Sigmatel STAC9221D vs Creative X-Fi xtrememusic

[Talcite]

Ok I'm having problems with the drivers from intel, and i'm considering just buying another soundcard. These both have great features and HD audio, but the drivers from intel blow.

The X-FI also doesn't support my OS 0.o. I'm running windows 2000. Now I have a chance to get the X-FI for 50 bucks CDN. The deal ends tomorrow, so i really want to decide soon.

Basically, if i get it fixed, i'll have an excess sound card. If i don't get it fixed, I'll have a soundcard.

My question is: What is the quality difference between the X-Fi and the onboard audio? or the audigy 4SE vs the onboard audio?

Is it worth the 50 bucks?

 

[Howard]

You could always sell the X-Fi for at least what you paid for it.

 

[Talcite]

... Smart man howard.

I'm buying the X-Fi. Thanks guys. xD

 

[darkswordsman17]

The X-Fi will be better if you're using analog out to computer speakers. The only way I'd probably recommend the onboard is if you were using DDL out to a reciever. Gaming performance on the X-Fi will be better, and the sound quality should be marginally better.

Yeah, for that price, get the X-Fi. Its a nice card and you can always sell it if you happen to not like it not that much.

 

[Auric]

X-Fi won't install and function on 2000 or the company does not guarantee compatability and will not provide technical support?

To parrot meself... relative sound quality is a red herring and the industry average is higher today than in the past. The real difference comes in sound content to which there is no equivalent since only the Audigy and X-Fi DSPs are capable of producing the maximum effects made available by game developers. It only varies by how much the effects are dumbed-down in lieu of those DSPs (the reason for specifying DSP is that some Audigy models use a lower-end controller or are host-based via USB).

Worse, it may result in software translation when OpenAL does not exist and/or reversion to software mode even when a hardware controller exists. Like it or not, SoundBraster [sic] is the PC gaming standard and developers are loathe to spend money programming for "oddball" devices so it often amounts to supporting only the lowest common denominator features.

Indeed why should they assume the burden since the fully featured cards only cost $30-60 it is difficult to justify not getting one for games which cost that much each. I've also said this before but in some cases that cost must also be considered versus the difference between one CPU model and the next highest that only performs a few percent better -in which case the sound card is good bang for the rupee.

Note also that Vista reportedly offers no HWA of DS3D and some major developers are already using OpenAL so it may be foolhardy to spend moolah on a hardware game card that does not support it.

The bad thing about onboard audio is you can't avoid paying for it. The good thing is it is always there to fall back upon if it proves adequate for the intended use (i.e. not games).

If you've bothered to read this far you could be excused for thinking this a ra-ra post for one company's products but I think the facts would remain. For the record, I would much prefer open standards to proprietary API's or extensions but sometimes it takes a vested interest to drag the industry forward.