http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/terribad_drivers used for category lists, takes arguments en http://www.maximumpc.com/article/creative_labs_x_fi_xtremegamer_fatal1ty_pro <!--paging_filter--><p> If you read our original review of the X-Fi way back in November 2005, you already know about this card. Back then, Creative packaged this exact same card with a drive bay and remote and charged an impossible to justify $280 for the X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS soundcard. </p> <p> We ended up recommending its cheaper sibling, the X-Fi XtremeMusic instead. </p> <p> Fast-forward a year and a half, ditch the remote and drive bay, and you’ve got the XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series priced at $130 less than the original. But does the X-Fi age like a fine wine or a punch-drunk palooka? For Creative, it’s pure vino! </p> <p> Unlike the other two boards we tested here, the X-Fi continues to use a true DSP with “10,000 MIPS of power.” We don’t know how true that 10K figure is, but in our tests, the X-Fi remains the boss, especially when compared to the CMI8788, which is nothing more than a glorified I/O chip. In FEAR with graphics options cranked down and audio options cranked up to emphasize soundcard performance, the X-Fi led by 10 percent across the board. However, if C-Media ever releases multithreaded audio drivers, the day of the DSP will likely fade. </p> <p> Of course, a good soundcard isn’t just about frame rates. In close listening using reference-quality earphones, two Maximum PC editors favored the X-Fi’s bottom-end push while listening to a variety of 24-bit audio. </p> <p> We also give the edge in gaming fidelity to the X-Fi, as the subtle audio cues in games (in particular, Battlefield 2) stood out with this card. This may be due in part to the developer-relations money Creative spends to help developers utilize its technology. Most top games today support Creative’s OpenAL initiative, which is the only way to get hardware-accelerated positional audio in Microsoft Vista. </p> <p> Although we think the X-Fi is the best of the cards tested here for general PC use, the real-time Dolby Digital encoding of the two other cards and optical SPDIF make them far better suited for home theater use. We must also note that the now-defunct XtremeMusic version of this card can still be found and is a better value. But for gamers, the X-Fi is the best choice. </p> http://www.maximumpc.com/article/creative_labs_x_fi_xtremegamer_fatal1ty_pro#comments Hardware April 2007 Reviews From the Magazine creative Fatal1ty hardware maximum pc Review soundcard terribad drivers vista uncertified x-fi xtremegamer Soundcards 2007 Wed, 09 May 2007 19:20:35 -0500 Gordon Mah Ung 1011 at http://www.maximumpc.com