Need a New Sound Card

[420]

When I bought this new computer I asked for a Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer sound card the dude at the store assured me that the on-board Realtek sound on my motherboard would be sufficient. Also, they were out of stock.

Well, it turns out that Diablo II (yes I still play) doesn't allow 3d Sound or Environmental Effects for on-board Realtek sound. So I went looking for a Sound Blaster and it seems that the old X-Fi Xtreme Audio and X-Fi XtremeGamer cards aren't available anymore and the new coolness is the X-Fi Titanium which, depending on the model, can range from $80 to over $200.

Is the Titanium the new XtremeGamer? What's the difference in performance between the models? Why am I freaking out?

-420

[Illutian]

http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=15864310314

Win7 = Vista [Done Right]

Windows Vista has no hardware DirectSound acceleration so it tends to be greyed out there

Starting with DirectX 10 in Vista Microsoft did remove EAX support. Since D2/LoD requires EAX for it's 3D-Sound you can't enable it under Vista and Win7.

The only reliable working setup to re-enable 3D-Sound is to use the Creative Labs software Alchemy with a Creative Labs Sound Card supporting Alchemy.

I believe Diablo II requires an early version of EAX. Most Creative cards under Windows XP and lower should work.

[/b]

^- looks like you won't get it then unless you can pick up an older SB sound card -^

ALchemy: http://www.omegadrivers.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=196%3Acreative-alchemy-14102&Itemid=121
1.41.02 is the latest shown on the Creative site:
http://support.creative.com/downloads/?h=7   [search for ALchemy; it's like 2/3s of the way down]

[420]

I believe Diablo II requires an early version of EAX. Most Creative cards under Windows XP and lower should work.

^- looks like you won't get it then unless you can pick up an older SB sound card -^

Yeah I saw that same thread. I wasn't sure if they were saying it was the sound card or the operating system.

I guess I could yank my X-Fi Xtreme Audio card out of my old computer if that will work in Win 7.

-420

[Illutian]

I assume this is your card?

http://support.creative.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?catID=1&CatName=sound+blaster&subCatID=208&subCatName=X-Fi&prodID=15855&prodName=X-Fi+Xtreme+Audio

Looks like they got a Win7/Vista driver for it