Questions concerning the GameTheatre XP

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First off I just wanted to say hello to everyone and that this is my first posting on Tom's Hardware.

The reason I am posting here is because I'm considering upgrading my sound card (Sound Blaster Live! Platinum). The reason I'm tempted to upgrade is due to a few reasons:

1) The sound in Team Fortress for Half-Life cuts out after entering water. Others with a similar setup (Live! and Win XP) noticed the same problem.

2) Not a super big fan of the Creative Drivers for the Live! series under Windows XP.

3) Notice a 'static hissing' when the volume is turned up.

Before I continue any further I will post my system specs if it helps at all:

AMD Thunderbird 900
ASUS A7V Motherboard w/ latest firmware
384 megs of Corsair PC 133 ram
Sound Blaster Live! Platinum sound card w/ latest drivers
Klipsch Promedia 4.1 speakers
Hercules GeForce 3 w/ latest certified nVidia drivers
Windows XP with all the latest updates

There seem to be 2 choices for an upgrade: Hercules GameTheatre XP and Sound Blaster Audigy Platinum. I am considering to rule out the Audigy though because I have heard enough rumors that the problems listed above are still existant in the Audigy line. Hopefully someone can shed some light on this.

This leads me to favor the GameTheatre for my sound card choice, but I would like some questions about the GTXP to be answered first:

1) Are the problems that I currently experience (listed above) existant in the GTXP setup?

2) When the GameTheatre first came out, there were a lot of issues with the drivers and Win XP. Have those been worked out?

3) Another issue I read about were some problems regarding the USB ports on the external portion of the GTXP (something about not enough power being supplied to power the connected USB devices). Is this still the case?

4) Are there any known hardware or software compatibility issues (VIA, SiS, High Point or Promise Raid controllers, any games that are finiky, etc) with the GTXP that are currently known about? I may be switching over to a SiS motherboard soon and possibly upgrading again next spring.

I'm sorry if this was a long post, but I just wanted to make sure everything was explained. Thanks again for reading and I hope to hear your opinions. :)

Vega
 
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williamc

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I just upgraded 2 weeks ago from audigy to GTXP 6.1 package. I'm glad i did, i had a couple of those problems you mentioned and they're non-existant on the GTXP6.1

I run winXP pro only and i've had zero problems with it so you should be quite safe-)

You won't get EAX advanced HD with the GTXP but you do get A3D and EAX1.0/2.0 and the increased clarity and warmth of the sound you gain on your pc is more than worth giving up advanced HD for, you dont need it with the GTXP.

I was an audigy/live freak until FatBurgur and AMD_Man convinced me to just try the GTXP couple weeks ago; they were right, the GTXP is on a slightly higher level all around than the Audigy and its a helluva lot cheaper for the breakout box than an audigy plat...

Enjoy-)

nVidiot: Message board Troll employed by nVidia to terrorize aTidiots.
 
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williamc

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That is the LAST think we need is vendors patrolling these forums spouting Propoganda and advertising their products, go away professional troll.

nVidiot: Message board Troll employed by nVidia to terrorize aTidiots.
 
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FatBurger

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Jun 1, 2001
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1) Are the problems that I currently experience (listed above) existant in the GTXP setup?
Click to expand...

Not that I know of, probably mostly driver problems.

2) When the GameTheatre first came out, there were a lot of issues with the drivers and Win XP. Have those been worked out?
Click to expand...

When the GTXP first came out there was no Windows XP. But it works fine for me (GTXP & WinXP).

3) Another issue I read about were some problems regarding the USB ports on the external portion of the GTXP (something about not enough power being supplied to power the connected USB devices). Is this still the case?
Click to expand...

It's an unpowered hub, so not all devices work with it. If you need a powered hub, you'll have to buy that specifically.

4) Are there any known hardware or software compatibility issues (VIA, SiS, High Point or Promise Raid controllers, any games that are finiky, etc) with the GTXP that are currently known about? I may be switching over to a SiS motherboard soon and possibly upgrading again next spring.
Click to expand...

There is one known conflict between the card and the HighPoint 370 RAID controller. A specific version of HighPoint drivers fixes it, however. Check the FAQs on Hercules site, they'll have known conflicts and fixes.

<font color=blue>Hi mom!</font color=blue>
 
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ritesh_laud

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Nov 16, 2001
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With a VIA chipset I wouldn't chance Creative Labs products unless I had lots of time and money ready to deal with potential headaches. The history of VIA's PCI incompatibilities with Creative products goes back years. Your best bet is probably one of the Sensaura-based cards like the GTXP.

That being said, a friend of mine has an Abit KR7A-RAID (VIA KT266A) and an Audigy OEM. It worked fine the few times I watched him play some games.

Ritesh
 
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williamc

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Options = read up on <A HREF="http://www.3dsoundsurge.com" target="_new">http://www.3dsoundsurge.com</A>

If you'd like you can purchase em through my store at (linkhere).

Thats more of an acceptible post for a non affiliated forum where the idea is to help people, not advertise and sell stuff. Don't post without genuinely helping them with pointers to information about their question or an honest answer to their question.

nVidiot: Message board Troll employed by nVidia to terrorize aTidiots.
 
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