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8800 GTS + Vista combo: impressions

Proud_God

Grizzled Veteran
Dec 22, 2005
3,235
548
Belgium
I recently switched from 8800 GTS on windows XP to 8800 GTS on windows vista. I have all latest drivers installed. Here is what I noticed.

Good:
* Better fps
* The infamous hitches-inside-buildings-bug (eg. Danzig) was completely fixed (also with world detail on high)

Bad:
* I couldn't get hardware 3d (with or without EAX) to work. Sounds were 2.0 instead of 7.1. I have a sound blaster X-fi XtremeGamer. At first I thought it was a Vista limitation, but 7.1 sound did work on the BioShock demo in Vista..
* Texture flicker/ Z-fighting still occured (f.e.: closed windows facing river in Danzig)

Any know if it is possible to get hardware sound working in RO / UT2004 under Vista?
 
Since Vista doesn't allow EAX any more you have to use Creative's ALchemy to enable OpenAL support. Did you try that?

If not download (it's available on Creative's website), install and run ALchemy. Then add RO to the list by entering the path where your redorchestra.exe is located (e.g. C:\Steam\SteamApps\common\red orchestra\System). Leave all other options how they are.
After that be sure to click on the >>-button to finally activate OpenAL support (the program will copy some files to the folder you specified)

Now you can test if it works for you. Hardware3D+EAX is as good as under WinXP for me (using an X-Fi Fatality + Teufel Concept G THX 7.1 speakers)

This method should work great with most of the older games that use EAX. Newer games like Bioshock aleady provide OpenAL functionality! So there's no need to use this workaround.

Hope that helps!
 
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Since Vista doesn't allow EAX any more you have to use Creative's ALchemy to enable OpenAL support. Did you try that?

If not download (it's available on Creative's website), install and run ALchemy. Then add RO to the list by entering the path where your redorchestra.exe is located (e.g. C:\Steam\SteamApps\common\red orchestra\System). Leave all other options how they are.
After that be sure to click on the >>-button to finally activate OpenAL support (the program will copy some files to the folder you specified)

Now you can test if it works for you. Hardware3D+EAX is as good as under WinXP for me (using an X-Fi Fatality + Teufel Concept G THX 7.1 speakers)

This method should work great with most of the older games that use EAX. Newer games like Bioshock aleady provide OpenAL functionality! So there's no need to use this workaround.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for that info, but when I just select 'use system driver', the game already provides hardware EAX sound (echo and all). This does not surpirse me as Creative said that UT2k4 was build to work with OpneAL. As far as I understood, AlLchemy is like a 'hack' to make EAX available for games that were not build with OpenAL in mind. So imo, ALchemy is not required for RO. Are my assumptions correct?
 
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I believe so !

I do know that a while back TW were in contact with Creative to sort things out.

If you use a Creative card from Audigy2 and later you should X the "Use System Driver" option which will then take advantage of the OpenAl included with the RO build.

I am using XP so I cannot say for sure as far as Vista is concerned.

This is a "to the best of my knowledge" statement !

Thanks...
 
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I recently switched from 8800 GTS on windows XP to 8800 GTS on windows vista. I have all latest drivers installed. Here is what I noticed.

Good:
* Better fps
* The infamous hitches-inside-buildings-bug (eg. Danzig) was completely fixed (also with world detail on high)

Bad:
* I couldn't get hardware 3d (with or without EAX) to work. Sounds were 2.0 instead of 7.1. I have a sound blaster X-fi XtremeGamer. At first I thought it was a Vista limitation, but 7.1 sound did work on the BioShock demo in Vista..
* Texture flicker/ Z-fighting still occured (f.e.: closed windows facing river in Danzig)

Any know if it is possible to get hardware sound working in RO / UT2004 under Vista?

For me its work great, same "extreme gamer" but have a 8800gtx... and under VISTA RO plays very very good...

But had also some troubles (in general under vista) to have 7.1 eax sound...

you need to check your creative drivers for vista at the creative support website.
 
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