X Fi and x64

[Computer-Ed]

I am about to take the 64 bit plunge and am a bit concerned as I have heard that Creatives driver support for 64 bit is not up to par. I was hoping someone can tell me from direct experience if I should just stick with the Realtek onboard sound.

 

[Brink]

Hi Computer-Ed,

I use the onboard Realtek and never had a problem with the drivers for it with the x64 Vista. I am not sure about Creative either. You can try to see if the driver works ok. If not, you can always just yank the card out and go back to the Realtek one after setting the BIOS back to it. It will be worth a try anyway.

Shawn

 

[FightingScallion]

I've got a Soundblaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio. Doesn't work perfectly yet (some of their software isn't always recognizing my card), but it's been coming along very quickly. Generally speaking, I can hear anything I want to and it works with all my games and other programs. Just some issues with EAX for BF2 (I just don't enable it, and I'm still good to go).

Probably if you got a better X-Fi card (the Xtreme Audio is probably the cheapest), it'd be just fine.

 

[scott784]

I just did a clean install of Vista Home Prem 64 bit edition (went from 32 bit edition). I did the reinstall the evening. Although I haven't had a chance to play around with everything much, it appears all of my drivers are working fine.

I have a Creative X-Fi XtremeMusic card and I downloaded the driver off Creative's website dated 05/30/07. I did get some loud screeching before the driver was completely installed but all "seems" well with the sound card now. Just thought I'd put in my two cents worth here. My specs are below.

Dell XPS 410
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor at 2.13 GHz
4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 4 DIMMs
Two 250 GB Sata Hard Drives
Philips DVD-ROM6316
TSSTCorp DVD+-RW TS-H553A
13 in 1 Media Card Reader
Dell 1907 flatpanel (digital)
256MB X1300 ATI Graphics
Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic
64 bit Vista Home Premium with Raid 0

 

[deaden_07]

Version 2.15 of their x64 drivers causes a loud constant static storm for me and a lot of other users. Version 2.13 works ok for me, but not for others. You may also need to install the Alchemy version 1.xx something to get Directsound working in some games.

The only problem I have is that if I change the speaker configuration, I have to exit any program using sound before it will have sound again.

 

[zeromaster]

I Refuse to ever buy a Creative sound card again. I use to be a great fan and only used them but their lack of response to vista and there slow producing of drivers that work properly has thoroughly pissed me off. I Was still mad I had bought an audigy 2 zs platinum that sits here in a box the drivers they offered gave you basically volume and record not to mention the crackling and popping. Creative has taken much flak for this even in their own forum. I researched out vista64 sound cards. I highly recommend The Bluegears B-Inspirer comes with vista x64 drivers no hisses or pops no scratching

 

[binormalkilla]

Well I have an X-Fi XtremeGamer, so what drivers work in x64 properly?

 

[DATGUY]

I have a XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro.. and usin vista 64 ult and havn no probs runnin eax5 with bioshock.. abit tricky to get it working tho..
i play cod and fear with eax 2\3 .. damn great!!

just need correct version of audio console.. openal and ALchemy helps ALOT!!!
and depends on ur speakrs too...

 

[singlecoil]

X-fi is a disaster with x64.

Vista switches the modes of it .. seemingly randomly. getting sound straight after a reboot is unlikely.

there is meant to be a patch out on the weekend, but the silly tools didn't put the link to the file.


on top of that dont forget that it will unvalidate vista, so you will have to ring and relay several strings of A7de-X91 style letters and numbers to a thick accented indian until you go mentally numb.

Creative are the worst drivers ever.

 

[DJBPace07]

My experience with the X-Fi was good...until I went to 64-bit. That's when the problems started. First, the drivers don't work well at all. This means if you use 4GB or more of RAM and want Vista to use all of it, you're going to have issues. Mainly you'll have snapping, crackling, hissing, or popping noises coming from the card. My particular problem would happen at start up. As soon as Vista initialized the card, a blast of static and hiss would come through until I disabled then re-enabled the device. Even then the noise may come back. Another thing that I didn't like was how the card handled the Cool n' Quiet function. If it was on, you would hear popping sounds. There is a thread at Creative's forums about 900 posts long with people having issues. They have officially lost me as a customer. I decided to cut my losses and get an Asus Xonar soundcard instead. Works great, even better than X-Fi with digital music. The x64 drivers are solid with this card.

 

[Mr.Gadget]

Well, I have Vista Ultimate 64-bit retail version and I use the Soundblaster Fatal1ty X-Fi also retail. I play Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142, Bioshock, Quakewars beta, Command & Conquer 3 among others, all with no glitches. I set it to "Game" mode and it never changes on me. No hiss, no popping. Just bliss!

Do a fresh install with all hardware installed and the X-Fi comes with Vista drivers on CD in the box.
Go for the X-Fi. All things are good in X-Fi land now. Creative was awefully slow in releasing the Vista drivers, but they are out now. Turns out, that if you have anything BUT the X-Fi, you will have to pay $10 for the Vista drivers. For the X-Fi series, it is free. That is messed up too... but you won't have to worry about it if you go X-Fi.

 

[binormalkilla]

Well, I have Vista Ultimate 64-bit retail version and I use the Soundblaster Fatal1ty X-Fi also retail. I play Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142, Bioshock, Quakewars beta, Command & Conquer 3 among others, all with no glitches. I set it to "Game" mode and it never changes on me. No hiss, no popping. Just bliss!

Do a fresh install with all hardware installed and the X-Fi comes with Vista drivers on CD in the box.
Go for the X-Fi. All things are good in X-Fi land now. Creative was awefully slow in releasing the Vista drivers, but they are out now. Turns out, that if you have anything BUT the X-Fi, you will have to pay $10 for the Vista drivers. For the X-Fi series, it is free. That is messed up too... but you won't have to worry about it if you go X-Fi.

I'm the same...except for my microphone. It's not working in my games, but I can get it to work in windows audio recorder......hmmm. In BF2142 my squad members that I had an insane amount of static, but I was crystal clear in audio recorder......I have an 2900xt that has the HDMI audio chip onboard, so maybe that has something to do with it...
Here is what I get under sound>recording: (screenshot taken over remote desktop)

 

[Kitchy]

For the first time I bought myself an extra soundcard, tired of the crappy Motherboard soundcards(imo mostly all are), so I went for the budget version of X-Fi, XtremeGamer. Mostly all went smooth, till I realized I had the XP installation CD for the console launcher etc. And Creative have not thought it should be wise to upload the Software to their page, nope, you have to order a CD and pay a little fine. Well, just torrented it down, and hoped I finally could enjoy some crispy BF2 sound. But if I turn on Game Mode, the background music in the BF2 "lobby" won't go on. And if I enter a map, well then the sound is preetty ****ed up. EAX really having some problems working. And if I enter a vehicle, the sound go into a big "FZZZ" before the game shuts down, and I get a hardware error msg. (Note this is only the case with the X-Fi only - "Ultra High" sound option in BF).
I hoped most x64 Vista problems woulda been solved within now, as they've had plently of time on themself to do a fix, but as most of you folks already have mentioned, Creative doesn't seem to "like" Vista x64 that much. The latest drivers they released didnt help at all.

 

[binormalkilla]

Which drivers are you running? I'll try BF2 tonight on the Ultra mode and see how it sounds. In BF2142 I haven't had anything like that happen, but I can't get my mic working.....even though it works in Vista sound recorder.
This is crap that Creative can't get their act together on the drivers.....it's been over 8 months since Vista was released.

 

[Kitchy]

I have the latest 2.15.0002 released 30. May... I believe atleast, but when I look into my control panel and driver details for the sound card, it says Driver Version: 6.0.1.1302 and when I look into the Driver Details, it says: 6.00.01.1302-2.15.1030

 

[binormalkilla]

I have the .1302 version as well (according to device manager)
Well my extra 2Gb arrives this Thursday, so I guess I'll see if I get the hissing......man Creative really needs to pick up the friggin ball.....

 

[Kitchy]

Creative released new Console Launcher @ 7. Sept now for 64bit Joy=)

Customer Support: Downloads

 

[DATGUY]

great!! console launcher better than audio console! goo the 64 bit.. crackups how symantec had to educate m$.. losers

 

[binormalkilla]

Creative released new Console Launcher @ 7. Sept now for 64bit Joy=)

Customer Support: Downloads

It doesn't work for me.....it says 'no devices detected' Creative is full of crap man.....

 

[Kitchy]

It doesn't work for me.....it says 'no devices detected' Creative is full of crap man.....

Meh, got same problem

And we're not alone:

Creative Console Launcher 2.40.09 refuses to install - Windows Vista - Creative Labs