So I actually bought a gaming computer *gasp*
Mar 21, 2009 at 6:08 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 45
Gluegun

Gluegun

Headphoneus Supremus
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..And I have been out of the loop for a VERY long time regarding sound cards. I could salvage a turtle beach santa cruz out of my old dell, but can anyone say "long in tooth"?

Anyway, I have some swan 2.0 speakers (d1080's mk II) and some beyerdynamic dt770 pro headphones (latest 80 ohm version), and I was wondering what is a good gaming and music sound card? Didnt creative FINALLY let someone else use a recent version of eax? Maybe something that will encode games live to dolby digital or dts should I find myself the owner of some normal home theater speakers? Thanks!
 
Mar 21, 2009 at 6:43 AM Post #2 of 45
Creative licenced use of the X-Fi chipset itself to Auzen a few years ago, giving us the X-Fi Prelude, its a good board, as well as the rest of the X-Fi lineup overall (don't care what the snobbies want to say
tongue.gif
)

as far as "something that will encode games live to dolby digital", you're kidding right? you know...Dolby Digital Live, DTS Neo:pC, etc? (out of the loop, no'rly?)

what kind of "gaming computer" doesn't come with some upsold audio card? (most Alienware's and similar drop an X-Fi into the box just because of its "EAX EAX EAX FOR GAMES EAX GAMES GAMES" marketing)
 
Mar 21, 2009 at 7:13 AM Post #3 of 45
Prelude. It is what I am going for for my gaming LAN setup (D1080MKII and ESW-8 although I am considering swapping D1080MKII for A2).
 
Mar 21, 2009 at 4:54 PM Post #4 of 45
Look into the auzentech x-fi forte. It's supposed to be the best gaming card out there...at least by word of mouth. Personally, I have considered the HT omega claro halo xt and the asus xonar essence stx and am probably going to get the HT. I think these two cards are better for music and still pretty good for gaming. Check it out!

As far as eax is concerned, i think the HT, which isn't creative, only has eax 2.0
 
Mar 21, 2009 at 7:43 PM Post #5 of 45
I knew a ton of cards had the "encode to dolby digital" thing, I just forgot exactly what it was CALLED. And to answer your questions, a CHEAP gaming computer, $420 AFTER shipping. It tried to get me to buy an x-fi, but I chose not to, cause I am pretty good at installing my own sound cards!
 
Mar 21, 2009 at 10:34 PM Post #6 of 45
Building your own performance comp is so much more awesome...
 
Mar 21, 2009 at 10:43 PM Post #7 of 45
I would not get an X-fi, although it sounds decent (nothing special) it can cause problems if you do not know its quarks. For example, to make it useful in games with any OS other than XP, it needs a program called alchemy. This is hit or miss, and when it is miss it is a problem. Blue screens, echos, game freezes, random sounds...

I do not know which model, but the Asus sound cards look like the future.

Computer:
Core 2 Quad @3.0
3GB of Adata
Radeon 4870
et all

Edit: If you want to use the digital out, you want a card with Dolby Digital Live.
 
Mar 21, 2009 at 10:51 PM Post #8 of 45
Have used both an X-Fi Preluede and an Asus XonarD2 for gaming recently. Both did a fine job. I preferred the Xonar for gaming with headphones but the X-Fis have the edge on consistent EAX compatibility.
 
Mar 21, 2009 at 11:13 PM Post #9 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ares /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Ito make it useful in games with any OS other than XP, it needs a program called alchemy. This is hit or miss, and when it is miss it is a problem.


Yeah pretty annoying you have to use that (under Vista)
 
Mar 22, 2009 at 9:52 AM Post #12 of 45
under XP, the X-Fi is still king for gaming (no if's, and's or but's), ALchemy isn't really that bad under Vista, although it does have hiccups (Asus' drivers and EAX emulation aren't exactly flawless either)

as far as the "X-fi forte is supposed to be the best", based on what? its an X-Fi solution, it doesn't have some special better version of the processor, and its a lower cost board than the Prelude and a number of other solutions (like Xonar D2/X), its targetted at a lower market segment, so again, based on what?

as far as the "whats the encoding to dolby digital live" thing called, ....its "encoding to dolby digital", and its called Dolby Digital Live, almost every modern add-in card supports it (Asus, Creative, HT Omega, Auzen, etc)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gluegun
It tried to get me to buy an x-fi, but I chose not to, cause I am pretty good at installing my own sound cards!


so lemme get this right? because you're too prideful to take included hardware, you're gonna be buying the X-Fi 3rd party, not have it under the same blanket warranty, and this is all "cause I am pretty good at installing my own sound cards!", alright man, whatever you say
 
Mar 22, 2009 at 12:35 PM Post #13 of 45
X-fis in general is good. Having owned the Xtrememusic and now the Elite PRO. It´s great if you like sound being neutral and detailed rather then warm and muddy. While still in case of the Elite PRO have all the bottom end you need. I tried the x-meridian and it was simply to warm for my taste while otherwise being close in SQ to the Elite PRO. The Prelude is supposed to share many of the characteristics of the X-meridian. So yes they are good cards that now also supports dolby encoding like the Auzentech cards. No dolby headphone though just CMSS3D. As for EAX not working to well under Vista... Well the trend with games being multi platforms seem to ditch EAX and such that doesn´t work on the consoles anyway. So it´s sadly not much of a problem that there is issues with EAX in Vista with some games. I still preferr XP for gaming it works better in more cases then not for general performance. Far Cry 2 being the exception so far.
 
Mar 22, 2009 at 12:37 PM Post #14 of 45
Quote:

Originally Posted by oqvist /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Well the trend with games being multi platforms seem to ditch EAX and such that doesn´t work on the consoles anyway. So it´s sadly not much of a problem that there is issues with EAX in Vista with some games.


another great point, between the Xbox360/PC multi-platform thing, and the dropping of EAX/DSD3D support under Vista, EAX is considered depricated, and no longer suggested for new designs (Creative's official line on it, basically, is to move to OpenAL, and stop worrying about EAX for effects)

question on the Elite Pro (why all caps? y so srs?): did they finally put a decent headamp into their consumer cards, or is it still the same crap they've been pushing since Audigy 1?
 
Mar 22, 2009 at 1:32 PM Post #15 of 45
For XP, yeah, I'd go X-fi for gaming as some games throw hissy fits (Blue screens) at Asus sound drivers on XP.
I know that Valve made games work fine = good.

If you lsiten to music more = better alternatives (e.g. Asus' line) out there.
 
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