I think I read somewhere that the Xtreme Audio either has an Audigy 4 processor or Audigy 4 based drivers or something; you're otherwise buying an Audigy 4 card..... I would suggest spending a little more and go for the xtremegamer.... It's a great card before you begin spending an even larger sum of money for features that you may not need. The CMSS-3D is well worth the money and you get amazing audio playback and a boost of FPS in games...... EAX support is a plus too........ My only complaint is there ABSOLUTELY NO DRIVER SUPPORT FOR LINUX, although there are rumors about some coming out late this fall....... If you want something with Linux driver support, go with a high-end Audigy or another brand of card like m-audio.......