Creative X-Fi boost games by 17% compared to onboard HD.

[VIAN]

http://firingsquad.com/news/pressreleasearticle.asp?searchid=138

 

[Lonyo]

Old-ish news
But most definately true, a true discreet audio solution will lower CPU usage, resulting in increase frame rates in games.
Of course 17% is probably the highest they could get after using different CPU's, making sure the game was CPU limited etc, and ensuring they were using the most taxing audio mode to make the onboard sound need the CPU as much as they could.
(The above is nForce audio solutions on an AMD system which obviously are not 100% comparable with Intel systems, but I would expect results to be fairly similar, although it depends on the motherboard chipset)

 

[xtknight]

No thanks. I'm not spending $300+ on another brand-new Creative product to lower CPU usage by 1% from my Audigy 2 ZS...after all a $300 CPU upgrade would be better, right? What other features does it have that an Audigy 2 doesn't?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Knowing Creative it probably still lacks Dolby Live real-time encoding for the digital outs, so break out the 6 analog cables if you have a home theater receiver.

 

[us3rnotfound]

So is this card out yet?

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: us3rnotfound
So is this card out yet?

Not yet. Read here

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
Not yet. Read here

Do the dew!! Xtreeeeeeme!!!!!

I don't see Dolby Live mentioned anywhere, so no encoding for you.

 

[VIAN]

I couldn't find a release date.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: us3rnotfound
So is this card out yet?

Not yet. Read here

wow, thx

 

[us3rnotfound]

what do you think this card will retail at?

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: us3rnotfound
what do you think this card will retail at?

Let us see, creative labs has a monopoly on the pc gaming audio market. They have not made any real innovation in several years due to them stalling the entire industry since the collapse of Aureal.........


probably more than i am willing to pay

 

[Wag]

Great. Now let them compare it to the Audigy1 and see how much of a difference there is. The Audigy1 supports everything up to EAX4, the same as all their other cards.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Wag
Great. Now let them compare it to the Audigy1 and see how much of a difference there is. The Audigy1 supports everything up to EAX4, the same as all their other cards.

But the Audigy1 isn't "Xtreeme!!!!"

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: Wag
Great. Now let them compare it to the Audigy1 and see how much of a difference there is. The Audigy1 supports everything up to EAX4, the same as all their other cards.

How about the huge leap made between the audigy 2 zs and the audigy 4!

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

Originally posted by: Wag
Great. Now let them compare it to the Audigy1 and see how much of a difference there is. The Audigy1 supports everything up to EAX4, the same as all their other cards.

How about the huge leap made between the audigy 2 zs and the audigy 4!

I thought those were marketed to different audiences? The 4 for external and the 2 for desktops...

-spike

 

[DJLunacy]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Knowing Creative it probably still lacks Dolby Live real-time encoding for the digital outs, so break out the 6 analog cables if you have a home theater receiver.

What do you need 6 cables for? I use My ZS Digital Optical out and connect it to my reciever and it sounds good.