fi Prelude" is better quality in both sound, and components, than the link I posted above, then I would save a little more and go that route.

Most of the sound out of my rig, is from gaming

Thanks for the advise/tips.

-duncan

the Auzen X-Fi Prelude is better than Creative's offerings. The card uses better components and sounds superior.

I have used a stock XtremeMusic
modded XtremeMusic (check the Incredible X-Fi mod thread for info)
stock Elite Pro
stock Auzen X-Fi Prelude

I had all but the modded XtremeMusic on hand when I got the Auzen

I would rate the Auzen about on par with the heavily modded XtremeMusic, and it has a warranty

both were slightly better than a modded Elite Pro.

So for the money you can't get much better. The only way to get better SQ and still have an X-Fi would be to mod an Elite Pro, or possibly give the Auzen a bigger power cap and some ERS paper.