"Creative's Xtreme Audio Notebook is a reworked version of the audio company's entry-level Xtreme Audio PCI card, only for notebooks, as its name suggests. The card is the first product from Creative to make use of the Express card slot form factor, so only works with newer notebooks; it won't fit into a PC Card slot. Like the Xtreme Audio, it doesn't actually contain a physical hardware X-Fi processor chip, despite the product name. What you get instead is a basic audio converter based on an improved Audigy 4 model. Creative's website make no bones about that fact that this is not card for gamers, although under ALchemy, it is possible. All the effects and processing is done in software, the assumption being that any laptop with an ExpressCard slot is going to have a CPU capable of soaking up the host-based effects processing."
TrustedReviews dings this one a little for not including the breakout box for more connections. I actually think this is a good move to cut costs. I'd imagine one of the primary uses of this would be to hook your laptop into your home theater. Personally, I'd use the optical out built into the card itself for this purpose, so would not have a need for the breakout box.
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook
Linear Mode
