Do I need a sound card?

[Dilly1O]

Do I need a sound card if I have one intergraded into my motherboard?

 

[rolli59]

No unless you are a audiophile looking for absolutely the best sound you get with your expensive speaker system.

 

[Dilly1O]

would it help if I get a 20 dollar one, so I can have a little better music and gaming experences?

 

[popatim]

odds are the 20 ones use the same or inferior sound chips as the one on your motherbd. You are better off investing in better computer speakers than a better sound card until you are ready to spend sever hundred dollars on speakers alone.

 

[Cons29]

look at the asus xonar lineup, for their price (even the cheap ones), they offer good quality. you can read some reviews, so as not to take my word for it. they even have one that has head phone amp.

but of course, you can just use the built in one

 

[popatim]

what I'm trying to get across is that there no point in buying a xonar if you have $20 computer speakers... you get the xonar when you are ready to buy speakers that wont make you cringe. I have 100w computer speakers that sound really good and still use my onboard sound because my hearing isnt all that great and I cant tell the difference in sound from $100 speakers vs $1000 ones (too many concerts in my youth)

 

[Cons29]

well yeah, expensive ones are really for audiophiles, no use buying them if you cant recognize the difference (im not an audiophile).
i have a xonar that was i think $60 if i remember it right, and a decent 5.1 speaker.

 

[DiaSin]

There is one other cause to buy a cheap sound card. I have serveral friends that I play Battlefield Bad Company 2 with who get crashes in that game when using realtek onboard audio, which is what ~98% of all onboard audio is. Im sure its not the only game that has that issue from time to time.

 

[Dilly1O]

Thanks For the repies. I probily going to wait to get one intill I have more money to spend.

 

[Dilly1O]

Best answer selected by Dilly1O.