Sound Blaster X-Fi ExpressCard...

[neowillendit]

Wut up friends...just bought the Sound Blaster X-Fi ExpressCard online (will be here the 18th) and I'm wondering a few questions if you guys wouldn't mind helping me out with...

1. How satified are you all with your Sound Blaster X-Fi ExpressCard? I'd really apppreciate ANY specifics you could provide and any honest feedback on it.

2. What driver version do you all run for them and what "Services" are you able to disable in "MSC" and/or StartUp Entries".

3. Is there a Drivers Only package I can download from Creative since I don't want any of that Media Player Sound Editor crapp they like to bundle together?

4. Is the ExpressCard slot on a laptop enabled by installing Chipset Drivers or is it enabled by installing som esort of media card slot drivers available from the laptop manufacturer?

I'd like to get higher quality sound, more from "EAX Environments in games", and most importantly, take the extra load off the CPU to encode/decode sound (especially during game play)!! Have you guys noticed a performance increase in your processor since you got it...even 1 FPS for games?

Lastly, would anyone be awesome enough to write me up a tutorial on how to install Artic Silver 5 Compound on my video card, CPU and North and South MB Chips? Maybe even provide any pics I might need?

Edited March 16, 2009 by neowillendit

[puntoMX]

Lastly, would anyone be awesome enough to write me up a tutorial on how to install Artic Silver 5 Compound on my video card, CPU and North and South MB Chips? Maybe even provide any pics I might need?

AS5? Better to use Céramique as AS5 does conduct electricity and is a pain to remove when you smudge it on other components. Most notebooks/laptops use thermal pads on the CPU and GPU, so you probably have to fill up the gap with some a copper sheet or so.

[neowillendit]

Lastly, would anyone be awesome enough to write me up a tutorial on how to install Artic Silver 5 Compound on my video card, CPU and North and South MB Chips? Maybe even provide any pics I might need?

AS5? Better to use Céramique as AS5 does conduct electricity and is a pain to remove when you smudge it on other components. Most notebooks/laptops use thermal pads on the CPU and GPU, so you probably have to fill up the gap with some a copper sheet or so.

Point taken "PuntoMX", thank you for the advice, I change my request to whether anyone knows how to install Ceramique on a laptop's video card, CPU and North and South MB Chips?

[Thunderbolt 2864]

I recently got this sound card as well except its the Titanium edition and to be honest I was very unsatisfied with it. I was hoping to hear better sound but I didn't. And also, I had to increase my volume to a very high level to get decent sound, its way too soft. And also, the control center is annoying and quite buggy as well. This is the second time I have purchased from Creative only to get screwed over again.

The volume bit annoyed me the most, and a lot of people have experienced driver issues as well.

[neowillendit]

I recently got this sound card as well except its the Titanium edition and to be honest I was very unsatisfied with it. I was hoping to hear better sound but I didn't. And also, I had to increase my volume to a very high level to get decent sound, its way too soft. And also, the control center is annoying and quite buggy as well. This is the second time I have purchased from Creative only to get screwed over again.

The volume bit annoyed me the most, and a lot of people have experienced driver issues as well.

Thank you "Thunderbolt"...I shall consider myself for-warned...I'm not that concerned with volume cuz I use my volume sensitive in-ear headphones and I'm sure the quality will at least be better...if not, I have the 30-day money-back through Best Buy. May I ask what driver version you use, and could you answer my other questions?

Thank you in advance...

Edited March 15, 2009 by neowillendit

[CoffeeFiend]

I was very unsatisfied with it [snip] the control center is annoying and quite buggy as well. This is the second time I have purchased from Creative only to get screwed over again.

The volume bit annoyed me the most, and a lot of people have experienced driver issues as well.

I'd have to second that. While I haven't bought that sound card, everything I've bought from Creative has been a *major* letdown to say the least. Worst drivers ever, along with poor interconnects, high prices, and failing to deliver what I was expecting overall. I'm not going to buy their garbage ever again.

[neowillendit]

I was very unsatisfied with it [snip] the control center is annoying and quite buggy as well. This is the second time I have purchased from Creative only to get screwed over again.

The volume bit annoyed me the most, and a lot of people have experienced driver issues as well.

I'd have to second that. While I haven't bought that sound card, everything I've bought from Creative has been a *major* letdown to say the least. Worst drivers ever, along with poor interconnects, high prices, and failing to deliver what I was expecting overall. I'm not going to buy their garbage ever again.

Thank you both for your input so far guys...but you're setting me up for failure if I can't get my other questions answered. I've already ordered it and it's en-route so on top of your satisfaction, I also need to know answers to my other questions so that I might get a positive experience from this device.

Thank you thus far friends...

[neowillendit]

Just to make sure that we're all talking about the same thing...

http://us.creative.com/products/product.as...p;product=17988

I've done a lot a googling...finding nothing...except reviews about the Creatie X-Treme Audio Notebook...which this is not...

Thanks guys...