Looking for a cheap 5.1 digital sound card

[russellito]

HI, I'm looking for a 5.1 or 7.1 (either) sound card. It needs to be able to pass the digital signal through optical or coaxial to my receiver. I've searched, but am unable to find one that has decent performance reviews that isn't over $50. Ideally I'd like to spend 20...
Any suggestions?

 

[pinaplex]

you're onboard sound doesn't provide digital outputs? usually for most people that onboard card will do just fine, especially if you're looking for a card in your $50 or under price range. Any card in that range will NOT be significantly better than onboard sound (especially if you're passing a digital signal)

 

[jedimasterben]

Is it for gaming or for movies and such?

If for gaming, then it can't be passed to a receiver, as games don't use Dolby signals (EAX and OpenAL and Directsound aren't compatible).

If not for gaming, then onboard audio should be fine for you.

 

[russellito]

I'm using the PC mostly for movies and such, I understand game audio doesn't pass to a receiver.
My onboard sound does not have optical or coax output, just 6 mini(headphone style) jacks that claim to have 8 +2 channels.
To be honest, I don't have a sound system yet. What i've read suggests that digital connections to the receiver are better?, easier?. I guess I could just hook up the onboard jacks to a receiver, but does quality get lost in the transition? And it seems like half the receivers don't accept multi channel input like that, though all accept optical or coax digital. (at least the black friday deals)
Anyways, what would be the best way to get surround sound for my PC?

 

[jedimasterben]

Well, that would depend on how nitpicky you are about your audio. If you just want some surround sound to fill the room, then a set that has the mini jacks would do you fine. If you really want awesome sound (such as for a HTPC), and you're playing from Blu-Ray discs that have 7.1 audio, then I would suggest a new motherboard like the 785G that has HDMI and can pass the audio on to a receiver.

What are your current specs, anyway?

 

[russellito]

BIOSTAR TA790GX XE
AMD Phenom II 940
4gb ram.
Radeon HD 4670
Windows 7

The motherboard has onboard audio and video, but the video didn't cut it for newer games ( i only lightly game).

So I use HDMI from the Radeon to my lcd tv. I also just noticed that my TV has an optical audio out. I assume that it could pass multichannel to a receiver with that? But how do I know if the PC audio through HDMI is using all the channels the onboard audio says it can? Is that just a windows settings/software thing?

I'd like in the future to get a Ceton CableCard tuner to use the PC as our DVR, and eventually blu-ray. Mostly i just want surround sound for dvds and recorded cable. would Blu-ray's audio change the equation? You suggest that HDMI would be sufficient for it?