Dell XPS 420 X-Fi Screech

Sadly for Dell I'm going nowhere :-). I want this fixed, its a great computer and it's not going to be ruined by this.

I think your best option is to get the $$ = difference between on-board audio and what you were charged for the Dell soundcard at the time of purchase. You can then see if on-board audio suits you or go for a retail soundcard. I have had no screech, snap, crackle, or pop with retail version under 32-bit or 64-bit. I had none of those issues with on-board audio either...

For me getting the $/£ is the best option, even though I could return the PC get the refund and get something with a better spec I like the one I have! X-Fi from Creative is something else, whether I'd buy another is a different matter. This really has put a dent in the confidence I had for Creative. I have been buying their sound cards for the past 10 years whether OEM or Retail and never have I said such problems, what really got me is the way in which Creative are handling the situation.

I think the issue is that they are as davet50 likes to say "franken" cards - manufactured specifically for Dell. Because of that, the creative drivers don't always seem to work (from what I have read) and both Creative and Dell can push the blame on each other and/or Microsoft....

 

I was somewhat leery myself, but saw that others had added the retail version of the cards without issue. It was easy for me since I got the 420 with on-board audio thinking I would simply add the sound card later if I wanted to go that route. (First PC WITH a soundcard).

 

Even if you can't get $$ back, maybe you can get a credit to purchase something else...  

Yeah, after the trouble I have had with this machine from ordering until now I'd quite like an extended warranty too. Just feel that it would reassure me. Already had the PSU, Graphics Card and Motherboard replaced as they turned out to be faulty.

 

Like I say the computer has been brilliant but feel that Dell could have handled the issues much better than the have.

I guess you don't make your living from your PC.  Problems like this are exactly why I don't buy an extended warranty.  Sure they will pay the $50-$100 to replace your card (refurbished) but you will go through months of effort trying to get them to agree that you have a problem.  A good friend of mine always buys the 3-year warranty and has spent the last two years trying to get a problem with the video card corrected.  He will likely get his money's worth in terms of replacement parts, but he has lost countless hours due to downtime and working with Dell Support.  My time is more valuable than that.  If my video card goes, I'll just pick up a new one and pay the money.  Right now, I'm still in the one-year period and I've spent maybe 30 hours between web support, phone support, swapping cards, reloading drivers, flashing ROM, etc.  Not to mention the frustration I feel whenever it goes "screech" in the middle of something.  If I made minimum wage (since I'm an astrophysicist, I don't) I would have "spent" about $150 already for my "free support."  Simple economics says if it costs me $150 to save $100 it's a bad deal.  Not to mention that the additional warranty costs money.

 

Now, if my motherboard dies, that's another matter.  But how much is a motherboard?  How many months would I go without the machine trying to get them to fix it?  How much data would I lose diagnosing the problem?

 

Only insure what you cannot afford to replace. 

also a new thread has been made by Chris_M  " X-Fi Screech of Death" more happy screeching system owners

everyone should read Chris_M's last post in this thread " Re: Sound Blaster X-Fi high pitched screech/wailing" why are we not included

Well, it appears I too have this problem, but upon further investigation with Dell's tech. support, we realized Dell shipped my system with the wrong audio card. (Thanks Chris, for your picture link.)  I ordered the X-Fi Xtreme Music, and somehow ended up with X-Fi Xtreme Gamer card.  The packing list even mentions Xtreme Music -- Go figure.

 

Emailed Customer care and hope we can resolve this -- Not sure if there's a difference between the two cards or whether or not my "screech" will cease, but, here's hoping.

Toronto699-I HAVE BEEN DELLIFIED! How can a company so large still have the highest market shares? They do nothing right for there customers and everything they say is misleading. I wish I had of stayed with Gateway. I wish I had of known about this forum before I wasted my time and money. Can you tell me where I can find additional info from Chris_M's last post and also heard a new forum started on the screech of death but I don't see it.

Hello there, this is my first post after reading a lot about the so called "screech of death"...

First I thought my DELL soundbar was to be blamed but after reading so many post about that problem this has  apparently a far bigger dimension.

 

My XPS 420 (Q9300, 4GB, Vista 32bit) was deliverd on the 29.07.2008 and after a while a experienced the screech for the first time: I checked the Creative drivers which are actually from the d ate: 21.02.2008

 

Driver Nr.: 6.0.1.1283

 

Downloading and executing the driver setup from the DELL support site brought no success: it said that the installed driver was up to date and the setup routine quitted.

 

On the Creative website i found another driver for the X-Fi Xtreme Gamer and Vista 32bit: 2.18.0004 from the 30.07.2008. Should I install this one or does someone know if this solves the screech - problem? (Should I de-install the old one first?).

 

XPS_Blitz

 

 

 

install the creative  2.18.0004 driver and the latest audio console, there is no Solution for Screech , Dell is not even working on the Problem. Install the latest video driver as well. There is also other updated Apps At creative Check the release dates. Use driver sweeper to uninstall the Creative drivers u can find driver sweeper at Guru3d.com. Dell Audio and video drivers are always out of Date. Never install windows update audio drivers,

If you still have noticeable problems with the latest creative drivers, you could try these. Was having a screech at least once a day. None in over two weeks since I installed these...

 

http://www.youp-pax.org/viewthread.php?tid=615&extra=page%3D1

 

Gabhan

Kerry

Ireland

Thank you for your answers!

I decided to buy a DELL because of the good service but sometimes gold turns out to be led...

  

I will install the latest X-Fi driver, console driver and Alchemy (which I deleted during my Creative "investigations" on my PC -_-). For the (pre) installed rest (like Creative Media Source 5) I don´ t have any purpose.

 

I think I will also use that driver sweeper - thx for the link, Toronto.

 

 

If these steps fail I will install the PAX drivers linked by Gabhan: Do I just install the PAX PCI XFI driver in additon the original Creative Console and Alchemy drivers (Edit: because it states in the description: "world first creative console launcher" )?

 

thx & greets

XPS_Blitz