When choosing a sound card, what’s the most important features I should look for? What’s the best and reliable manufacture to look at when purchasing. If you know of a particular item I should consider, please don’t hesitate to recommend it.

I am trying to build a computer within the next two weeks, so any help will be welcome.


Ron

first...always consider this when buying components:

what am i going to do with my computer/this component of the system?

go ahead...consider it...

*twiddles thumbs*
*whistles*

yeah...what are you going to do with your computer?

On board sound with todays modern boards are pretty good, unless you are doing professional quality sound mixing.

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I am not going to be doing Professional mixing.

Board Specifications:
Form Factor: ATX/Socket 939
Chipset: nVidia nForce 4 Ultra
Memory Type: DDR400/DDR333/DDR266 ECC/non-ECC
Max CPU: AMD FX55
Max Memory: 4 GB
Memory Slots: 4
# PCI: 1x PCI-Express x16, 2x PCI-Express x1, 1x PCI-Express x4, 3x PCI
Onboard Items: Gb LAN/8ch Audio
Hard Drive Support: 2x UDMA133/4xSATAII

I was thinking of Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS card with Creative SBS560 5.1 Speakers to match. I am only going to be listening to music, mp3 conversions and ripping/games here and there and watching DVDs.

Is it worth it to spend the money?

Ron

I am satisfied with my onboard sound RealTec ALC-850 and run it to an amplifier with Bose 201 speakers.
But the Audigy ZS is a good sound card, I have one but do not have it installed.

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I have an Epox nforce 4 ultra and I'm happy with the onboard audio. I have a turtle beach sound card but I didn't feel the need to install it because of the quality of the onboard audio.

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if your board has S/PIDF and you have an accessible receiver, you might want to consider using that, especially if you watch a lot of movies. even if you don't pass through to a receiver, the nForce maybe be able to decode DD. as far as music, your onboard can probably do the job adequately.

however, if you're going to be doing a good amount of gaming, digital out won't work so well since most game audio ends up as analog. in that case, an Audigy 2 (i think even the value, which is considerably cheaper than the ZS) can do the job in the gaming department.

i say factor in how much gaming you're going to do into the equation.

some of the nforce 4 boards come with creative sound blaster live 24 bit audio onboard. I would listen to the onboard audio first and then decide if you need to get a card.