[CrazyHeaven]

I'm about to buy a new sound card tonight and was looking to get the best one. It would seem my choices are the x-fi extreme music and the x-fi extreme gamer. I don't really care for x-ram as only a small few games support it. I listen to music as well as play games and watch movies on my pc. I'll spend 150 max on these. Any clue which one I should get?

I realize there is a ton of other threads out there on this very thing. Sadly, the only added to my confusion when reading them.

 

[DeeJay1337]

If I were you I'd get the X-FI Music reason being: It's more for music even though it is great for games also. Not many games support the X-Ram yet... but its more for music listening and you can hook up a guitar or amp or what not. Its generally up to you but I think that the X-Fi Extreme Music is better in a sense.

 

[CrazyHeaven]

Thank you for the fast reply. I also noticed some nice rebates on a few different cards. Let me know which one you guys think is better.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829102163
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS Platinum

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829102190
Creative SOUND BLASTER X-Fi Platinum 7.1

Why did they have to make sound card buying so confusing?

 

[Pegasus]

go for whatever u can afford, theyre the same card but one has xram the other doesnt, the only game i can think of that suports x ram is bf2 and bf2142, even then ur only gonn get like a 5-10 fps boost, it all comes down to budget, if u can afford the xtreme gamer then whatever go buy it, if u cant the xtreme music is fine, dont forget they are X FI's ur not gonna find a better soundcard!

 

[CrazyHeaven]

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=290238

I'm thinking that is one the one I'm going to get.

 

[ElMikeTheMike]

Thats a good one. You cant go wrong with X-Fi. The drivers are the best out there, hands down. Dont go audigy or some other brand.

 

[lightsource]

Keyword YET.

You guys are saying that X-Ram isn't being used YET. But think about it, I'm still using one of my Sound Blaster Live! Sound Cards in one of my friends rig, and I got that card in '99.

So that card lasted about 8 years, so with X-Fi being new tech and not seeing anything new over the horizon, I say get the XtremeGamer and don't worry about getting anything else for a while. I think you'll be glad.

 

[ElMikeTheMike]

Look for the X-Fi platinum then if you want that I/O drive.

 

[CrazyHeaven]

So your saying get the platinum instead? The platinum as far as I could see didn't have the added ram. Even though it isn't used YET as lightsource stated.

Quote:

In addition to providing outstanding gaming performance, the Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS includes all of the standard features, application software, power and performance capabilities of the Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum and Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic.

That added with the ram seems like the best of all worlds for the same price as the gamer after rebate.

 

[Pegasus]

like i said, if you'v got the cash get the xtreme gamer, i wouldnt even consider platinum/elite pro, ure just paying for a front panel =/
so xtreme music if u dont have the cash and xtreme gamer if you do

either way u'll be happy with ur choice mate

 

[lightsource]

PERSONALLY, the Fatal1ty FPS isn't working for me because the front audio jack panels only offer 1 6.35mm to 3.5mm, and even though it's cheap to buy another one, I really don't want that much stuff in the front.

I wouldn't buy anything more than the XtremeGamer.

 

[tubnotub1]

Just as a note, the XtremeGamer, linked here: http://www.creative.com/products/pro...&product=15853 does NOT have x-ram, only the XtremeGamer Fati1ity has the x-ram. I personally would go with the xtrememusic, I love mine.

 

[onioneater36]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyHeaven http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=290238 I'm thinking that is one the one I'm going to get.

Newegg currently has that same model for $133 after rebates. Save more bling...

]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...829102189#spec

 

[CrazyHeaven]

I understand what everyone is saying. I wouldn't want to pay more for the panel. I'm actually saving money by getting the panel. Zipzoomfly with 2 day 1.99 shipping comes out around 10 dollars cheaper than the X-Fi Gamer after rebates.

It's not that I didn't have more than 150 to spend. I just didn't want to spend more than that on a sound card. At least with the rebates I know I'm getting the money back.

 

[Pegasus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubnotub1 Just as a note, the XtremeGamer, linked here: http://www.creative.com/products/pro...&product=15853 does NOT have x-ram, only the XtremeGamer Fati1ity has the x-ram. I personally would go with the xtrememusic, I love mine.

sorry my mistake, then what is the difference between the xtreme msuic and the xtreme gamer?

 

[Rakukojin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pegasus sorry my mistake, then what is the difference between the xtreme msuic and the xtreme gamer?

The XtremeGamer has less I/O connection ports than the XtremeMusic and it's smaller too. They perform the same though.

 

[CrazyHeaven]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakukojin The XtremeGamer has less I/O connection ports than the XtremeMusic and it's smaller too. They perform the same though.

But the extreme gamer seemed to cost 50 dollars more than the extreme music. I order the X-Fi Fatal1ty. The extrememusic wasn't even carried by newegg which made me wonder about it.

I think they put all those different names out there for the full purpose of confusing us. As long as they get me some good sounds I'm not going to complain. The sound card is the one thing I've never updated. My friends tell me I had no idea what I was missing.

Now to save up and get me some of those headphones they were talking about in another thread.

 

[CrazyHeaven]

Thank you guys for all the help. A couple of weeks down the line we will go through this again with the headset lol.

 

[galil3o]

i was actually looking to get the non fatalty version of the xtremegamer, right around the price of the xtrememusic + heatsink which i think may be helpful. there both like 90 bucks on newegg

 

[CrazyHeaven]

Newegg is out of stock on the xtrememusic. The xtremegamer is like 139. Oh wait. You know I just realized that there's a fatalty and a non fatalty.

Now I understand what everyone has been saying. *puts on the stupid hat*