Hercules Game Theater XP

[Joel]

Y'all may want to have a look at this before using that patch.

"686B patch causing overheating?
I followed a pretty interesting thread in our forums, describing how the latest 686B bug patch by George may cause a system to overheat, as it disables a register that controls CPU idling. If this is indeed true, I would caution you against using version .14 of the patch, and sticking with the original release, .10, both available on our tweaks page."

Found it at the link above.

Joel

[Gurm]

Thanks a bunch, Joel!

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[dZeus]

if you computer overheats without CPU idling, then you don't have proper cooling installed in it.

only Win2k/XP and Linux provide HLT instructions (the idle process in the taskmanager). So if you're using Win9x (which doesn't provide HLT instuctions at all), and experiencing no lockups due to overheating, then you're safe with other OSes and this patch as well I guess

[Jammrock]

I don't get it! I keep hearing all these complaints about the SB Live! having all these tourbles, but I've never had any. Did I somehow get a mutant SB Live! that works?

As a matter of fact, the only time I have ever had a single problem in anyway with my SB Live! is when I tried to do 4 channel downsampling in Win2k with PowerDVD. That's it! Nothing else.

Odd indeed.

As for new sound cards...I hear the new Hercules series is really nice. SharkyExtreme rated the Game Theater XP as their #1 choice for their high-end gaming rig. It's supposed to be really good, but I've never used one.

Jammrock

[Gurm]

Jammrock,

Do you have SMP, VIA, Win2k, or a combination of the above? If not, you may NEVER hear any of the problems we have.

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[Indiana]

As stated above I don't have problems with the SB Live! even though I have a combination of VIA, Win2k and an UW-SCSI on the PCI - so you can just be lucky I guess.

Still I'm a bit annoyed by the only average quality of the SBLives output, esp. the mediocre SNR. If you have ever heard a card with 100+ dB you're just not that lucky with the sub 80dB the SBLive provides. Fortunately there's the digital-out, so I can use the DACs of my Sony DAT.

[dZeus]

He's got a VIA KX133 with a Live in Win2k afaik

[Gurm]

Wow. You run full liveware with 3d sound activated and no problems? You are a lucky fellow. You're the example Creative holds up saying "we don't need new drivers... it works for THIS guy". Bastard.

(*wink*)

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[The PIT]

Well if I didn't have Huappauge wintv card I would say what problems with sblive card. The via 686b also has problems with other soundcards as well it's just that it's supposed to worse with the sblive. Perhaps the via shitset has a problem with wintv as well.
At least my old reliable Overclocked Bx board is handling my important data with any problems even with a live card in.

[Indiana]

Hehe, seems I'm a VERY lucky bastard indeed, since I also have a Hauppauge WinTV and never had any problems with it capturing full res video with sound (through the Live!) in Win2k to the HighPoint RAID - and this on a VIA-based board without clicks or stutters or many framedrops.
Oh my god, there are are so many "evil" components involved and still it's working well, I feel like I must belong to the darkside...
Well maybe I do since I now own a Radeon

[This message has been edited by Indiana (edited 24 April 2001).]

[Jammrock]

Thanks for the cover dZ.

I have an Abit KA7-100 (Via KX133 chipset) and run in Windows 2000 with the full LiveWare! 3 installed. For settings, I use 4 speaker 3D sound. I have the WAV channels maxed at 32 channels (everything can be modified through AudioHQ). I have 10 MB of RAM aloted for the SB Live! and use the 8 MB wavtable found on the original SB Live! install CD (as the original, origianl SB Live! CD).

Like I said before, my only trouble is in PowerDVD 4 channel downsampling. If anyone wants my 8 MB wavtable I can FTP it to you (or post it on someone's site/FTP).

BTW, ACPI is enabled and working in Win2k.

Jammrock

[DentyCracker]

I have an SBLive! X-Gamer 5.1, an Abit KT7 (Non RAID) and a G400 and have no problems with win2k. When I had the SBLive! X-Gamer (non 5.1) there was a time when I had crackling sounds when playing mp3s and seti was running. That went away with one of the 4in1s. I am using 28 i think. haven't bothered to install any of the later ones as I am not having any probs with the Live! except that the joystick driver blows donkey dick (not Don Kiddik), and craps out when I try to use both sidewinder gamepads at once. CL are so lame, the linux joystick guy has written a driver that fixes this so why can't stupid Creative (I was never a big fan of theirs but the Live! has worked for me more or less) DVDs sound great blah blah blah. Two weeks ago I installed Win2kSP2 beta and the system behaves better. (Oh I installed IE6 in a fit of madness so now use Mozilla to do most of my browsing)
It seems I got one of the good KT7s hehe

[JLP]

I finally got the card and I am very happy with it. No problems that I had with SB Live. Sound is much better (clearer, richer, deeper) and it has less noise then Live had. And the external rack is so awsome.
I have one problem though, see my post about DSL samples.
Oh, and thanks for helping me guys!

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Live long and prosper!