my onboard sound skips
make sure you're using the right drivers
for instance, my onboard is ritek hi-def, but it'll let me install the ritek 880 drivers, which causes skipping
reinstall the drivers 1st, and if it's still skipping, get yourself a $19 sound card, and call it a day, i give it my gaurantee to fix the problem
my computer's a 3.6 prescott with a gig of 333 ram, and the onboard STILL causes all hell to unleash
a sound card is a VERY wise investment