is a sound card needed?
- Thread starter AAzumak
- Start date
JLV2k5
Active Member
if you have decent speakers and are looking for better quality sound, by all means get a sound card. A big one isnt needed, any will improve sound from music, video or gaming.
If you do not have good speakers, this defeats the purpose of a sound card. If you are casually gaming and listening to music, the on board sound of your mobo is fine.
A lot of people claim that sound cards are needed for gaming because X-Fi gaming cards relieve the CPU of sound processing responsibility and increases frame rates but i do not think it is very significant.
If you do not have good speakers, this defeats the purpose of a sound card. If you are casually gaming and listening to music, the on board sound of your mobo is fine.
A lot of people claim that sound cards are needed for gaming because X-Fi gaming cards relieve the CPU of sound processing responsibility and increases frame rates but i do not think it is very significant.
PunterCam
Active Member
I'd repectfully disagree entirely with the above post!
The difference in sound quality from your onboard sound card and a £100 (read $200) seperate card is practically non existant. The only part of the card that could make a difference will be the d-a convertors, and while you may be able to hear a difference between the two cards back to back, I very much doubt you could accuarately tell which was the better card. Neither would sound 'better', they'd sound slightly 'different', and even that would be extremely hard to tell.
Games nowadays are pretty impressive, and feature '3d sound' and all that other stuff. It does take more power to process, and freeing the cpu up by having a seperate soundcard will make a difference, especially if you have an older computer that already struggles with new games.
The difference in sound quality from your onboard sound card and a £100 (read $200) seperate card is practically non existant. The only part of the card that could make a difference will be the d-a convertors, and while you may be able to hear a difference between the two cards back to back, I very much doubt you could accuarately tell which was the better card. Neither would sound 'better', they'd sound slightly 'different', and even that would be extremely hard to tell.
Games nowadays are pretty impressive, and feature '3d sound' and all that other stuff. It does take more power to process, and freeing the cpu up by having a seperate soundcard will make a difference, especially if you have an older computer that already struggles with new games.
Motherboard sound cards aren't that bad IMO. I have 8 channel sound on a $70 motherboard
No need for upgrading here.
