Auzentech X-Fi Forte and Win8 ?

[RejZoR]

Any info if we're ever going to get Win8 drivers for our Forte? Auzentech forums seem to be dead, no one posted there for several weeks, last drivers were released nearly a year ago and they only support up to Win7. I'm planning to buy Win8 if it'll be really as cheap as some have speculated, but if i don't get driver support for my Forte, that will suck. I also have on-board ADI SoundMax which hasn't got any updates on ASUS webpage for 2 years and ADI also doesn't provide drivers directly either.
So, what? I'll have to buy new mobo or soundcard just because of Win8 ? Seriously?

Only vendor that seems to care and regularly update drivers is Realtek. It seems someone has to make a high end soundcard based on Realtek for users to get driver support they deserve...

[RejZoR]

After searching a lot, i've found that there is not a single decent discrete soundcard maker. They are ALL rubbish useless jerks who don't seem to care much about quality of anything. What good is 3447385356847 dB SNR if i can't freakin use the damn card on the latest OS or with at leat half decent updated drivers?

Nearly all ASUS cards (apart from very latest released not long ago) have outdated drivers and no Win8 support.

All Auzentech cards have outdated drivers and no Win8 support.

Creative cards, unless it's latest X-Fi Titanium or the one from Core3D series, again one year old drivers and no Win8 support.

ADI SoundMax on my ASUS Rampage II Gene. 2 years old drivers and again no Win8 support.

All the other C-Media based cards have outdated drivers and no Win8 support.

ONLY vendor that seems to care about driver support is REALTEK. They regularly release drivers and they already provide Win8 support for all their chips.

The question here is, why no one uses highest end Realtek chips, stick them to a PCB and attach loads of other high end components, add few goodies to enhance 3D sound and effects (SRS/SonicFocus makes some good stuff) and sell it to us. This way we'll at least have steady stream of drivers.

[erocker]

Originally Posted by RejZoR

The question here is, why no one uses highest end Realtek chips, stick them to a PCB and attach loads of other high end components, add few goodies to enhance 3D sound and effects (SRS/SonicFocus makes some good stuff) and sell it to us. This way we'll at least have steady stream of drivers.

+1. I wouldn't hold your breath for any Auzentech driver.. Their support really seems to be lacking as of late.

Have you tried any Windows 7 drivers with Windows 8?

[Dent1]

Give it time. Windows 8 is new, it'll take a bit of time before Windows 8 drivers are released. This is normal.


The Forte is Creative's high end product, so drivers will be on the way one way or another. Just wait.

[BumbleBee]

Xonar Unified Drivers work in Windows 8.

Regarding WIN8 CP/RP support

Update 06.06.2012 : There are some reports that Asus(and maybe C-media) Panel will work with Win8RP & even CP if you disable Driver Signature Enforcement before installing UNi Xonar 1.6x drivers (thanks to bof and zloy for the tip).

also confirmed on Head-Fi Aug 18

Confirmed here as well, now running the Uni 1800 v1.61 on Windows 8 Enterprise.

However, I had to disable (DSE) driver signature enforcement first. Windows 8 now forces you to use only digitally signed drivers---which is of course problematic for the Uni Xonar drivers.

What worked for me:

Uninstall STX drivers
Disable DSE , reboot
Install Uni Xonar drivers

you can download the Xonar Unified Drivers here.

[OneMoar]

windows 8 is not even available for oem install let alone end user release its not due for general availability untill oct 26... [IE YOU SHOULD NOT BE USING IT YET]
so you are here bitching about how 3 year old hardware inst supported on a Os thats not even available for sale yet ????????
my god and people wonder why I go off on them ... idiots ....

[NinkobEi]

Originally Posted by OneMoar

windows 8 is not even available for oem install let alone end user release its not due for general availability untill oct 26... [IE YOU SHOULD NOT BE USING IT YET]
so you are here bitching about how 3 year old hardware inst supported on a Os thats not even available for sale yet ????????
my god and people wonder why I go off on them ... idiots ....

This. I mean come on, at least give them until Win 8 is officially released to get some drivers out. It's ridiculous to think that they will not make them.

[RejZoR]

Originally Posted by OneMoar

windows 8 is not even available for oem install let alone end user release its not due for general availability untill oct 26... [IE YOU SHOULD NOT BE USING IT YET]
so you are here bitching about how 3 year old hardware inst supported on a Os thats not even available for sale yet ????????
my god and people wonder why I go off on them ... idiots ....

Well, Windows 7 is here for some time yet the last drivers for Forte were released 1 fuckin year ago. Win8 support becomes rather irrelevant don't you think? And i have every right to bitch about driver support on 3 years old hardware. Who cares if it's 3 years old, it's still better than 3/4 of supposedly "new" hardware released these days. But they expect us to buy their garbage every year even if it's poo (like Recon3D PCIe) just so you can get the damn driver support.

And lastly, every half serious company provides support for their hardware when OS goes RTM or very soon after. If my Forte hasn't got regular drivers for a whole year, what makes you think they'll ever release drivers for brand new Win8 ?

[RejZoR]

Great, now the Auzentech driver download page is completelly dead. You can't even download WinXP/Win7 drivers anymore. Iz Auzentech going bust?

[BumbleBee]

don't you have a DAC?

[RejZoR]

Bugged post

[RejZoR]

DAC ? DAC's are integrated on the soundcard yes...

[BumbleBee]

have you tried e-mailing Auzentech?

[RejZoR]

I've sent them on their sales mail because they don't provide any other e-mail contact.

[Dent1]

Originally Posted by RejZoR

Well, Windows 7 is here for some time yet the last drivers for Forte were released 1 fuckin year ago. Win8 support becomes rather irrelevant don't you think? And i have every right to bitch about driver support on 3 years old hardware. Who cares if it's 3 years old, it's still better than 3/4 of supposedly "new" hardware released these days. But they expect us to buy their garbage every year even if it's poo (like Recon3D PCIe) just so you can get the damn driver support.

And lastly, every half serious company provides support for their hardware when OS goes RTM or very soon after. If my Forte hasn't got regular drivers for a whole year, what makes you think they'll ever release drivers for brand new Win8 ?

Your logic makes no sense.

Creative have always been slow at releasing drivers. You already knew this yet you bought a Creative card anyways?


Every other X-Fi card has XP drivers, Vista drivers and Win 7 drivers. So why wouldn't Creative release Win 8 drivers in due time? Be patient, you'll get drivers when Creative are ready. And yes, the drivers will be buggy judging from past history.

If you don't like it stop buying Creative products.

[RejZoR]

Auzentech isn't Creative... It's using their audio processor but drivers are separate thing...

[Octopuss]

Originally Posted by RejZoR

Auzentech isn't Creative... It's using their audio processor but drivers are separate thing...

That's pretty much wrong. They MOD Creative drivers to suit their needs, but the core is the same.

[Dent1]

Originally Posted by RejZoR

Auzentech isn't Creative... It's using their audio processor but drivers are separate thing...

Creative make the drivers and it's the drivers that your beef is with.

[eidairaman1]

I suspect Auzentech will drop out of existence after adopting CLs DSPs

[RejZoR]

Awesome, Win8 released and all dead at Auzentech. Pathetic. When Sound Blaster ZxR gets released i'm selling this thing. Creative might be poor but at least they aren't this shitty and they do release new OS drivers sort of soon enough. At least they did so far.

[NinkobEi]

Well, I installed Win 8 Friday, and downloaded the Win 7 drivers from the auzentech website. They work for windows 8, by the way. Of course I use a Prelude and not a Forte..
There is not much difference between win 7 and win 8 in coding. They literally took Win7 and slapped Apps on top of it, so all of your old drivers should work fine.

[jagd]

I dont get it Rejzor , creative is much worse actualy about driver support ,latest official x-fi drivers are from 2010 (except titanium HD ,it has one from 25 oct 2012 ) im using Daniel_K 's modded support pack http://forums.creative.com/showthread.php?t=587995 daniel's drivers
Proof of old driver http://support.creative.com/Download..._2_17_0008.exe

This is auzentech download link http://www.auzentech.com/site/download/updates.php#top i guess they had a problem when you were looking drivers .Im sure auzentech will publish win8 drivers after creative launch drivers officially.

Originally Posted by RejZoR

Awesome, Win8 released and all dead at Auzentech. Pathetic. When Sound Blaster ZxR gets released i'm selling this thing. Creative might be poor but at least they aren't this shitty and they do release new OS drivers sort of soon enough. At least they did so far.