Need a cheap sound card

trickynick · Jun 27, 2014

My built in sound card apparently is kaput. Can someone recommend a cheap sound card to replace it?

nostall · Jun 27, 2014

If you live in the US Best Buy has a card for $19.99. Last time I talked to them about it I was told it was manufactured by Creative.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/diamond-multimedia-xtremesound-5-1-16-bit-sound-card/5128004.p?id=1219111162244&skuId=5128004&st=categoryid$abcat0507003&cp=1&lp=1

trickynick · Jun 27, 2014

Is this a good card?
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM

Or maybe this?

nostall · Jun 28, 2014

Do the soundblaster by Creative. They make good stuff.

iceclock · Jun 28, 2014

yes that be a fine choice sir

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102003

300 4 outta 5 stars cant go wrong my friend

mickypheonix · Jun 28, 2014

Hi trickynick
The audigy is a quality sound card and will be fine

trickynick · Jun 28, 2014

What's the different between an OEM card and the non-OEM sound card? Well, besides price

nostall · Jun 28, 2014

OEM is just the card: no instructions, no software, basically bare-bones.Probably won't even have a box.
Retail or non-oem should come with all the accessories that the manufacture normally includes and usually comes in a retail package.
Normally about the only thing you need to install a sound card are the card and the drivers. For OEM you would go to the manufacture's web site and download the driver to your HDD or a thumb-drive and install them from there. Retail would probably come with a disc with drivers and other software for the card (which you might or might not want to use).
Kinda up to you and the price of the part (in this case a sound card). From my perspective if the price difference between OEM and Retail is around $6 or less, go with the retail; you would be looking at $15 OEM $21 Retail with that price spread. UPdate: just looked at Newegg, For the $11 difference, go with OEM; it says it comes with the driver disk.

One last thing: Make certain you get the right configuration: PCI will not work in any PCI-Ex slot and vice versa. Take a look at your motherboard etc. and make certain of where you are going to mount the card and that you have an appropriate slot. The card you linked is for a PCI slot.

trickynick · Jun 30, 2014

Bit the bullet and bought the Creative sound card.

Thank you to nostall for his detailed explanation between OEM and non-OEM.

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