Do i need a soundcard?

T

taylormsj

New Member
I just bought some new speakers, mainly because my current ones have no bass control and dont go as loud as i need sometimes.
However i am now wondering wether i would get better sound results by having a sound card as opposed to my on board 8 channel audio.

I dont wanna spend that much so do you think i would see an improvement of having one? Any recommendations
 
C

computermaineack

New Member
I personally don't believe in sound cards...they may make some extremely small differences but for me onboard sound is fine. However, a decent sound card only runs about $20-$30 (USD), so while it may not make a large difference, it can't hurt too much. It may also increase your FPS while gaming slightly.
 
P

PabloTeK

Active Member
I'd recommend a Sound Card on two counts:

1. The distortion is non-existant on my speakers on a comfortable volume whereas if I used the Realtek onboard audio thered be a fair amount.
2. The Sound Blaster series have a much better sound output at default settings. The Realtek onboard audio to my ears sounds a bit high and muffled at default when compared to the X-Fi at default.
 
salman

salman

Member
hi taylomsj, if you've got a cheap set of speakers i wouldn't bother buying a soundcard as you probably won't be able to tell the difference. i would only ever recommend someone to get a soundcard if theyve already got some high end speakers and even then i would recommend them to get a high end soundcard to be able to notice the difference.
 
Geoff

Geoff

VIP Member
Sound cards make the world of difference!

If you have a decent set of speakers (not the <$50 kind), then stick with onboard, but if you have nice speakers or a headset, a sound card will make games sound completely different!
 
Itanda

Itanda

New Member
dude dont buy a sound card then because those speakers couldn't even output as good of sound that your sound card can... SO DONT BUY SOUND CARD :p :)
sorry for caps!
 
ETSA

ETSA

New Member
I think sound cards are almost always worth it. They make such a huge difference in sound in gaming and just listening to music. I would recommended one for almost anyone who does any of that on their computer.

Good cheap one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102002

One bad thing though, Creative has been slow to get drivers out. Which pretty much means all the extra cool features are unusable in VISTA, but they will be out soon.
 
ETSA

ETSA

New Member
I think you will notice the difference, sharper sounds and more realistic effects with EAX. I remember when I first bought my sound card and played it for the first time with oblivion I jumped when I thrust my sword because the volume seemed louder when in fact it just came to life!
 
CG man

CG man

New Member
Decent EAX 4 capable sound cards generate 3D sound. Sound that bounces off walls and objects in games and can turn sound data into sound with far more detail of course you have to have the amplifier and speackers that can turn this into good sound. Far more realistic and the more up to date ones like the creative brand can generate more sound effects at a time at no cost to the processor or ram. Buy a creative Audigy 2 ZS card if on a low budget you will get far less distortion, background noise and you get plenty of gold plated sockets. I have mine pluged into a £800 Arcam amplifier and 10KG Bowers & Wilkins speakers for superb sound. If your using speakers the size of alarm clocks then your sound won't sound alot diferent from the low spec onboard sound cards.
 
Last edited:
N

NJNETSFAN

New Member
hey, not the hijack the thread, but I would like a soundcard too. I was wondering if I put a sound card in if it would diasable my onboard audio? That would suck since I use the audio ports on the front of my pc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top