Do I need a sound card ?

[tony245]

Hi , I'm looking to get new speakers soon And I have an Asrock p67 extreme 4 gen 3 With Realtek ALC892 audio

Also this 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec), Supports THX TruStudio

I'm either Going to get Logitech 980-000402 Z623 Speaker System - 200-Watts RMS, THX Certified, RCA, AUX In, Integrated Controls


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6627208&csid=ITD&recordsPerPage=10&body=REVIEWS#tabs

Or Corsair SP2500 Gaming Audio Series High-power 2.1 PC Speaker System - 2.1 Channel, 232 Watt, Dynamic DSP Programs

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7134886&CatId=2893

I'm Wondering If my motherboard Sound Will be good enough so I can get good performance Out of my Speakers and If not what sound card should I get

Because the sound Cards I see all say they support 5.1 and 7.1 and this is only a 2.1 speaker system , SO I don't know if it will work.

Budget is 20.00 - 60.00$

Also Which Speaker system do you think is better ?

Thank you for your help

 

[a4mula]

This is a topic that has very opinionated views on both sides. Do you need a discrete sound card, the answer is simply no. Will a discrete card offer better sound quality, better voip capabilities while also lowering the demand on your cpu, yes.

So it's a question of subjective opinion. Rendering sound requires very little and onboard solutions are fine for the vast majority of users. It's also been shown that sound interrupts are given a very low priority so under heavy cpu use popping and crackling can still be evident even in today's systems.

It's been 10 years (at least) since I purchased a sound card. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but at the same time I've never felt as if I've lost anything either.

And yeah, your 2.1 speaker system will work fine on any modern motherboard.

I'll leave the speaker question to the audiophiles out there.

 

[davcon]

5.1 and 7.1 cards work just fine on a 2.1 spkr system.
Never been satisfied with onboard audio personally.
Decent cards = better then onboard imo.
ASUS Xonar DG 5.1
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=56330&vpn=XONAR%20DG&manufacture=ASUS
ASUS Xonar DS 7.1
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=46389&vpn=Xonar%20DS&manufacture=ASUS
ASUS Xonar DX 7.1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132006
The Corsair spkrs are better imo.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836852001
I'd wait all this stuff is really cheap in Canada right now.
Probably go on sale in the States soon.
See what i'm saying.
http://www.ncix.ca/products/?sku=57799&vpn=CA%2DSP211NA&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1301
http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=41_535&item_id=035933
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX31904
On boxing day the Corsairs were $120 at Memoryexpress.

 

[gamerk316]

A soundcard is like anti-alising for graphics: You don't NEED it, but it makes the presentation better. The rest is simply a matter of how much that increase in quality matters to you.

The ASUS Xonar DX is the best under $100 option right now, and is my "base" recommendation for people unsure if they want an upgrade or not. The ASUS Xonar DS is a lower priced option.

 

[spp85]

Hi , I'm looking to get new speakers soon And I have an Asrock p67 extreme 4 gen 3 With Realtek ALC892 audio

Also this 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec), Supports THX TruStudio

I'm either Going to get Logitech 980-000402 Z623 Speaker System - 200-Watts RMS, THX Certified, RCA, AUX In, Integrated Controls


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6627208&csid=ITD&recordsPerPage=10&body=REVIEWS#tabs

Or Corsair SP2500 Gaming Audio Series High-power 2.1 PC Speaker System - 2.1 Channel, 232 Watt, Dynamic DSP Programs

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7134886&CatId=2893

I'm Wondering If my motherboard Sound Will be good enough so I can get good performance Out of my Speakers and If not what sound card should I get

Because the sound Cards I see all say they support 5.1 and 7.1 and this is only a 2.1 speaker system , SO I don't know if it will work.

Budget is 20.00 - 60.00$

Also Which Speaker system do you think is better ?

Thank you for your help

If you are going with a higher end speaker system a good dedicated sound card can make a difference but not much the way a discrete nvidia or AMD GPU's can offer. The spekers you mentioned seems good and you may consider a ASUS Xonar DG or DX sound cards both are good for gaming.

 

[tony245]

Would you guys say the ASUS Xonar DG 5.1 offers good sound , like if its not much better then the mobo audio then I won't get it but will it make a big difference? If So I think I might get that , But im still stuck in a bind w/ the speakers >.< Thanks for the help nd replys btw

 

[tony245]

Best answer selected by tony245.