The Serpent Rider wrote on 2023-05-02, 12:19:

Auzentech X-Fi Home Theater HD, X-Fi Titanium, X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty and Titantium HD use identical DSP chip, so 3D audio features are identical. There's no difference outside of DAC quality.

Oh, it's a Retina display, 61Hz playback.
I am very impressed.

Oh, these are headphones for $0.33. These are almost electrostatic Sennheiser HE 1.
I don't feel a difference.
😉

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-05-02, 07:16:

While a higher quality DAC will certainly give you more sound clarity, your average gamer probably won't really notice or care about that.

This is exactly it.

When I was younger, I was a bit more into the whole audiophile thing, but age has dampened that.

While I do still believe in having a certain minimum threshold of audio quality, I find there are diminishing returns as one invests more.

I didn't know about the Onkyo SE-300PCIe, wish I still didn't in a way.

I've a Titanium Fatal1ty Champion for my "ultimate build" but also have a SB0770 OEM variant in a 2nd XP build. I do think a difference exists dropping from an X-Fi down to a Audigy series but I can't tell the difference between the 2 X-Fi cards.
Prices in Auzentech dropped awhile ago thanks to a Windows 10 feature update killing support for the cards. Even still my wallet won over my heart and got a 2nd SB0770 instead for another build.

but for these "ultimate builds" you do need something special. I think the X-Fi based Auzentech cards or the flagship X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion with the shield and drive bay I/O match this criteria.
My rules disqualify the HD range as no official support, but that's just me.

chinny22 wrote on 2023-05-02, 14:32:

or the flagship X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion with the shield and drive bay I/O match this criteria.

Creative has always made flagships so that they stand out.
Even visually from the general range of products.

shevalier wrote on 2023-05-02, 06:25:

sorry for offtopic, but couldn't resist. Sound card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion This is very entry level of X […]
Show full quote

sorry for offtopic, but couldn't resist.
Sound card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion
This is very entry level of X-fi.
Mid - X-fi Titanium HD (sb1270), or AUZEN X-Fi Forte 7.1
Ultimate - Onkyo SE-300PCIe



But 300 USD even now. But Ultimate

Seems a bit cheeky to call the HD or the Forte "mid" 😁 but yeah, the Onkyo is in a class of its own.

I've bought two Fortes in the past year, and admittedly you can rate them mid for longevity. One was DOA and the other suffers from "fuzzing out" after some time running. Prices are going up now and I won't be risking cash on any more.

So it's good old Creative X-Fi's for me. I recently bought a Titanium for my Win11 rig! The final Daniel K drivers support the OS, and I hope that continues for some time before it's killed by some Windows update.

Ha I've got my XP build in that same case. I've managed to wear our the labelling on the front panel cables so I can never tell what is the power switch cable, reset switch cable etc!

Currently got a Core 2 Duo E8500 but I'm tempted to drop in my 1155 Xeon 1240 (which is a i7 2600 basically) board instead. Either way it's paired with an X-fi titanium and GTX 275. The x-fi doesn't seem to support x-fi mode in Battlefield 2 despite it being a showcase game for the card I think? It still supports hardware audio and EAX sound on the High settings just not x-fi mode and ultra high.

Almoststew1990 wrote on 2023-05-09, 15:16:

The x-fi doesn't seem to support x-fi mode in Battlefield 2 despite it being a showcase game for the card I think? It still supports hardware audio and EAX sound on the High settings just not x-fi mode and ultra high.

Ultra High works fine on my X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty PCIe. Is your game fully patched to 1.50?

Yeah the game is patched to 1.41 and then onto 1.50 and I am using the latest drivers for the x-fi (which might be the problem)

Almoststew1990 wrote on 2023-05-09, 15:16:

Either way it's paired with an X-fi titanium and GTX 275. The x-fi doesn't seem to support x-fi mode in Battlefield 2 despite it being a showcase game for the card I think?

Which Titanium do you have? There are a couple of different chips used by Creative Labs in the X-Fi line up and I'm wondering if that might be an issue, if it's one of the later ones.

The whole X-Fi line up is a bit of a confusing mess, TBH.

Almoststew1990 wrote on 2023-05-09, 17:34:

Yeah the game is patched to 1.41 and then onto 1.50 and I am using the latest drivers for the x-fi (which might be the problem)

I recently reverted to an older driver version from 2010 because newer drivers had some issues with OpenAL in OldUnreal. I downloaded that driver from Creative's website, think it was version 2.17.0008.

In any case, Battlefield 2 works fine for me with that older driver version.

Pierre32 wrote on 2023-05-03, 08:05:

Seems a bit cheeky to call the HD or the Forte "mid" :D but yeah, the Onkyo is in a class of its own. […]
Show full quote

shevalier wrote on 2023-05-02, 06:25:

sorry for offtopic, but couldn't resist. Sound card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion This is very entry level of X […]
Show full quote

sorry for offtopic, but couldn't resist.
Sound card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion
This is very entry level of X-fi.
Mid - X-fi Titanium HD (sb1270), or AUZEN X-Fi Forte 7.1
Ultimate - Onkyo SE-300PCIe



But 300 USD even now. But Ultimate

Seems a bit cheeky to call the HD or the Forte "mid" 😁 but yeah, the Onkyo is in a class of its own.

I've bought two Fortes in the past year, and admittedly you can rate them mid for longevity. One was DOA and the other suffers from "fuzzing out" after some time running. Prices are going up now and I won't be risking cash on any more.

So it's good old Creative X-Fi's for me. I recently bought a Titanium for my Win11 rig! The final Daniel K drivers support the OS, and I hope that continues for some time before it's killed by some Windows update.

Hi Pierre32, I have a Forte too and I think I know what you mean regarding the "fuzzing out" issue. At first I thought that I had to reconnect the cables at the back but all you need to do is this (in case you don't know):

Assuming you have Daniel K's drivers installed, you also will have the Volume Panel Icon. Right click - switch mode - change it to a mode that is not in use (Gaming. Entertainment...). Wait a few seconds, and if the sound is working again you can switch back to your original mode, and that's it.

Most of the times this will work, one or two times you'll have to restart the PC and it will go back to normal. I honestly don't think it's a heat issue (this happened to me more in Winter actually, and I have no heating in that room), because this mere trick in software solves it literally in 5 seconds. Maybe growing static from being too close to some cards, no idea? My board has the PCI-E x1 slot really very close to the graphics card slot and its fan for example.

I have no doubt that you had a bad Forte card, but I would be tempted to attribute that to bad luck. Last year I got a Mystique for a Win2k build, a Meridian for a XP build, and the Forte for Win7 and the production quality really shows, the sound really stands out as you surely agree. Obviously they were sold as high-end cards, but they do feel and sound like that too, which is not always a given in today's market!

andre_6 wrote on 2023-05-09, 18:22:

Hi Pierre32, I have a Forte too and I think I know what you mean regarding the "fuzzing out" issue. At first I thought that I ha […]
Show full quote

Pierre32 wrote on 2023-05-03, 08:05:

Seems a bit cheeky to call the HD or the Forte "mid" :D but yeah, the Onkyo is in a class of its own. […]
Show full quote

shevalier wrote on 2023-05-02, 06:25:

sorry for offtopic, but couldn't resist. Sound card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion This is very entry level of X […]
Show full quote

sorry for offtopic, but couldn't resist.
Sound card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion
This is very entry level of X-fi.
Mid - X-fi Titanium HD (sb1270), or AUZEN X-Fi Forte 7.1
Ultimate - Onkyo SE-300PCIe



But 300 USD even now. But Ultimate

Seems a bit cheeky to call the HD or the Forte "mid" 😁 but yeah, the Onkyo is in a class of its own.

I've bought two Fortes in the past year, and admittedly you can rate them mid for longevity. One was DOA and the other suffers from "fuzzing out" after some time running. Prices are going up now and I won't be risking cash on any more.

So it's good old Creative X-Fi's for me. I recently bought a Titanium for my Win11 rig! The final Daniel K drivers support the OS, and I hope that continues for some time before it's killed by some Windows update.

Hi Pierre32, I have a Forte too and I think I know what you mean regarding the "fuzzing out" issue. At first I thought that I had to reconnect the cables at the back but all you need to do is this (in case you don't know):

Assuming you have Daniel K's drivers installed, you also will have the Volume Panel Icon. Right click - switch mode - change it to a mode that is not in use (Gaming. Entertainment...). Wait a few seconds, and if the sound is working again you can switch back to your original mode, and that's it.

Most of the times this will work, one or two times you'll have to restart the PC and it will go back to normal. I honestly don't think it's a heat issue (this happened to me more in Winter actually, and I have no heating in that room), because this mere trick in software solves it literally in 5 seconds. Maybe growing static from being too close to some cards, no idea? My board has the PCI-E x1 slot really very close to the graphics card slot and its fan for example.

I have no doubt that you had a bad Forte card, but I would be tempted to attribute that to bad luck. Last year I got a Mystique for a Win2k build, a Meridian for a XP build, and the Forte for Win7 and the production quality really shows, the sound really stands out as you surely agree. Obviously they were sold as high-end cards, but they do feel and sound like that too, which is not always a given in today's market!

Interesting tip, thanks for that. Looks like I'll have to go another round with the Forte to check this out. I just got to thinking, what if there was a way to control this with a batch script or hotkey. Lo and behold, X-Fi Mode Changer:

https://web.archive.org/web/20070104093846/ht … ctra9/xfmc.html

Pierre32 wrote on 2023-05-09, 20:40:

andre_6 wrote on 2023-05-09, 18:22:

Hi Pierre32, I have a Forte too and I think I know what you mean regarding the "fuzzing out" issue. At first I thought that I ha […]
Show full quote

Pierre32 wrote on 2023-05-03, 08:05:

Seems a bit cheeky to call the HD or the Forte "mid" 😁 but yeah, the Onkyo is in a class of its own.

I've bought two Fortes in the past year, and admittedly you can rate them mid for longevity. One was DOA and the other suffers from "fuzzing out" after some time running. Prices are going up now and I won't be risking cash on any more.

So it's good old Creative X-Fi's for me. I recently bought a Titanium for my Win11 rig! The final Daniel K drivers support the OS, and I hope that continues for some time before it's killed by some Windows update.

Hi Pierre32, I have a Forte too and I think I know what you mean regarding the "fuzzing out" issue. At first I thought that I had to reconnect the cables at the back but all you need to do is this (in case you don't know):

Assuming you have Daniel K's drivers installed, you also will have the Volume Panel Icon. Right click - switch mode - change it to a mode that is not in use (Gaming. Entertainment...). Wait a few seconds, and if the sound is working again you can switch back to your original mode, and that's it.

Most of the times this will work, one or two times you'll have to restart the PC and it will go back to normal. I honestly don't think it's a heat issue (this happened to me more in Winter actually, and I have no heating in that room), because this mere trick in software solves it literally in 5 seconds. Maybe growing static from being too close to some cards, no idea? My board has the PCI-E x1 slot really very close to the graphics card slot and its fan for example.

I have no doubt that you had a bad Forte card, but I would be tempted to attribute that to bad luck. Last year I got a Mystique for a Win2k build, a Meridian for a XP build, and the Forte for Win7 and the production quality really shows, the sound really stands out as you surely agree. Obviously they were sold as high-end cards, but they do feel and sound like that too, which is not always a given in today's market!

Interesting tip, thanks for that. Looks like I'll have to go another round with the Forte to check this out. I just got to thinking, what if there was a way to control this with a batch script or hotkey. Lo and behold, X-Fi Mode Changer:

https://web.archive.org/web/20070104093846/ht … ctra9/xfmc.html

What a cool solution, will try it out for sure, thanks!

How's the Asus PA248QV for XP gaming doing? I was thinking of getting a 16:10 for my upcoming more powerful XP build (currently have an EIZO S2133BK) to stretch its legs into 1920x1200. I started looking at used 16:10 displays but then saw the PA248QV new is pretty reasonable.

mrzmaster wrote on 2023-07-20, 19:50:

How's the Asus PA248QV for XP gaming doing? I was thinking of getting a 16:10 for my upcoming more powerful XP build (currently have an EIZO S2133BK) to stretch its legs into 1920x1200. I started looking at used 16:10 displays but then saw the PA248QV new is pretty reasonable.

I quite like it.

At native resolution (1920x1200 or 1600x1200) it's nice and sharp, good color and contrast. It's definitely nicer than the various older, used LCDs I've tried with this setup. The auto-switching between 16:10 and 4:3 is also great, especially for games that make have FMV at 4:3, but then native 16:10 for gameplay.

At non-native resolutions, it can be a mixed bag. Unfortunately there is no way to turn off image processing, so you can't get pixel perfect displays at resolutions like 800x600.

Some non-native resolutions like 1440x900 still look quite good. I've played some AOW2 at that resolution and it's decently crisp.

For XP-era gaming at higher resolutions like 1920x1200 and 1600x1200, I'd highly recommend it. For slightly older games at 1024x768 or 800x600, I generally prefer a CRT.

Shponglefan wrote on 2023-07-21, 02:06:

At native resolution (1920x1200 or 1600x1200) it's nice and sharp, good color and contrast. It's definitely nicer than the various older, used LCDs I've tried with this setup. The auto-switching between 16:10 and 4:3 is also great, especially for games that make have FMV at 4:3, but then native 16:10 for gameplay.

Does the aspect ratio switching only work over VGA or does it apply to HDMI and DisplayPort inputs as well? Alternatively, were you able to set the scaling to aspect ratio in the Nvidia drivers under WinXP? To clarify, I'm talking about this setting:

I'm wondering about this because I don' like using VGA for 1920x1200 and 1600x1200 since it loses some sharpness.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-07-21, 06:07:

Alternatively, were you able to set the scaling to aspect ratio in the Nvidia drivers under WinXP? To clarify, I'm talking about this setting:

I'm wondering about this because I don' like using VGA for 1920x1200 and 1600x1200 since it loses some sharpness.

From what I've read you need to use NVIDIA driver 355.98 or older for driver scaling, later drivers either deliberately removed that function under XP or just borked it.

It at least shouldn't be monitor/input dependant.

Sombrero wrote on 2023-07-22, 06:21:

From what I've read you need to use NVIDIA driver 355.98 or older for driver scaling, later drivers either deliberately removed that function under XP or just borked it.

It at least shouldn't be monitor/input dependant.

I've tried a couple of different driver versions (including that one and some older ones) and wasn't able to get scaling working over HDMI under WinXP. The scaling subsection (pictured above) simply doesn't appear, and the driver sees the monitor as a HDTV. In contrast, with a DVI connection everything seems to be working fine, at least on older 5:4 monitors. But with newer ones (like my 16:10 Samsung), even that no longer functions correctly.

The one workaround that I found was to first connect an older 5:4 monitor over DVI, then apply the relevant scaling setting in the Nvidia driver panel, and finally connect the newer 16:10 monitor (also over DVI). While the scaling subsection itself is no longer visible in the Nvidia driver panel, it seems to retain the previous settings, so it works fine.

That's why I'm interested how the ProArt handles this. In particular, I'm wondering if any monitor can apply scaling from its firmware when using a DVI or HDMI connection, since the Nvidia drivers are super flaky in this regard, as mentioned above. For reference, my Samsung only allows scaling adjustments in its firmware over a VGA connection.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-07-22, 06:34:

I've tried a couple of different driver versions (including that one and some older ones) and wasn't able to get scaling working over HDMI under WinXP. The scaling subsection (pictured above) simply doesn't appear, and the driver sees the monitor as a HDTV. In contrast, with a DVI connection everything seems to be working fine, at least on older 5:4 monitors. But with newer ones (like my 16:10 Samsung), even that no longer functions correctly.

Oh, I didn't realize it was that bad.

Can't say I'm too surprised, considering how long it took from NVIDIA to get full range RGB to work under HDMI without a third party tool. Sheesh that was annoying.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2023-07-21, 06:07:

Does the aspect ratio switching only work over VGA or does it apply to HDMI and DisplayPort inputs as well?

Yes, sort of. I don't recall if it works over both HDMI and DisplayPort, but it works over at least one of them.

I'm actually connected to the PC end with DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter, then an HDMI cable to the monitor itself. The reason for this was to enable both the aspect switching and 75 Hz refresh rate.

During initial testing, I think HDMI and DisplayPort by themselves only did one or the other (I don't recall which was which).

Long short short, yes, you can aspect ratio switching with something other than VGA.

Alternatively, were you able to set the scaling to aspect ratio in the Nvidia drivers under WinXP?

For whatever reason, the nVidia drivers thinks the monitor is a TV. The settings I get in the driver panel is all related to TV options, but not aspect ratio scaling. I haven't bothered to try to troubleshoot this as the built-in monitor aspect ratio switching works fine.

I figure since I'm using both an unofficial supported GPU (980 Ti) and an unsupported monitor, a bit of jankiness is expected.

That everything works as well as it does is good enough for me.