RETROKOMODO wrote on 2024-08-12, 10:20:

Hi all, I've wondered for a while about the X-FI cards and their claims of getting better FPS performance in games, so i'm putting a build together to test. What I think would be best would be a single core cpu as I don't want multiple cores picking up background system processes to run, and more of a difference in freed up CPU resources might be seen.

I don't think you'll be able to get a meaningful comparison between the Audigy and X-Fi cards, because the latter support a higher number of hardware voices (128 vs. 64) and EAX 5.0, which in itself might be more demanding.

Back in the day, Anandtech didn't find any benefits to frame rate from using an X-Fi card during their initial review. However, the situation might be different now, with newer drivers and later game patches. I'm certainly curious about the results, especially in games which use the Doom 3 engine. It should also be interesting to see if the higher amount of X-RAM on the premium cards makes any difference.

RETROKOMODO wrote on 2024-08-12, 10:20:

I have mobo's for both so I don't need to buy something just for this one, but i'd need a suitably rubbish PCIe card to again be low enough performance to easily see a difference. Alternatively an Athlon XP setup, probably a 2500+ with maybe an ATI 9800 Pro as a GPU?

I think you actually want to use the most powerful GPU that you have. The goal is to be CPU limited, and not GPU limited. The freed up CPU cycles from using the X-Fi wouldn't show up if your GPU is the bottleneck. Maybe also reduce the graphical settings to the lowest for some tests, as that will make the frame rate entirely CPU bound.

Fab - thanks!
Well I obviously want to avoid Vista, so i'm looking at using XP. The most powerful card I have to hand for XP is a GTX 980 with modded drivers which means no Athlon XP or other AGP systems, and still leaves the CPU question. Get a purely single core chip? or disable extra cores on something else I have laying around like an e8500? To hand I have:

P4 2.6 - SL6QA
Pentium D 945 -SL9QB
Celeron E3300 - SLGU4
Core 2 Duo 4400 - SLA3F
Core 2 Duo 6600 - SL9S8
Core 2 Duo E7400 - SLB9Y
Core 2 Duo E7500 - SLGTE
Core 2 Duo E8500 - SLB9K
Pentium Dual Core E5200 - SLAY7 (it says SLAY so it must be good)

My main testing rig has an E7600 but that may be too much!

RETROKOMODO wrote on 2024-08-12, 11:22:

Well I obviously want to avoid Vista, so i'm looking at using XP.

Yeah, definitively stick with WinXP. Vista and up removed DirectSound support, so it wouldn't make sense to do any hardware accelerated audio testing there.

The most powerful card I have to hand for XP is a GTX 980 with modded drivers , but that still leaves the CPU question. Get a purely single core chip? or disable extra cores on something else I have laying around like an e8500? I'm sure I have a slower 775 floating around somewhere..

Technically, you could use an i5 3770K or something and disable all cores but one in the BIOS. But I think any difference that the sound card makes by offloading CPU cycles would actually show up better on a slower CPU. So probably a single core LGA775 Celeron or something.

Ok then - Celeron 430? I imagine that would be pretty horrendous?

RETROKOMODO wrote on 2024-08-12, 11:42:

Ok then - Celeron 430? I imagine that would be pretty horrendous?

Yeah, that slowpoke should be fine.

My only concern is that the drivers for the GTX 980 might have some overhead due to being too new for that CPU. Maybe go for a GeForce 9800 GTX instead, using period correct drivers.

I have an 8800 GTS, 7600 GT, 8500 GT, Titan, or an HD 7970 Ghz Ed nearby. I see Anandtech tested with a 7800 GTX, so 8800 GTS?

RETROKOMODO wrote on 2024-08-12, 12:06:

I see Anandtech tested with a 7800 GTX, so 8800 GTS?

Should be fine. Stick with Nvidia drivers from late 2008 or so, and you shouldn't have any issues. Unless you plan on testing games newer than that.

For Doom 3 and similar games, I suggest running one test at a period correct mainstream resolution like 1280x1024 with all details maxed, and another one at 640x480 with all graphical settings at their lowest. The latter will be entirely CPU bound, so the benefits of the X-Fi (if any) should be most evident there.

Okeydokie - one Celeron 430 bought for £5.50 😉

Very interesting, I'm looking forward for the results

Awesome!! Im looking forward to the results!

Sempron 150 from AMD and Celeron G470 from Intel are fastest single core CPU-s that i know. Still AMD Sempron 150 can be unlocked to dual core CPU from bios and fastest single core CPU for the 775 socket is Celeron 450.

AMD Sempron 150 2.9GHz AM3
https://www.techpowerup.com/cpu-specs/sempron-150.c821

Intel Celeron G470 2.0GHz S1155
https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Celeron_Dual-C … X80623G470.html

Celeron 450 2.2GHz S775
https://www.techpowerup.com/cpu-specs/celeron-450.c845

True, but I don't want the CPU to be too fast!