Overclocking X-fi

[003]

I'm not really sure if this is in the right section, but I just ordered an X-fi Fatal1ty FPS, and I read somewhere that you can overclock the X-fi sound cards. Is this true? How would you do it? Also, I read somewhere that they have an incompatibility with AMD and nF4, and that there was a fix released for this. Where can I get that fix? Thanks all.

[PorkchopExpress]

The fix is generally released in the form of a BIOS update. Check DFI-street for your specific board (I'm not sure if any of the modded BIOS's have the update).

As for overclocking it, why would you want too?

Going from a legacy AC-97 w/codec to a DSP takes the burden of audio processing off the processor (which realistically, has never been considered THAT large by developers), but what gain could there be in overclocking it?

[shaolin95]

OCing a sound card LOL.... What really would you expect to gain from that? Possible...probably...worth it...NO WAY.

[OpTiX]

never heard of this before oc'ing a sound card :confused: :confused: :confused:

[Magnj]

faster sound processing...i have no idea dude

[krille]

So, exactly what will the effects of artifacting be? Is there any way to apply LOD tweaks?

[003]

To much OCing might give pops in the audio or something, but does anybody know how to do this?

[kiwi]

Don't think so. You can overclock PCI bus from 33Mhz to something but I doubt it would give you better sound, quite the opposite in the long run.

[nn_step]

The idea behind the sound card is quality of sound not quantity thus.. if you overclock it you defeat the purpose of having one

[cetoole]

Overclocking, nope, but modding is a very real possibility. :cool:

[scarface_what]

i dont think there are any ocs for the x-fi

there are some for the audigy series if u consider flashing ocing which I do

you can find them on extremeoverclocking.com under the sound/audio section u can flash the audigy,audigy2,andzs to audigy4 pro minus some hardware features. the x-fi are kinda there on card so theres nothing yet on those. and there also rather new. im pretty sure ur mistaken for audigy

[Andrew LB]

faster sound processing...i have no idea dude


The X-FI can process anything you can throw at it at real time speed from what my experience with my new card is. Its a BEAST. Supposedly it has the processing power of a 3.2ghz Intel processor.

While that may not be true or not.... i can say the heatsink on the APU gets quite hot. Almost hot enough to want me to throw a tiny 40mm fan onto it. :)

[ghidon]

i can say the heatsink on the APU gets quite hot. Almost hot enough to want me to throw a tiny 40mm fan onto it. :)

or watercool it :D

[madgravity34]

Ahhh yes, I can see it now, Dangerden x-fi waterblock. COmes in two versious: APU only or APU + X-ram cooling lol. Insane guys, just insane.

[Celeron Gamer]

From what I've read, the Xi-Fi can handle 64-128 streams of sounds, and OC may make it able to process more.

A Xi-Fi processes 64-128 streams, compare it to a P4 3.2?

-32 streams of sounds take about 5% of a 2.53GHz processor. Go figure.

[ben805]

if you have way too much time and looking for something to do you can upgrade the caps on the X-Fi if your soldering skills is up to it.

[Andrew LB]

From what I've read, the Xi-Fi can handle 64-128 streams of sounds, and OC may make it able to process more.

A Xi-Fi processes 64-128 streams, compare it to a P4 3.2?

-32 streams of sounds take about 5% of a 2.53GHz processor. Go figure.


I read it in some gaming magazine before it hit the market. I do know it does 7,000mips and has over 4,000 internal audio channels compared to the Audigy's 16. Its also has 1/2 the transistors of an Athlon 64, somewhere around 50 million.

Creative claims 10,000mips and roughly 10 billion instructions per second, roughly the power of a 3.4ghz CPU. (note they dont mention what kind.

Its on their site. Whether or not you should believe it, thats up to the guys who know more about audio than me (i'm an intermediate with my Sennheiser HD580's, Antique Sound Labs MG-Head OTL tube amp, all JBL S-Series, Harman Kardon amps, etc) I still have much to learn about the actual hardware behind audio reproduction, etc.

All i can say is my X-FI blows not only the doors off the Audigy 2 ZS but the hood, trunk, park-bench spoiler, and the paint itself.

... its that much better.

[Daveb2012]

over clocking it seems pointless, I added some silver heat sinks to he CPU today and mem chips.

[krille]

over clocking it seems pointless, I added some silver heat sinks to he CPU today and mem chips.Why?

[oqvist]

how can a 400 mhz core on a PCI card be a match for a Intel 3.2 gig CPU?

But why overclock a soundcard? I mean you will very probably loose sound quality in the process and then it was all in vain wasn´t it?

[CHaynes112]

Ahhh yes, I can see it now, Dangerden x-fi waterblock. COmes in two versious: APU only or APU + X-ram cooling lol. Insane guys, just insane.

:hehe:

[scarface_what]

Why?

x-fi's do generate heat so i guess hes trying to get it out of his computer asap :P doesnt help preformance but may lower ur case temp

[Vapor]

Probably raise your temp in the short run but it all equals out in the long run....

[DeToNaToR.cl]

i the past you could mod the Audigys 2ZS to Audigy 4..

[J-Mag]

There must be a clock generator on the chip somehwere, right? It's just the techinical knoweldge need is way beyond most people's scope.

Anyway thoughts for all the naysayers: Does CPU utilization increase when running 128voices with EAX compared to other modes? YES
So, does would an increased clock rate of the X-Fi reduce CPU utilization in this situation? Dunno, but if it did then there would definatley be a reaosn to overclock it.

[yuckfou]

theoretically you are correct.
but the cpu utilisation is alredy at quite a minimal level,unless you can OC more than 20-30% ,you cant feel any significant difference.

[thegoatman]

Guys, come on! This is the Xtreme Systems forum! ANY overclock is a good overclock!!!

As for upping the mhz on the card, would that make all the sounds a higher frequency? lol

[yuckfou]

anyone tested yet?