• Registered: 2009-10-11
  • Posts: 9

Topic: Is it official recommended not to buy Fireface 400/800 without TI chip

Hi,

Im using RME fireface 800 on a Quad core MSI GX720 laptop, and its all glitches and crackles.
After I bought the laptop people on forums asked whether I had TI chipset, and I was not aware of it.

Is PC laptops without TI chipset simply non compatible with fireface 800? Is this officially stated or recomeded by RME?

Should I Either buy a macbook Pro or fireface UC to continue using RME sound card? Thanks

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,776

Re: Is it official recommended not to buy Fireface 400/800 without TI chip

The FF is not explicitly incompatible with non-TI chips. I sometimes use the FF400 on an old PIV PC with a VIA based PCI card. Performance may vary, though. Besides the known issues with older LSI/Agere chips, recent low-cost varieties like JMicron seem to have shown less-than-stellar FW performance in general (not limited to RME).


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2007-05-19
  • Posts: 213

Re: Is it official recommended not to buy Fireface 400/800 without TI chip

there is no guarantee the UC will work either.
download a program called latency checker
if there is high lantecy the UC will not work either.

then you need either an Apple or a PC laptop thats built for audio

Scott
ADK

  • Registered: 2008-12-03
  • Posts: 182

Re: Is it official recommended not to buy Fireface 400/800 without TI chip

RME Support wrote:

The FF is not explicitly incompatible with non-TI chips. I sometimes use the FF400 on an old PIV PC with a VIA based PCI card. Performance may vary, though. Besides the known issues with older LSI/Agere chips, recent low-cost varieties like JMicron seem to have shown less-than-stellar FW performance in general (not limited to RME).


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

:-)

That must be the understatement of the year!

-----------------------

Various ADK computers :-)
  • Registered: 2009-10-11
  • Posts: 9

Re: Is it official recommended not to buy Fireface 400/800 without TI chip

jcschild wrote:

there is no guarantee the UC will work either.
download a program called latency checker
if there is high lantecy the UC will not work either.

then you need either an Apple or a PC laptop thats built for audio

Scott
ADK

Thanks, very good to know!

What PC laptops are build for audio?

6 Reply by traktop (edited by traktop 2010-09-15 03:26:19)

  • Registered: 2010-09-15
  • Posts: 2

Re: Is it official recommended not to buy Fireface 400/800 without TI chip

I know an spanish company: www.citriq.com. They mount computers for music, and sell a laptop that comes with no firewire port, but a firewire express card with TI chip is included. They guarantee that it will work with most FW audio cards that use to have major problems with non TI FW chip. May be that could be the solution for all the non TI based FW chips laptops problems: no firewire chip laptop... The chipset that?s inside is a Intel HM55 Express Chipset. I don?t know if that chipset is built with no firewire chip, but may be could be interesting some research in that direction...:)



CHEERS.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,776

Re: Is it official recommended not to buy Fireface 400/800 without TI chip

RME Support wrote:

Besides the known issues with older LSI/Agere chips, recent low-cost varieties like JMicron seem to have shown less-than-stellar FW performance in general (not limited to RME).

Sinc the thread's been brought up again. A recent customer report indicatea better performance with new JMicron drivers: http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8911


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website