Auzentech X-Fi Forte Low Profile 7.1 PCI-E Sound Card
Conclusion
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The Auzentech X-Fi Forte is a truly accomplished card and a superb all-round performer. Usually when a device attempt to fill a gap in the market by becoming a ‘jack of all trades’, it fails miserably in at least one area.
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The Auzentech X-Fi Forte managed not only NOT to fail at anything, it manages to excel in several areas and compete with the best the market has in others.
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Gaming quality is hugely impressive with the Forte handling gaming with ease and panache. For gaming, X-Fi cards are very hard to beat and this stays the case with the Forte.
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Musically the Forte is superb and competes (but doesn’t quite beat), the Asus Xonar essence STX. Considering how I was waxing lyrical about the STX, this is no mean feat!
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In movies the Forte handles itself with aplomb and brings a fantastic scale and depth to movies.
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Essentially; the Auzentech X-Fi Forte is all if set out to be. As an all-round device to pop into your gaming media PC there can’t be many on the market that get near it and if this is what you want from a sound card, then I would recommend you go out and get one.
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The Auzentech X-Fi Forte gets a deserved OC3D ‘Recommended’ Award for being the best all-rounder we’ve tested so far.
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The Good
+ Excellent Gaming performance
+ Top class music replication
+ Well rounded movie performance
+ Nice bundle
+ Fits well into any HTPC
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The Mediocre
* Bass redirection not up to scratch
* Does not auto-change from DD to DTS in movie mode
* Lack of Dolby headphone support
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The Bad
– Price a possible stumbling block
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OC3D would like to thanks Auzentech for the review sample.
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