Anyone Use This Card Yet or...

[Quiksilver-CS]

Has Anyone actually used this card yet.
Creative Soundblaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatality Professional

I'm actually quite curious about this card as it doesn't have the front panel option, the previous fatality version had. I also was interested what kind of performonce benefits over the Xtrememusic and Platinum editions. Lastly, i'm also curious if it still has those "crackling" noises the early fatatlity versions had.

So, has anyone used this card, or know of a hardware review of it (other than the half-assed ones included on newegg?)

 

[krfan1]

I would guess it is the regular card bundled with the ExtremeGamer software. The same card with the front panel is around $190 on Newegg.

However, the pins are on the back of the card that if you decide to, you can buy the front panel in the future and connect it to the card you linked to.

 

[TedMC]

I ordered this card on sunday and got it today. It is basically a fatality without the upper panel and remote control. It does come with the fatality card as far as I can tell. Model No is SB 046A. Card does have the x-ram installed and comes with the console software to put the card in gamer mode. I upgraded from a 4 yr old Audigy Gamer (orig version) and this card is much better. No drop of fps at all. The queston is that with the rebate offered by newegg on the X-Fi platinum ,the fatality Pro winds up costing around $20 bux more (but no rebate to wait for either)
This was,for me ,well worth it

edit>>> my card came with a heat sink on the processor<<<<

 

[halcyon]

I ordered this card on sunday and got it today. It is basically a fatality without the upper panel and remote control. It does come with the fatality card as far as I can tell. Model No is SB 046A. Card does have the x-ram installed and comes with the console software to put the card in gamer mode. I upgraded from a 4 yr old Audigy Gamer (orig version) and this card is much better. No drop of fps at all. The queston is that with the rebate offered by newegg on the X-Fi platinum ,the fatality Pro winds up costing around $20 bux more (but no rebate to wait for either)
This was,for me ,well worth it

edit>>> my card came with a heat sink on the processor<<<<

Nice card. I think the XG FPS has the newer APU that Creative states is 15% faster. Given that the normal price of an XM is $130 I'd spend the $15 and get the XG FPS. Again, I imagine that's a nice card. A couple of ?s

1. Does it come with the same (nice, IMO) GUI for mode control
2. It's supposed to come with PowerDVD via download for software Dolby Digital and DTS decoding...when you get a chance can you test and post how that goes and how well it works in movies?

If I didn't already have 3 Xtreme Music cards I'd want that just because its shiny and new. I want an Elite Pro without the breakout box (but with its Elite DACs). Come on Creative...you can do it. 8O

 

[TedMC]

>Nice card. I think the XG FPS has the newer APU that Creative states is 15% faster. Given that the >normal price of an XM is $130 I'd spend the $15 and get the XG FPS. Again, I imagine that's a nice card. A >couple of ?s

>1. Does it come with the same (nice, IMO) GUI for mode control
>2. It's supposed to come with PowerDVD via download for software Dolby Digital and DTS >decoding...when you get a chance can you test and post how that goes and how well it works in >movies?

>If I didn't already have 3 Xtreme Music cards I'd want that just because >its shiny and new. I want an >Elite Pro without the breakout box (but with its Elite DACs). Come on Creative...you can do it. 8O[/quote]

Answer 1. Yes it does come with the same GUI control for switching modes
Attempt at Answer 2. To the best of my ability this is the same card as the more expensive fatality (albeit maybe the earlier,slower one) When I orginally looked at buying a new card 2-3 mos ago, I saw that the fatality has the same Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital EX, DTS-EX capabilities as the X-Fi Elite. I am gonna go out on a limb here and speculate it will work with movies.

 

[halcyon]

>Nice card. I think the XG FPS has the newer APU that Creative states is 15% faster. Given that the >normal price of an XM is $130 I'd spend the $15 and get the XG FPS. Again, I imagine that's a nice card. A >couple of ?s

>1. Does it come with the same (nice, IMO) GUI for mode control
>2. It's supposed to come with PowerDVD via download for software Dolby Digital and DTS >decoding...when you get a chance can you test and post how that goes and how well it works in >movies?

>If I didn't already have 3 Xtreme Music cards I'd want that just because >its shiny and new. I want an >Elite Pro without the breakout box (but with its Elite DACs). Come on Creative...you can do it. 8O

Answer 1. Yes it does come with the same GUI control for switching modes
Attempt at Answer 2. To the best of my ability this is the same card as the more expensive fatality (albeit maybe the earlier,slower one) When I orginally looked at buying a new card 2-3 mos ago, I saw that the fatality has the same Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital EX, DTS-EX capabilities as the X-Fi Elite. I am gonna go out on a limb here and speculate it will work with movies.[/quote]

Hmmm...I wasn't aware that ANY of the X-Fi cards offered HARDWARE AC3/DTS decoding...are you certain about this?

 

[TedMC]

>Nice card. I think the XG FPS has the newer APU that Creative states is 15% faster. Given that the >normal price of an XM is $130 I'd spend the $15 and get the XG FPS. Again, I imagine that's a nice card. A >couple of ?s

>1. Does it come with the same (nice, IMO) GUI for mode control
>2. It's supposed to come with PowerDVD via download for software Dolby Digital and DTS >decoding...when you get a chance can you test and post how that goes and how well it works in >movies?

>If I didn't already have 3 Xtreme Music cards I'd want that just because >its shiny and new. I want an >Elite Pro without the breakout box (but with its Elite DACs). Come on Creative...you can do it. 8O

Answer 1. Yes it does come with the same GUI control for switching modes
Attempt at Answer 2. To the best of my ability this is the same card as the more expensive fatality (albeit maybe the earlier,slower one) When I orginally looked at buying a new card 2-3 mos ago, I saw that the fatality has the same Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital EX, DTS-EX capabilities as the X-Fi Elite. I am gonna go out on a limb here and speculate it will work with movies.

Hmmm...I wasn't aware that ANY of the X-Fi cards offered HARDWARE AC3/DTS decoding...are you certain about this?[/quote]

Scroll down this page.....They have changed the description of the X-Fi Elite,but the other cards still show their hardwade capabilities

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&SubCategory=57&N=2010360057

 

[halcyon]

This was helpful and it explains some things

http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=203,E=0000000000165362736,K=3399,Sxi=1,Case=obj(5764),Kb=ww_english_add,VARSET=ws:http://us.creative.com/

This is my understanding of the X-Fi's capabilities and I'm trying to track some information, and therefore, a link so I can share.

The X-Fi can render AC3 (DD) and DTS audio streams if they're decoded by another means and fed to it. So if you have Power DVD, which can decode the DD and DTS the X-Fi can render those streams. However, it cannot decode those formats on its own...it can render them or pass them through its S/PDIF...but cannot decode them by itself. The free versions of many DVD players don't offer DD/DTS decoding and rely upon a decoder to do this. This is where the X-Fi would come up short...to my understanding.

However, I've also just read this: http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=404,E=0000000000165365136,K=3399,Sxi=1,Case=obj(2929),Kb=ww_english_add,VARSET=ws:http://us.creative.com/

...so what I've written above, if indeed accurate, is not the case with the cards listed. They indeed possess internal decoders. The link points to a European site so I don't know if there's some difference in the European and North American versions.

Please let me know if you find this is indeed not correct. I'm not trying to spread what may be my ignorance.

 

[TedMC]

This was helpful and it explains some things

http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=203,E=0000000000165362736,K=3399,Sxi=1,Case=obj(5764),Kb=ww_english_add,VARSET=ws:http://us.creative.com/

This is my understanding of the X-Fi's capabilities and I'm trying to track some information, and therefore, a link so I can share.

The X-Fi can render AC3 (DD) and DTS audio streams if they're decoded by another means and fed to it. So if you have Power DVD, which can decode the DD and DTS the X-Fi can render those streams. However, it cannot decode those formats on its own...it can render them or pass them through its S/PDIF...but cannot decode them by itself. The free versions of many DVD players don't offer DD/DTS decoding and rely upon a decoder to do this. This is where the X-Fi would come up short...to my understanding.

However, I've also just read this: http://dmzweb4.europe.creative.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=404,E=0000000000165365136,K=3399,Sxi=1,Case=obj(2929),Kb=ww_english_add,VARSET=ws:http://us.creative.com/

...so what I've written above, if indeed accurate, is not the case with the cards listed. They indeed possess internal decoders. The link points to a European site so I don't know if there's some difference in the European and North American versions.

Please let me know if you find this is indeed not correct. I'm not trying to spread what may be my ignorance.

Ok first your links arent working. Second the "entertainment mode" doesnt have DTS or Dolby icons. I guess this cheaper fatality isnt as full featured as the more expensive fatality . Funny thing the card has the same Cirrus Logic CS4982=KQZ chip as the more expensive one has...go figure