FWIW, I did see some Mini PC's with PCI-e slot exist with an exterior slot at the back, but they don't seem to be that common?... What specific adapters might I be able to use with any regular Mini PC?

There are external PCIe-to-PCI boxes which may be useful.

andre_6 wrote on 2025-12-22, 18:30:

Hello everyone, […]
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Hello everyone,

So I have this Auzentech X-Fi Forte internal sound card that's PCI-Express low profile, and eventually I will get a Mini PC in the future. However from what I've seen around in person I'm yet to find a sound solution in Mini PCs I've seen and tested that surpasses my trusty X-Fi Forte.

I'd like to ask you if you could please list me my available options as research has been kind of confusing and always ends up prioritising GPUs over internal sound cards, although understandable, and also I'm not that versed in modern options so I'll easily miss something.

Thank you so much for your time and replies!

What mini PC are you talking about?
Old school + XP
Or Windows 11?
Windows 11 25H2 works great (For now, but most likely Microsoft is working on it, In a negative sense) with X-Fi with drivers from Daniel_K.
Even with Secure Boot.
https://danielkawakami.blogspot.com/
They are even signed with some kind of key that doesn't require any additional action.
Just install them.
The only thing is that Core Isolation doesn't work, I don't know what that is. 😀
Of the old Creative based cards, this feature is only implemented in the drivers for Audigy RX PCI-e.
And most likely, it is suitable for the entire PCI Audigy line, since they have the same driver.

The Serpent Rider wrote on Yesterday, 15:14:

There are external PCIe-to-PCI boxes which may be useful.

In what way? Sorry I'm not too versed in these kind of solutions.

shevalier wrote on Yesterday, 15:59:

What mini PC are you talking about? Old school + XP Or Windows 11? Windows 11 25H2 works great (For now, but most likely Microso […]
Show full quote

What mini PC are you talking about?
Old school + XP
Or Windows 11?
Windows 11 25H2 works great (For now, but most likely Microsoft is working on it, In a negative sense) with X-Fi with drivers from Daniel_K.
Even with Secure Boot.
https://danielkawakami.blogspot.com/
They are even signed with some kind of key that doesn't require any additional action.
Just install them.
The only thing is that Core Isolation doesn't work, I don't know what that is. 😀
Of the old Creative based cards, this feature is only implemented in the drivers for Audigy RX PCI-e.
And most likely, it is suitable for the entire PCI Audigy line, since they have the same driver.

I don't have a Mini PC yet, I was asking if someone could please point me out to some options to use my PCI-E low profile X-Fi Forte with it in the future, either adapters, external stuff, or at the limit a good Mini PC which has a physical interface for PCI-E so I could insert the low profile X-Fi Forte at the back.

I don't even know what exact terms I should search for a basic PCIE---» ??? adapter, all I get is practically all external GPU related solutions...

As for software I basically assumed that Windows 11 would take care of it, and if not I would just get Daniel K's drivers which seem to be versatile up to this day, for now at least to the point where it's worth trying to use the Forte sound card.

Basically, I'm trying to get to know the regular options I may have so I don't end up splurging for a Mini PC with a PCI-E slot at the back, only to be told later that I could have had a better/cheaper Mini PC than that plus a simple basic adapter that I missed for not knowing the terms, or an adapter that some guy makes and sells at his own website, to give a more extreme example... that kind of stuff.

Thank you both for your replies, happy holidays btw!

andre_6 wrote on Yesterday, 21:32:

In what way? Sorry I'm not too versed in these kind of solutions.

An external box with adapter that can house full height PCI sounds cards.

andre_6 wrote on Yesterday, 21:32:

As for software I basically assumed that Windows 11 would take care of it, and if not I would just get Daniel K's drivers which seem to be versatile up to this day, for now at least to the point where it's worth trying to use the Forte sound card.

I am sure that Microsoft will sooner or later break the compatibility of X-Fi with Windows 11.
But so far, everything is fine.
So feel free to use it, and happy holidays.