Real dumb newbie-type question

G

guns90

New Member
I've never purchased an independent sound card, because all, or most, motherboards have built-in sound that has worked just fine for me. I want more volume in my system. I mostly use headphones, but occasionally I make use of the old Altec Lansing speakers I have. So here's the dumb question.

Does a sound card increase the volume on a system? I'm serious. I've never used one.
 
I don't believe so but I could be wrong. I am the opposite of you. I have always had a Sound Blaster sound card and surround speakers. I just built a new rig and decided to try out the onboard audio with my "powered" surround sound speakers. I must say, I didn't notice any difference at all and tossed the sound card (no sense wasting valuable PS wattage ;)). :cool:
 
:lol Thanks, guys. Essentially, what you're telling me is that I need a hearing aid. :) Maybe I'll look into some better headphones. Thanks for the replies.
 
They wont make that much difference in your volume I dont think or at least the different ones I have used have not made that much difference

it never hurts to try
 
I use a Fatal1ty sound card and it doesn't really increase the volume. It mainly increases the quality of the sound. Explosions sound ridiculously epic!
 
The amplifier is in your speaker system subwoofer. The sound card simply acts as a preamp. Any one will do.
 
I, like guns, have always used onboard. Obviously the sound will be better and now i know that the volume won't be affected by a sound card, but i was wondering after reading this, with different headphones or speakers, would the sound quality not only increase but also would the volume increase depending on quality? or is it more to do with levels of each different sound output (the program or sound track or whatvfer you are listening to) or is it a colaberation of both?
 
Aastii said:
I, like guns, have always used onboard. Obviously the sound will be better and now i know that the volume won't be affected by a sound card, but i was wondering after reading this, with different headphones or speakers, would the sound quality not only increase but also would the volume increase depending on quality? or is it more to do with levels of each different sound output (the program or sound track or whatvfer you are listening to) or is it a colaberation of both?
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No, sound quality is not a distinguishing characteristic of sound cards on-board or otherwise.
 
fmw said:
No, sound quality is not a distinguishing characteristic of sound cards on-board or otherwise.
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Depending on the quality of data running through those speakers, you'll be able to crank out more volume. The problem with an excellent setup is that it is very very stingy on what sounds good. If you buy an awesome setup and run poor quality sound files through it, you're better off not getting something so quality. I learned that quick on my car stereo setup.

It won't make things louder but it will let you go to a higher volume without any distortion and popping.
 
ChrisUlrich said:
Depending on the quality of data running through those speakers, you'll be able to crank out more volume.
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No, the sound quality will still be same from one D/A converter to another. If the amplifiers aren't powerful enough to drive the speakers to the desired volume level without distortion then that will certainly affect sound quality but on-board audio has similar amplification to what you will find on PCI sound cards. If you need more volume without distortion, then you need an external power amplifier of some sort. Most computer speakers actually have their own power amplifiers. If not most, then many of them certainly do.
 
As it has been stated several times, changing the sound card will not affect your volume as it is just a pre-amp. It can, however, have a large effect on your audio quality. Different manufacturers use different components of vastly varying quality. And, yes, the D/A converters can affect your audio output quality as well as the op-amps used.

Past the sound card, the type and quality of your amplifier will also have a large impact on the sound and the apparent volume. This is probably what you want to focus on. The closer you push your amplifier to its maximum rated output, the more its inherent distortion will come into play. If you are not getting enough volume from your system, I suggest upgrading your amplifier/speaker system before your sound card.

Typically, the advantage of a dedicated sound card comes from its ability to further offload the audio processing tasks from the CPU. Most on-board systems suffice in this depending on your needs. Higher-end audio cards allow for playback of more simultaneous audio channels (not output channels) and effects processing without burdening the CPU. Also, by removing the electronics from the motherboard PCB you can reduce the amount of signal interference from other nearby chipsets, usually leading to a cleaner audio signal.

I hope that helps.
 
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