ASRock Introduces Fantastic Scout Mode in its Top Gaming Sound Card - Game Blaster!
 

World's top 3 motherboard manufacturer, ASRock Inc., specially partners with Creative Technology Ltd, the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for the personal computer, to introduce the most trusted sound card in mobo industry - Game Blaster!

Gamers need so much more from their rigs. ASRock Game Blaster was designed to exceed the expectations of even the most dedicated gamer. It is the first sound card coming with both Creative 7.1 CH HD Sound Core3D Audio and Broadcom Gigabit LAN in the world.

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/12-02...ter_01_thm.jpg



Creative Sound Core3D 7.1 CH HD Audio

Powered by Sound Core3D quad-core audio and voice processor, the revolutionary Game Blaster delivers the first-class sound experience to extreme gamers! This breakthrough audio chip even brings some exciting features, allowing gamers to enjoy pure gaming audio, such as THX TruStudio PRO™ sound technologies, CrystalVoice and EAX 1.0 to 5.0 solid sound technologies.

Scout Mode

Designed for performance gaming, ASRock Game Blaster also supports the state-of-the-art Scout Mode technology. It is a proprietary technology that allows you to hear your enemies from further away, giving you a distinct tactical advantage in combat. With Scout Mode, ASRock Game Blaster facilitates faster access in the heart of battle and allows gamers to get precise control to elevate their games. Can't wait to enjoy this exciting technology? Simply download the latest driver from ASRock website, and experience this amazing tool right now.

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/12-02...ut_mode_01.jpg

Broadcom Gigabit LAN

ASRock Game Blaster was unprecedentedly equipped with a Broadcom Gigabit LAN. Broadcom Gigabit LAN not only focuses on high performance, but also ensures extremely low power consumption to enhance eco-friendly environment. Coupled with Game Blaster and ASRock motherboard, serious gamers will get benefits of 2 LAN supports. Connected 2 LANs together, users can enjoy Dual PCIE Gigabit LAN feature with teaming function effortlessly.

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/12-02...ter_lan_01.jpg

ASRock Game Blaster is setting a whole new standard for gaming audio. It's been designed for incredible sound experience and precise accuracy. The ASRock Game Blaster has lots intelligent features including Creative Sound Core3D single audio chip with Scout Mode™ and Broadcom Gigabit LAN. It's aimed to unleash the maximum gaming performance.

For more product information, please visit: http://www.asrock.com/mb/spec/Card.a...Game%20Blaster

A bonus is the optical-out. Too bad they don't have optical-in.

Why on earth would they throw an LAN connector into a sound card???

It will most likely take away from the onboard CPU's load. Also its always good to have two NIC slots

http://www.asrock.com/mb/spec/card.a...er&cat=Support

its limited by the boards it supports and is a proprietary AsRock card :o

thats GHEY, LOL

That seems slightly presumptuous...

Yea right after that sound card and an asrock mobo simply appear inside my computer.

Slightly :laugh:

I have a broadcom gigabit lan in my PC in PCIE 1x 5751 model..

Proprietary hardware = bad juju. Good luck with this ASRock.

Can this Scout Mode be hacked to work on older X-Fi boards??

Hacked X-Fi software is pretty uncommon these days.

I know right! It would be a hell of a lot better if they threw a wireless NIC (antenna as a result) on it. My rig doesn't have a sound card because of that very fact the wireless card occupies the only "convenient" PCIx1 slot.

?

X-Fi software has been available on every realtek HD codec for years now

I wonder, . . . . . . isn't this version of soundcore3d nothing but a codec with software ontop renamed to soundcore3d from trustudio, even the Gameblaster AsRock implements on the motherboards themselves is only a codec that runs a custom version of XFi-MB II

this looks like nothing but a riser to me if thats the case, kinda like Asus's old X-fi risers.

Why don't we just get some ambiophonics in? That'll be a billion times better than some shitty scout mode.

That would be taking a leaf out of ASUS's book.
Won't be long before we get Fatal1ty Notebooks and Graphics Cards.

But really, Asrock's been doing a helluva job recently ! a few years ago, Asrock was considered lower than trash! At least where I come from >_>

i feel sorry for anyone who spends money on a soundcard.

Doesn't matter if it's proprietary or not, the Recon3D cards barely do any work anyways. They offload open AL back to the cpu.

Why??? A dedicated sound card sounds sooooo much better...

this isn't really a dedicated soundcard, its still driven by the cpu not a dsp

To a certain extent I agree with this. If your mobo is a piece of crap and you throw in a cheapo 30 dollar one then good but spending 100+ when you have a mobo with great onboard sound then you're just wasting money.

Also, I love my ball. :laugh:

You've got some good pot.

Lol this is pure marketing, why would you want a network controller and sound card on the same pcb? You can't expect 'first class' sound experience, as they call it, with a crappy creative chip that's already outdated when its going,to be released and what about eletrical interference? I bet you can hear high frequences noise from the network controller.

http://memedump.com/d/1225-8/yo-dawg-xzibit-48.jpg

yo dawg, we heard you like to derp so we put a herp in your derp so you can derp while you herp while you derp.

"It is a proprietary technology that allows you to hear your enemies from further away, giving you a distinct tactical advantage in combat."

Try using that Scout mode in Battlefield 3. Sure I can hear a tank clanking around from far away. I can pinpoint gun shots accurately. I can hear grenades bouncing around and bullet strikes (a bit overwhelmingly confusing at times) in Metro's enclosed area.

BUT...

everyone's using rubber shoes in BF3! What's use is a Scout Mode in a game that disabled footsteps in multiplayer?

They just wanted to compete with ASUS's Thunderbolt.

It's NOT the first card with audio AND an RJ45 port.