I've had this card now for about two weeks, and I've put it through it's paces so I think a review is in order.
I chose this card for a few reasons. I had a $100 gift card and was going to go with the vanilla XtremeGamer, but decided to cough up the extra $50 out of my pocket and see if the X-RAM was worth it.
I wasn't expecting much difference over my Audigy2 ZS, but I was pleasantly surprised. Sound quality is much improved. I tested using my DVD-Audio discs and I noticed details that weren't there when using the Audigy. Sadly, Creative doesn't include their MediaSource DVD-Audio Player with this card's bundle. It's listed as being included, but was not installed and I could not find an installer on the disc. Fortunately I was able to download it from the website.
MP3, CD and DVD playback were very good as well. Channel separation is excellent, and as with DVD-Audio, sound was more detailed than with the Audigy.
Features like the 24-bit Crystalizer don't do much, and are overblown in my opinion. The same effect can be achieved with EQ settings, or by simply turning the volume up a bit. I guess it goes without saying that I have it turned off in all modes.
Gaming is another area where the X-Fi shines. BF2 can take advantage of the card's features to unlock the coveted Ultra-High audio setting. This allows a total of 128 simultaneous voices, double that of the High setting. The difference is quite noticeable. Finding targets by sound is appreciably easier, and sounds are very crisp and clear. I haven't seen any noticeable increase in FPS, but I wasn't expecting to in the first place. It would seem that the main benefit of having 64MB of X-RAM on the card is to allow the higher audio setting without lowering performance. The only way I could possibly see the X-Fi raising FPS is if you were upgrading from onboard audio, but then any decent add-in soundcard will, to a certain extent.
Aside from the missing DVD-Audio player, the only other problem I've had with the card was a low hum that occurred once on the first day after I got the card. I plugged in some headphones to make sure my speakers weren't the cause, and it was indeed the card's fault. I had heard of problems with the X-Fi series and NForce4 mobos, but a reboot cleared it up and it hasn't returned.
I give the X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro an overall score of 9.5 out of 10. At $150 it's a bit pricey, but if you want great sound, do your ears a favor and pick one up.
I chose this card for a few reasons. I had a $100 gift card and was going to go with the vanilla XtremeGamer, but decided to cough up the extra $50 out of my pocket and see if the X-RAM was worth it.
I wasn't expecting much difference over my Audigy2 ZS, but I was pleasantly surprised. Sound quality is much improved. I tested using my DVD-Audio discs and I noticed details that weren't there when using the Audigy. Sadly, Creative doesn't include their MediaSource DVD-Audio Player with this card's bundle. It's listed as being included, but was not installed and I could not find an installer on the disc. Fortunately I was able to download it from the website.
MP3, CD and DVD playback were very good as well. Channel separation is excellent, and as with DVD-Audio, sound was more detailed than with the Audigy.
Features like the 24-bit Crystalizer don't do much, and are overblown in my opinion. The same effect can be achieved with EQ settings, or by simply turning the volume up a bit. I guess it goes without saying that I have it turned off in all modes.
Gaming is another area where the X-Fi shines. BF2 can take advantage of the card's features to unlock the coveted Ultra-High audio setting. This allows a total of 128 simultaneous voices, double that of the High setting. The difference is quite noticeable. Finding targets by sound is appreciably easier, and sounds are very crisp and clear. I haven't seen any noticeable increase in FPS, but I wasn't expecting to in the first place. It would seem that the main benefit of having 64MB of X-RAM on the card is to allow the higher audio setting without lowering performance. The only way I could possibly see the X-Fi raising FPS is if you were upgrading from onboard audio, but then any decent add-in soundcard will, to a certain extent.
Aside from the missing DVD-Audio player, the only other problem I've had with the card was a low hum that occurred once on the first day after I got the card. I plugged in some headphones to make sure my speakers weren't the cause, and it was indeed the card's fault. I had heard of problems with the X-Fi series and NForce4 mobos, but a reboot cleared it up and it hasn't returned.
I give the X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro an overall score of 9.5 out of 10. At $150 it's a bit pricey, but if you want great sound, do your ears a favor and pick one up.
