Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Help??

[mikeo01]

I will try putting a fan on the card just in case.

If all this does not work out could buying a PCI Express sound card make any difference?

I am thinking, in another post found that my motherboard my HT link is only 1000mhz. Just thinking with an AM3 processor in it could it effect the sound card? Seen as all data travels on the bus there could be delays due to all the devices demanding bandwidth?

So thinking, a PCI-E x1 is faster than a PCI slot, meaning it should get more bandwidth?

[kalniel]

I will try putting a fan on the card just in case.

If all this does not work out could buying a PCI Express sound card make any difference?

Nope, at least, not just for going PCI-E.

I am thinking, in another post found that my motherboard my HT link is only 1000mhz. Just thinking with an AM3 processor in it could it effect the sound card? Seen as all data travels on the bus there could be delays due to all the devices demanding bandwidth?

So thinking, a PCI-E x1 is faster than a PCI slot, meaning it should get more bandwidth?

Sound data is low bandwidth for one, for another, nearly all PCI-E sound cards are actually PCI with a bridging chip, so if anything latency will be even higher.

[mikeo01]

Right, my sound card is fine with 3GB/4GB, anything over is a no go.
Anyone know why?

I just allowed for only 4000MB in Windows boot configuration.

Heres some information which may prove helpful:

To note, 3-15 IRQ is set for PCI slots.

[Conflicts/Sharing]

Resource Device
I/O Port 0x00000000-0x0000000F Direct memory access controller
I/O Port 0x00000000-0x0000000F PCI bus

I/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003DF ATI Radeon HD 4870
I/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003DF PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge

Memory Address 0xF4000000-0xFBFFFFFF PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge
Memory Address 0xF4000000-0xFBFFFFFF Creative SB X-Fi

IRQ 23 Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
IRQ 23 NVIDIA nForce Serial ATA Controller

IRQ 16 High Definition Audio Controller
IRQ 16 Creative SB X-Fi

Memory Address 0xD0000000-0xDFFFFFFF ATI Radeon HD 4870
Memory Address 0xD0000000-0xDFFFFFFF PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge
Memory Address 0xD0000000-0xDFFFFFFF PCI bus

Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF ATI Radeon HD 4870
Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge
Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF PCI bus

I/O Port 0x000003B0-0x000003BB ATI Radeon HD 4870
I/O Port 0x000003B0-0x000003BB PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge

[kalniel]

Ahhh!

This:

http://connect.creativelabs.com/windows/Lists/Audigy%20Issues/DispForm.aspx?ID=37&Source=http://connect.creativelabs.com/windows/Lists/Audigy%2520Issues/AllItems.aspx%3FView%3D{AC4C4640-D50F-4093-B6AE-98EC3B455779}%26FilterField1%3DProduct%26FilterValue1%3DSoun d%2520Blaster%2520Audigy%25202%2520ZS

[Behemoth]

Got an issue with mine, it's reporting what ever speakers I plug into it as 5.1 and they aren't aby what to manually just select stereo speakers ?

[Hicks]

I have the same card and some dodgy behaviour myself, I think its just Creative its always been the same.

For instance on BF3 my sound goes on and off, could be the game so I ignored it and then lately if say I fire a tank while something hits me my PC just restarts and boots back up with no sound. I have to then reseat the card.

[mikeo01]

I think its just Creative. If I have my computer on for 1-2 hours THEN try and run a game (It hates Crysis) it doesn't stop spitting, crackling and then it finally gives up and no sound is output.

Although loud sound on a FPS? When the drivers decide to fail, the card outputs a loud crackling pop noise it does make me jump a bit

HOWEVER it enjoys 3/4GB RAM.

Its a shame ASUS or Xonars are so expensive. My xtremegamer only cost me £15.

Shame Creative don't have more driver support, because they actually have decent sound cards.

I have used 6 speakers for a 7.1 setup (on the console). THX setup is good on the console usually with the setup you can select what speakers you want, and the Audio Console will just ignore any others. I give it that, the Console is good


And Hicks, thats what happened to me. Within Crysis, at high graphical situations, the game would essentially lag and jutter like mad, as if the GPU couldn't handle it, then the sound would output a loud pop, go dead and would get a restart or computer freeze.

I thought it was my graphics card overheating at first, so rammed up the fan (kept the GPU at 40/50 c, CPU at 18 c) still the same. I have 2 side fans too, one directed at the sound card, another 2 fans at front.
Once you reinstall the drivers, it seems to be fine for a day, then it starts all over again.

[kalniel]

Its a shame ASUS or Xonars are so expensive. My xtremegamer only cost me £15.

Asus are cheaper than creative new. DG is only £20 new.

[mikeo01]

But then XtremeGamer is better than the DG. Would want to get a DX than a DG.

[Behemoth]

Mine was an accidental ebay purchase, involving my latop, my cat and buy it now.

[kalniel]

Mine was an accidental ebay purchase, involving my latop, my cat and buy it now.

Catastrophe

[Behemoth]

lol Agreed, ideally I want a PCIE one, in my new SFF build it's a bit too close to my GPU for comfort.

[mikeo01]

I have dual slot GPU, so my sound card is basically hugging it.

Shame I can't run games in peace, after about an hour it decides to mess up my graphics and cause everything to lag.

[Behemoth]

Get shot of it and replace it with something else then ? Couldn't cope with that.

Finally got my xfi to detect my amp properly and I can now tweak my bass setting correctly

[mikeo01]

Yeah I might have to, just a bummer got to spend MORE money on something that Creative doesn't want to fix.

It's either forget over 4GB RAM or replace the sound card.

And yeah I find that with the console, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Such as the service, sometimes Windows audio and Creative audio services don't want to work, sometimes they work.

Talk about dodgy drivers

[mikeo01]

Are any other sound cards as good as the X-FI gamer? All I use it for is analogue (no digital), so basically all I need is something that is good sound, clear.

I like the X-FI crystalizer, the CMSS-3D on the x-fi, but I am not sure if any other sound cards can match it?

Any card which is the same or beat it, Xonar, Auzentech, any other brands you know of?

I can't deal with the x-fi, driving me mad