Creative X-Fi mx extreme audio vs gamer

SpectatorX · July 13th, 2009, 10:43 PM

I'm planning to upgrade my audio hardware subsystem. Now i'm using realtek's integrated solution :-) For one weekend i had x-fi mx extreme gamer and this card is for me almost perfect. It gives awesome sound in games, quite not bad with most songs, but not with all of them. Audio edition of this card is similar price and i'm thinking, which one of them to choose? Is audio version way better to listening songs or there is no big differences with sound between audio and gamer editions?

I'm thinking about x-fi mx extreme becouse asus xonar dx is too expensive and i've read about many problems with its drivers.

dzap · July 15th, 2009, 10:59 PM

get the gamer if u play games, that what it stands for, xtreme audio has no audio hardware acceleration. So in games its as good as any inboard audio... Even ~8years old sb live! 5.1 is much better than the xtreme audio in games...
Also it has support for eax 4.0m, while gamer has 5.0. and so on and on. btw gamer card has all options the xtreme audio does for music and movies. I live with sound engineer, so I can trully say that to u, stay away from lower cards than xtreme gamer. Any real dedicated sound card starts at xtreme gamer from creative side. Btw another topic for u if the budget is really in the question, theres a way to make an old sb live 5.1 to work like x-fi series, checked and found sb live! 5.1 for around 10$ with a help of modded drivers from here http://www.overclock.net/sound-cards...it-into-x.html its possible to use crystalizer. So its kinda cheap way up to the high quality sound, hope it helps, btw trying the card with these modded drivers myslef now

SpectatorX · July 15th, 2009, 11:05 PM

So now i'm not sure that changing audio card has sense or not. If gamer is one of best cheap cards and it is not enough well for me i have no idea: to change or not to change.

Do really sb live 5.1 can do all the same things what gamer can?

I had creative soundblaster se and this card with original drivers really suxxx, my integrated one is way better than this "something".

dzap · July 15th, 2009, 11:14 PM

The X-fi xtreme audio doesn't actualy have the x-fi chip in it. Its a rebadged audigy SE. In other words the xtreme gamer is much better. I even dont know why xtreme audio belongs to the X-Fi series at all...

U can look at Asus Xonar DX, since its in the same price range as xtreme gamer... some say its best some say its rubbish, I cant tell, couldn't pick one with my own hands yet

Well from what I know, there are few versions of sb live 5.1, theres value, 24bit, and some more which I cant remember, and from the posted topic, I understand that sb live 5.1 24bit, with its emu10k1 chip is possible of doing most things x-fi xtreme gamer can, tho some say alchemy (which stands for missing info in mp3 recreation) doesnt work, but I'll test that in the following few days, since I found my oldoldold sb live! dusting on the shelf.

Edit some typos

dzap · July 15th, 2009, 11:19 PM

For myself, if I would be looking for a dedicated sound card, I would look at X-Fi Titanium, its 100$ for new, so not much of a difference from xtreme gamer.

SpectatorX · July 15th, 2009, 11:21 PM

If you could test audigy more and compare it with gamer in this topic, pls.

Ye, i've been thinking about xonar but it's 64pln more expensive than gamer and i've heard it has many problems with drivers and working with games, even can crush many games and make them show desktop.

Or let's take it other way, what do you suggest from this list? under 220pln:
http://www.agito.pl/podzespoly-pc/ka...kowe.85.M.html

Mainly i'm shopping at this shop.

dzap · July 16th, 2009, 01:31 AM

well, turns out I got a nice sound card, with the modded drivers it sounds fantastic, cant even compare it to realtek hd audio... its sb live dolby digital 5.1.
Didnt even bother trying those creative features as crystalizer, etc. Will be keeping this setup.
If anyone else has a sound card with emu10k1 chipset and want some modded drivers for it let me know, ill upload them.

dzap · July 16th, 2009, 01:35 AM

the x-fi titanium from ur given link is very tempting... tho a bit over ur limit, thats sad.
Tho whats this Creative X-Fi mX Xtreme Gamer? o.O How its different from just x-fi xtreme gamer? Apart from the price of course..

IModIntel · July 16th, 2009, 06:30 AM

I have the ASUS Xonar DX PCI-E and it's the sound quality it gives out is pretty amazing. For music & movies, it's awesome, but it has shabby EAX support and AWFUL drivers.

SpectatorX · July 16th, 2009, 09:06 AM

Probably only difference between x-fi mx gamer and x-fi gamer is only name, but at all these cards are same cards.

Asus xonar dx - great possibilities, screwed drivers? It makes i wouldn't take this card.