Creative... Its Almost April Guys...

[Venomous]

Whats the deal? $200 soundcards and we cant even get driver releases to fix issues? This is just asinine.

 

[Luckyboy1]

As in all things driver, I'd rather have the right driver than the right now driver.

 

[jdkick]

IMO, Creative's driver support has been sucky for quite a long time... and it's getting even worse lately.

Me, i'm fine with most integrated solutions. I don't see myself buy a PCI/PCI-Express based audio card anytime soon... and if I do, I hope it won't be a Creative product.

 

[magomago]

This is what happens when a company corners the market on consumer products. Why should they spend time to fix bugs? Even though some people bitch, I wouldn't hesitate to say most PCs that are built will include one of their cards.
Even those who bitch ALWAYS include that Creative soundcard for their next pc...

as for me, I'm sitting on my nforce2. My 2400+ is going to have to push me three more years anyways, and hopefully three years from now there will be SOMETHING...

but knowing the way the market works, it'll probably still be creative :\

 

[biostud]

Creative have never been known for their strong driver support.

 

[iRONic]

Creative Labs: "Silence, mindless consumer! Your new drivers will be written when we're done coding more bloatware."

 

[iRONic]

Originally posted by: jdkick

Me, i'm fine with most integrated solutions. I don't see myself buy a PCI/PCI-Express based audio card anytime soon... and if I do, I hope it won't be a Creative product.

I miss my Soundstorm...

 

[jlbenedict]

Originally posted by: magomago
This is what happens when a company corners the market on consumer products. Why should they spend time to fix bugs? Even though some people bitch, I wouldn't hesitate to say most PCs that are built will include one of their cards.
Even those who bitch ALWAYS include that Creative soundcard for their next pc...

as for me, I'm sitting on my nforce2. My 2400+ is going to have to push me three more years anyways, and hopefully three years from now there will be SOMETHING...

but knowing the way the market works, it'll probably still be creative :\

Exactly! When you have monopolized the sound card market, you pretty much control every aspect, from release of products, to support, driver releases, etc...

 

[Luckyboy1]

And we all support an alternative to Creative's spyware laden, bloated, don't need it, want it or could ever use it garbage how?

 

[BDawg]

After owning an SB Live and all the problems with it, I decided I would never own another SB product until they started working on drivers again. I tried using on-board sound and the popular Chaintech model, but was never happy.

I ended up buying a X-Fi Platinum and have been very happy. I've experienced no problems with it (besides the recorder crashing if I switch modes {hate the modes}). If I were, I'd be banging the driver drums too.

 

[Luckyboy1]

Most of what people are unhappy with are NOT the drivers. It's either the hardware that doesn't have its own APU like the BlastaMasta or all the extra garbage beyond the basic driver package that nobody uses and ads processes galore that bog down your system and they simply will not reboot into safe mode and rid themselves of all the AOL and other offers they get every time they download just about anything from Creative.

Don't ever even bother using the install disc that comes with the part. Just simply download the driver update. It has the complete driver in it.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: jlbenedict

Originally posted by: magomago
This is what happens when a company corners the market on consumer products. Why should they spend time to fix bugs? Even though some people bitch, I wouldn't hesitate to say most PCs that are built will include one of their cards.
Even those who bitch ALWAYS include that Creative soundcard for their next pc...

as for me, I'm sitting on my nforce2. My 2400+ is going to have to push me three more years anyways, and hopefully three years from now there will be SOMETHING...

but knowing the way the market works, it'll probably still be creative :\

Exactly! When you have monopolized the sound card market, you pretty much control every aspect, from release of products, to support, driver releases, etc...

Monopoly? I do not think so. According to Valve's automated survey of PC hardware most "Gamers" are using Realtek based AC97 Audio and few People are using the X-Fi. The data below suggets that most users are probably using some sort of intergrated audio soltion.

Realtek AC97 Audio 132,063 25.85 %
SoundMAX Digital Audio 53,689 10.51 %
C-Media Wave Device 44,860 8.78 %
NVIDIA nForce Audio 36,442 7.13 %
SB Audigy 2 ZS Audio 17,005 3.33 %
Modem #0 Line Playback 14,028 2.75 %
Realtek HD Audio rear output 13,892 2.72 %
SB Audigy Audio 11,098 2.17 %
SB Live! Audio 10,561 2.07 %
Avance AC97 Audio 8,554 1.67 %
SigmaTel Audio 8,354 1.64 %
Bluetooth Audio 8,172 1.60 %
Creative Sound Blaster PCI 7,413 1.45 %
Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit 7,082 1.39 %
Modem #1 Line Playback 6,270 1.23 %
SB Live! Wave Device 6,211 1.22 %
Vinyl AC'97 Audio (WAVE) 6,108 1.20 %
Realtek HD Audio output 6,045 1.18 %
SB Audigy 2 Audio 5,704 1.12 %
SB X-Fi Audio 5,522 1.08 %
Other 101,836 19.93 %

 

[Eddieo]

I like my intergrated cmedia just fine.

 

[Luckyboy1]

Just fine? I've got Realthingy onboard just like the rest of you and it's disabled in the bios in favor of an Audigy 2ZS card. Not only do I get much, much better quality sound, it also has its' own APU (Audio Processing Unit) that relieves the CPU of some duties your Realthingy stuff does not and therefore, I get a few more frames per second, especially at the low end where it really counts these days and it does all this while being still good enough to migrate into my next build.

X-thingy? Well, when more stuff needs it to operate at full capacity, then you might, and I mean just might get something beyond bragging rights out of it.

So, using a stat that says people don't go for X-thingy is just a half lie when uused to justify staying with onboard sound in most cases.

Yes, some Soundstorm boards had their own APU as well. IMO, they didn't take the market by storm because you didn't get as good of sound quality while using it like you did with the Audigy 2.

 

[Luckyboy1]

Having the mostest of use sometimes just shows where the lemmings run, that's all!

 

[Brian48]

IMO, Creative's driver support has been sucky for quite a long time... and it's getting even worse lately.

I disagree. Having sound cards of various makes and brands, Creative's driver support has been just as good if not better than most of their competitors, especially for the newer products. You're not going to see a monthly release just like you do with ATI's Catalyst drivers if that's what you're looking for.

Also, what exactly is wrong the current drivers? The drivers for the X-Fi has been updated twice since it first came out last fall. The current (official) beta has been out for a while as well and it has worked flawlessly as far as I can tell. The next scheduled release is due next month, just prior to the beta's expiration. You can't wait until April?

 

[BFG10K]

$200 soundcards and we cant even get driver releases to fix issues

What issues? The X-Fi's drivers have been literally perfect for me.

 

[Howard]

****** Creative. I still hate them for bankrupting Aureal, and now there aren't really any real competitors for gaming sound cards.

 

[Gagan]

Youguys may have your opinion on creative

One thing I will give them is Kudos for PHENOMENAL X64 xfi drivers. I cannot believe how compacted and efficient the panel they really are

Considering they came out nearly right after x64 release, *tips hat*

 

[JEDIYoda]

There really doesn`t need to be any competitors when you have such a fine company as Creative. No driver issues at all ever. All I have ever owned are Creative cards!!
I even have one of the very first Sound blaster cards laying around here somewhere!! A very satisfied Creative User!!

 

[Janet Reno]

Why is it everyone thinks you need a creative card if you want to game?

Try an Auzentech X-plosion with some digital speakers, such as the popular gaming set by Logitech, the z5500. No more annoying hiss noise since you can connect digitally, and true 5.1 sound in games.

 

[Luckyboy1]

Originally posted by: Janet Reno
Why is it everyone thinks you need a creative card if you want to game?

Try an Auzentech X-plosion with some digital speakers, such as the popular gaming set by Logitech, the z5500. No more annoying hiss noise since you can connect digitally, and true 5.1 sound in games.

Janet baby! How could you ask such a thing! Actually, a good question! It's called APU. An Audigy 1 or 2 or 4 or Xthingy has its own APU or Audio Processing Unit. It frees up the CPU to do other things and gives me another 4-8 frames per second, especially at the low end numbers (minimum) where it really counts these days. Also, please do not confuse the quality of sound you get with some cheap Soundblaster card vs. my Audigy 2 ZS card.

 

[fire400]

hands down, Creative is number for sound cards in the market.

I have an X-fi, the hardware works well with the software, flawless compared to any integrated sound. BF2/UT2004 with max sound settings turned on, 0% loss of framerate.

 

[Venomous]

Originally posted by: Brian48

IMO, Creative's driver support has been sucky for quite a long time... and it's getting even worse lately.

I disagree. Having sound cards of various makes and brands, Creative's driver support has been just as good if not better than most of their competitors, especially for the newer products. You're not going to see a monthly release just like you do with ATI's Catalyst drivers if that's what you're looking for.

Also, what exactly is wrong the current drivers? The drivers for the X-Fi has been updated twice since it first came out last fall. The current (official) beta has been out for a while as well and it has worked flawlessly as far as I can tell. The next scheduled release is due next month, just prior to the beta's expiration. You can't wait until April?

Im having odd sounds problems here and there... I figured buying this card last month, with the new ROM update and their newest drivers they had released in Nov, i wouldnt have any issues. I havent had hardware issues in many years, until i plopped this card in the system.. I guess ill wait next month for new official drivers.

 

[Gagan]

fire, our computers should mate! We're the only ones with 7800 512'sd in SLI!