Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi series Beta Driver 2.18.0000

[+Tantawi Subscriber²]

This download is a beta driver providing Microsoft? Windows Vista? and Windows? XP support for Creative Sound Blaster? X-Fi? series of audio devices. For more details, read the rest of this web release note.

Take note of the following:

* THIS IS AN UNSUPPORTED BETA DRIVER. There is no technical support for this driver.

* We recommend that only experienced users install this driver. Do not install this driver on a system used to perform critical tasks.

* Users who are looking for stable drivers should wait for the final release. When this happens, user should install the latest Sound Blaster X-Fi series driver available.

This download supports the following audio devices only:

* Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty? Professional Series

* Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum Fatal1ty Champion Series

* Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic

* Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer

* Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum

* Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty

* Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro

* Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi

Added Features:

To find out if your audio device supports the following features in Windows XP, click here.

For systems using Windows Vista

* Dolby? Digital and DTS? driver decode re-established for sound cards that included decoding in their Windows XP drivers (Not applicable for products that included a 3rd party software DVD player license in the package).

* DVD-Audio playback re-established for sound cards that included the application in their Windows XP software suite (For Windows Vista 32-bit only).

Requires the latest Creative MediaSource DVD-Audio Player Beta software. Click here to download.

Fixes:

* Resolves issues of intermittent and random application/system crash when playing games or running applications that use EAX?, DirectSound?, OpenAL and/or ASIO features.

* Resolves issue of volume mapping leading to very soft volume level in systems using Windows Vista with Service Pack 1.

* Resolves issue with distortion and noise occuring in systems with 4 GB of RAM or greater.

Known Issues:

* X-Fi CMSS?-3D feature is not available in Windows Vista 64-bit.

Requirements:

* Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) 2005 or Window XP MCE 2004

* Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi audio devices listed above

Notes:

* Do not install this driver for Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio.

* To install this driver

1. Download the file onto your local hard disk.

2. Double-click the downloaded file.

3. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Download: http://ccftp.creative.com/manualdn/Drivers...S_2_18_0000.exe

[Argi]

* X-Fi CMSS?-3D feature is not available in Windows Vista 64-bit.

Doh, once they fix that I'll gladly accept new drivers.

[zerologic]

Thanks for the update Tantawi (Y)

[spaceelf]

Doh, once they fix that I'll gladly accept new drivers.

The older ones probably didn't support it either. *shrug*

[+Tantawi Subscriber²]

The older ones probably didn't support it either. *shrug*

CMSS worked perfectly fine in every older release for Vista 64-bit :s Creative doesn't fix a bug without breaking other things!

There only excuse this time is that this is a beta release, lets wait the final then judge.

[MiG-]

Yay Dolby Digital Support :D

[Avi]

Heh, took them only a year and a half (Vista RTM=Nov-8-2006) to get proper Vista support (DTS and DD decoding). :p

[xpgeek]

CMSS-3D works fine now in Vista x64 with latest official driver. No thanks.

[Doli]

When will they come out with new "new" cards and not the X-Fi brand? I know the the new Pci-e "X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series" (should be $150) and "Champion Series" are coming out soon but it doesnt seem to bring anything new to the table.

[Randolph]

Why does it matter? ^

They're audio cards suck, are overpriced, and the drivers are worser then Windows ME.

[+Tantawi Subscriber²]

Why does it matter? ^

They're audio cards suck, are overpriced, and the drivers are worser then Windows ME.

Their cards are top notch (Y) but drivers and support really stink.

As for the CMSS loss with this beta driver, I found it to be not an issue really for daily usage, most media players and codecs have this feature built in for stereo tracks. Multichannel audio and games don't need it anyway since it speak to the sound card directly :) I mean the other changes are worth it until we have a final drive with everything working.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

Why does it matter? ^

They're audio cards suck, are overpriced, and the drivers are worser then Windows ME.

hey, great contribution to the thread. stop trolling.

i love my X-Fi card (Y)

i've still never known whether i should uninstall my old drivers first before installing new sound card drivers :unsure:

[+Tantawi Subscriber²]

i've still never known whether i should uninstall my old drivers first before installing new sound card drivers :unsure:

I always overwrite the old drivers, works great (Y) I think the new driver installer uninstalls the old anyway.

[Doli]

Why does it matter? ^

They're audio cards suck, are overpriced, and the drivers are worser then Windows ME.

If it didnt matter to me then why would I ask?

[Veedems Veteran]

I wish I would have known that you also lose CMSS3D in Vista 32bit also. Ughh. I hate Creative.

[pjak]

These applications are important in XP and Vista to complement the drivers...

Creative Console Launcher Beta (41.47 MB)

http://files2.europe.creative.com/manualdn..._US_2_50_42.exe

Creative MediaSource DVD-Audio Player Beta (16.59 MB)

http://files2.europe.creative.com/manualdn..._US_2_00_77.exe

[+Tantawi Subscriber²]

^ Thanks :)

Two more findings:

1- CMSS-3D works fine in Game Mode in Windows Vista 64-bit.

2- GRID is totally messed up using this driver, the sound of cars' engines and crowd is lost after about 5 minutes of play, and it crashes to desktop sometimes, so if you're playing GRID in Vista 64-bit, wait for the final driver.