# ASRock Introduces Fantastic Scout Mode in its Top Gaming Sound Card - Game Blaster!



## Cristian_25H (Feb 17, 2012)

World's top 3 motherboard manufacturer, ASRock Inc., specially partners with Creative Technology Ltd, the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for the personal computer, to introduce the most trusted sound card in mobo industry - Game Blaster!

Gamers need so much more from their rigs. ASRock Game Blaster was designed to exceed the expectations of even the most dedicated gamer. It is the first sound card coming with both Creative 7.1 CH HD Sound Core3D Audio and Broadcom Gigabit LAN in the world.







*Creative Sound Core3D 7.1 CH HD Audio*

Powered by Sound Core3D quad-core audio and voice processor, the revolutionary Game Blaster delivers the first-class sound experience to extreme gamers! This breakthrough audio chip even brings some exciting features, allowing gamers to enjoy pure gaming audio, such as THX TruStudio PRO sound technologies, CrystalVoice and EAX 1.0 to 5.0 solid sound technologies.

*Scout Mode*

Designed for performance gaming, ASRock Game Blaster also supports the state-of-the-art Scout Mode technology. It is a proprietary technology that allows you to hear your enemies from further away, giving you a distinct tactical advantage in combat. With Scout Mode, ASRock Game Blaster facilitates faster access in the heart of battle and allows gamers to get precise control to elevate their games. Can't wait to enjoy this exciting technology? Simply download the latest driver from ASRock website, and experience this amazing tool right now.







*Broadcom Gigabit LAN*

ASRock Game Blaster was unprecedentedly equipped with a Broadcom Gigabit LAN. Broadcom Gigabit LAN not only focuses on high performance, but also ensures extremely low power consumption to enhance eco-friendly environment. Coupled with Game Blaster and ASRock motherboard, serious gamers will get benefits of 2 LAN supports. Connected 2 LANs together, users can enjoy Dual PCIE Gigabit LAN feature with teaming function effortlessly.






ASRock Game Blaster is setting a whole new standard for gaming audio. It's been designed for incredible sound experience and precise accuracy. The ASRock Game Blaster has lots intelligent features including Creative Sound Core3D single audio chip with Scout Mode and Broadcom Gigabit LAN. It's aimed to unleash the maximum gaming performance.

For more product information, please visit: http://www.asrock.com/mb/spec/Card.asp?Model=Game%20Blaster

*View at TechPowerUp Main Site*


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## Sasqui (Feb 17, 2012)

A bonus is the optical-out.  Too bad they don't have optical-in.

Why on earth would they throw an LAN connector into a sound card???


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## brandonwh64 (Feb 17, 2012)

Sasqui said:


> A bonus is the optical-out.  Too bad they don't have optical-in.
> 
> Why on earth would they throw an LAN connector into a sound card???



It will most likely take away from the onboard CPU's load. Also its always good to have two NIC slots


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## AlienIsGOD (Feb 17, 2012)

http://www.asrock.com/mb/spec/card.asp?Model=Game Blaster&cat=Support

its limited by the boards it supports and is a proprietary AsRock card


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## brandonwh64 (Feb 17, 2012)

AlienIsGOD said:


> http://www.asrock.com/mb/spec/card.asp?Model=Game Blaster&cat=Support
> 
> its limited by the boards it supports and is a proprietary AsRock card



thats GHEY, LOL


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## Vancha (Feb 17, 2012)

Cristian_25H said:


> World's top 3 motherboard manufacturer, ASRock Inc., specially partners with Creative Technology Ltd, the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for the personal computer, to *introduce the most trusted sound card* in mobo industry - Game Blaster!


That seems slightly presumptuous...


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## Batou1986 (Feb 17, 2012)

> Can't wait to enjoy this exciting technology? Simply download the latest driver from ASRock website, and experience this amazing tool right now.



Yea right after that sound card and an asrock mobo simply appear inside my computer.



Vancha said:


> That seems slightly presumptuous...


Slightly


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## badsykes (Feb 17, 2012)

I have a broadcom gigabit lan in my PC in PCIE 1x 5751 model..


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## ironwolf (Feb 17, 2012)

Proprietary hardware = bad juju.  Good luck with this ASRock.


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## Prima.Vera (Feb 17, 2012)

Can this Scout Mode be hacked to work on older X-Fi boards??


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## R_1 (Feb 17, 2012)

Hacked X-Fi software is pretty uncommon these days.


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## EpicShweetness (Feb 17, 2012)

Sasqui said:


> A bonus is the optical-out.  Too bad they don't have optical-in.
> 
> Why on earth would they throw an LAN connector into a sound card???



I know right! It would be a hell of a lot better if they threw a wireless NIC (antenna as a result) on it. My rig doesn't have a sound card because of that very fact the wireless card occupies the only "convenient" PCIx1 slot.


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## KainXS (Feb 17, 2012)

R_1 said:


> Hacked X-Fi software is pretty uncommon these days.



? 

X-Fi software has been available on every realtek HD codec for years now

I wonder, . . . . . . isn't this version of soundcore3d nothing but a codec with software ontop renamed to soundcore3d from trustudio, even the Gameblaster AsRock implements on the motherboards themselves is only a codec that runs a custom version of XFi-MB II

this looks like nothing but a riser to me if thats the case, kinda like Asus's old X-fi risers.


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## hellrazor (Feb 17, 2012)

Why don't we just get some ambiophonics in? That'll be a billion times better than some shitty scout mode.


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## Shihab (Feb 17, 2012)

AlienIsGOD said:


> http://www.asrock.com/mb/spec/card.asp?Model=Game Blaster&cat=Support
> 
> its limited by the boards it supports and is a proprietary AsRock card



That would be taking a leaf out of ASUS's book.
Won't be long before we get Fatal1ty Notebooks and Graphics Cards.

But really, Asrock's been doing a helluva job recently ! a few years ago, Asrock was considered lower than trash! At least where I come from >_>


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## sclera (Feb 17, 2012)

i feel sorry for anyone who spends money on a soundcard.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Feb 17, 2012)

Doesn't matter if it's proprietary or not, the Recon3D cards barely do any work anyways. They offload open AL back to the cpu.


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## pellelu (Feb 17, 2012)

sclera said:


> i feel sorry for anyone who spends money on a soundcard.



Why??? A dedicated sound card sounds sooooo much better...


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## KainXS (Feb 17, 2012)

this isn't really a dedicated soundcard, its still driven by the cpu not a dsp


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## Rowsol (Feb 18, 2012)

sclera said:


> i feel sorry for anyone who spends money on a soundcard.



To a certain extent I agree with this.  If your mobo is a piece of crap and you throw in a cheapo 30 dollar one then good but spending 100+ when you have a mobo with great onboard sound then you're just wasting money.   

Also, I love my ball.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Feb 18, 2012)

Rowsol said:


> when you have a *mobo with great onboard sound* then you're just wasting money.



You've got some good pot.


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## mudkip (Feb 18, 2012)

Lol this is pure marketing, why would you want a network controller and sound card on the same pcb? You can't expect 'first class' sound experience, as they call it, with a crappy creative chip that's already outdated when its going,to be released and what about eletrical interference? I bet you can hear high frequences noise from the network controller.


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## FreedomEclipse (Feb 18, 2012)

mudkip said:


> Lol this is pure marketing, why would you want a network controller and sound card on the same pcb? You can't expect 'first class' sound experience, as they call it, with a crappy creative chip that's already outdated when its going,to be released and what about eletrical interference? I bet you can hear high frequences noise from the network controller.








yo dawg, we heard you like to derp so we put a herp in your derp so you can derp while you herp while you derp.


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## keling (Feb 18, 2012)

"It is a proprietary technology that allows you to hear your enemies from further away, giving you a distinct tactical advantage in combat."

Try using that Scout mode in Battlefield 3. Sure I can hear a tank clanking around from far away. I can pinpoint gun shots accurately. I can hear grenades bouncing around and bullet strikes (a bit overwhelmingly confusing at times) in Metro's enclosed area.

BUT...

everyone's using rubber shoes in BF3! What's use is a Scout Mode in a game that disabled footsteps in multiplayer?


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## BeepBeep2 (Feb 18, 2012)

They just wanted to compete with ASUS's Thunderbolt.

It's NOT the first card with audio AND an RJ45 port.


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## FordGT90Concept (Feb 18, 2012)

I assume it is a PCI Express 2.0 x1 card which means it has 500 MB/s bandwidth each way.  Gigabit NIC's maximum is 125 MB/s so there's more than enough left over to run an audio card.  I wish more low-bandwidth cards would add more features like NICs in order to consume fewer motherboard slots.  ITX and other SFF platforms are growing in popularty and they often only have one PCI Express slot.  I think I would rather perfer dedicated sound cards (not just HDMI pass thru) built into graphics cards the most.


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## MikeMurphy (Feb 18, 2012)

Its a shame Microsoft chose to oust HW audio acceleration since XP.


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## Prima.Vera (Feb 18, 2012)

There is still OpenAL, but you can count games using it with the fingers of your left hand only...


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## FreedomEclipse (Feb 18, 2012)

Prima.Vera said:


> There is still OpenAL, but you can count games using it with the fingers of your left hand only...



damn leftys!!!


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## RejZoR (Feb 18, 2012)

You can get somewhat similar thing if you use SVM feature on your X-Fi. It will make more silent distant noises a bit louder. Also make sure you set everything under CMSS-3D to Enabled (especially Elevation Filter). These features make sound more accurate so you can p0inpoint where the sound is coming from in 3D space.


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## DonInKansas (Feb 18, 2012)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Damn, leftys are awesome!!!
> 
> http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3qgXZ8SWp...AAAL8/QObW7Q_enN0/s400/Angry-Baby-300x291.jpg



Fixed that for you.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Feb 18, 2012)

I suspect Creative is just going to launch a new card when Windows 8 comes out. That seems to be the only way to get a new driver out of them, and there seems to be some better sound offloading support in 8 but they stop just shy of bringing back EAX for some reason.


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## Syborfical (Feb 18, 2012)

Abit pointless because you can only use it on like 6 mobos.

I have a Sound blaster XFI and a n intel 1GB server nic.
Advatnage of the intel Nic is you can run ESXi on most intel hardware.

How much will this thing cost?


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## Prima.Vera (Feb 19, 2012)

RejZoR said:


> You can get somewhat similar thing if you use SVM feature on your X-Fi. It will make more silent distant noises a bit louder. Also make sure you set everything under CMSS-3D to Enabled (especially Elevation Filter). These features make sound more accurate so you can p0inpoint where the sound is coming from in 3D space.



Interesting. Is this available for ALL games or only the one what use OpenAL? Also the option should be set for ON or AUTO?


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## swaaye (Feb 19, 2012)

Creative used to make a Game Blaster. Maybe Asrock will regret this naming call.  Although considering they are using a Creative APU anyway I guess they're likely safe.


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