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If the install would have went smoothly I would have given this 5 stars.If I had to do it again I would not use the software but go directly to the Creative Sound website and load the updated driver directly from them. Turn on computer. I use Spysweeper and keep it up to date. I'm using the Logitec X-540 5.1 speakers and the sound is crisp, clean and clear. Easy installation.
Open case, insert sound card. Put in install disk and install. Remove all sound drivers from device manager. Even with a clean hardrive and fresh operating system I still had to install the software twice to get it to work.But now that it is installed and working properly the sound is a vast improvement over the motherboard sound.
My computer is less than a year old. We can't prove the software caused the crash but I haven't had any problems until I installed this software. Do a computer restart and I GOT THE BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH. Windows finds it and asks for the install disk.
After trying several different work arounds, including a windows repair I had to send my computer to a shop and have the harddrive formatted and Windows reinstalled. I'm running windows XP, 2 gig ram on an Asus M2N32 SLI Deluxe Motherboard with an AMD 64 X2 Dual Core Processor.
I needed a gaming card and one with ASIO support for home based recording. All my games sound great. So far I'm totally satisfied and don't expect to have to buy a 'pro quality' soundcard which is BIG bucks. All my music hardware is USB based and I've got 7ms or less of latency with all of them. This includes an Axiom 61 midi controller keyboard, Guitar Rig 3 software edition without their Rig Control unit, and Line 6 Toneport UX2. Highly recommended for at home musicians and gamers.
For the price, you cannot beat the quality of sound this card produces, even with your standard computer speakers. Installation was a breeze and there is an automatic update service that keeps drivers and programs current.You cannot go wrong with a Creative product. Even if you don't want to spend the extra money, it is well worth it to upgrade your standard sound card to even the lowest price Creative card.
The sound from this game is now pretty incredible. I upgraded from a Sound Blaster Audigy Value. Wow, what a difference in Mass Effect. I did not notice much of a difference with music audio, but if you are a gamer, this is definitely worth the investment.
The full install includes tons of stuff that you don't need). To change options for Game Mode is one program, to change options for Entertainment Mode is another, to change general options is yet another program. Instead of having all audio options built into one single program, Creative broke it up into many programs. The sound from this card blows onboard audio away.
Music is clearer, video game sounds are crisper, and overall everything just sounds a hundred times better. I've also found that my games run about 10 to 20 fps higher now that I'm not using onboard audio.I've watched a few DVDs with the included PowerDVD program, and they sound just as good as games. I couldn't believe the difference when I first tried it. Plus there's a driver updating utility that needs to be dealt with, and the ever-present "Register Me" notice.The Creative software itself is a little bit unnecessary and the interface can be confusing. The programs link to each other, but its still annoying.Overall, I highly recommend this card.
The software installation alone took longer on my computer than installing Supreme Commander (an 8 gig game), and required 3 reboots. The same thing happens with music, it's just better.This card features an Intel HD Audio front panel connector (not compatible with the AC'97 audio connector) which is nice. There's no way to describe it in words; you really just need to listen for yourself. It seems like very few cards offer it.On the downside, installing the drivers and software is like pulling teeth. Games, movies, and music all sound fantastic on it.(Side note: when installing the software, choose "Minimum Installation".
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