Do I actually need a sound card

[bbson john]

The technology of sound card has already gone to the top. If I want to play games like Half-life 2 Ep:1, do I need to install a sound card? Is the inbuilt sound card on the motherboard can take care all the thing (I am using headphone only)? Will the lack of non-inbuilt sound card somehow retard the performance of a game (or game speed)?

 

[15357]

Uh.... no.

Well, to some extent, there have been reports of improved lag by better sound cards.

 

[3ssence]

You don't "need" a sound card per se.

However the theory (and practice tbh) is that onboard sound cards utilise your CPU time in order to process the sound, which is lowering the amount of CPU power available for other applications, i.e. games. So in many cases, having a separate sound card that has its own CPU onboard can in many cases provide an increase in performance (to a varying degree), and in other cases allow higher quality sound, or higher levels of EAX/effects etc.. to be utilised.

 

[giant384]

a sound card dosent have to be litterally a "card" but with videos cards thats a different story lol

 

[SenorDingDong]

if you want your audio to sound like crap then by all means use the onboard sound.

Its like a night and day difference going from onboard sound to say a Creative X-fi soundcard.

 

[hungryduck]

a sound card dosent have to be litterally a "card" but with videos cards thats a different story lol

No, theres no difference.

Onboard sound is just like onboard video. If you have a nice sound card, things will sound better, but since most people don't really care/have good ears/have crappy headphones and speakers (as opposed to noticing bad graphics with their eyes) they don't notice the quality of onboard sound.

 

[giant384]

No, theres no difference.

Onboard sound is just like onboard video. If you have a nice sound card, things will sound better, but since most people don't really care/have good ears/have crappy headphones and speakers (as opposed to noticing bad graphics with their eyes) they don't notice the quality of onboard sound.

yea ive heard a audigy 2 sound card before the sound is much more crisp then onboard its just i dont have the funds for pc hardware rightnow

 

[bbson john]

Sometimes, when I am playing a game, the headphones just produce strange "blast" sounds, which should not appear in the game and are very harsh. Is it because the onboard sound card is not good enough?

 

[The Brick]

No. If you really want to enjoy sound get a soundcard and a nice set of speakers.

 

[Reaktor4]

if you want your audio to sound like crap then by all means use the onboard sound.

This is nonsense. You dont need a soundcard. If you want effects like eax or you need very low latency and high sample rates because you work with audio/midi, buy a card. Otherwise, youre wasting your money.

 

[-Psy-]

I agree.

I got a soundcard mainly because my guitar set up wouldnt record into my onboard sound.

Couldn't really tell the difference in sound quality...

But then again if you do want EAX and the likes then go right ahead and buy one, just make sure you pair it up with some nice speakers.

 

[Glirk Dient]

I got a soundcard and can't tell a difference in sound quality. You don't need it.

However it is nice for game/ventrilo. You can have the game sound come over your speakers then use a headset to listen on vent with so it doesn't blast your speakers.

 

[Asus]

FYI not all onboard sound are same. There are different chips used and drivers etc. Some are just fine while others won't sound as good.
Sound cards usually have better quality DAC than onboard sound. That really helps with music IMO. Games benifit from EAX and the sound chip saving CPU cycles.

If your onboard sound is doing fine then you don't need a sound card. But then you won't ever know how much better sound could be with one either.

 

[DreadLord]

if you want your audio to sound like crap then by all means use the onboard sound.

That's a load of shit.

Unless you have a real nice set of speakers and are really into the sound aspect of things, sound cards are a waste of money IMO. It has absolutely no affect on most things that I have noticed. I would never pay for a sound card again.

 

[ComradeBadger]

I want a Creative X-Fi, the proper extreme one.. the one with phono inputs/guitar/mic etc inputs too. Simply cos I'd get a hell of use out of it!

 

[Cole]

. If I want to play games like Half-life 2 Ep:1, do I need to install a sound card? I

Well actually HL2 does all it's sound right on the CPU so for HL2 and Doom 3 it wouldn't matter if you had a Creative X-Fi or onboard.

 

[Reaktor4]

Sound cards usually have better quality DAC than onboard sound. That really helps with music IMO.

You wont notice that playing mp3s.

 

[Asus]

You wont notice that playing mp3s.

Well that is going to depend on what onboard sound we are comparing. I noticed a difference when I switched to an Audigy 4 when playing MP3s, even though MP3 lack detail that CD audio has. Most onboard sound lacks frequency response and dynamic range. While playing music with onboard it's possible to get noise and distortion. Some interference being on the motherboard. Of course I noticed a bigger difference when playing CD/DVD audio.

 

[Qonfused]

I went from on-board to a cheap, $20 Creative Live 24bit card. It's cheap, yes, but I can't tell the difference. I kinda laugh at those who buy into the $200 sound cards. With those, you can tell a difference... but $200? When you do that, you make yourself believe you're hearing better sound.

 

[Asus]

I went from on-board to a cheap, $20 Creative Live 24bit card. It's cheap, yes, but I can't tell the difference. I kinda laugh at those who buy into the $200 sound cards. With those, you can tell a difference... but $200? When you do that, you make yourself believe you're hearing better sound.

Yeah 200$ is expensive if it's just a game card. lol
I paid around 60$ for mine. It's the same thing as an Audigy 2 ZS but no firewire.

Most of the $200+ sound cards have the external or internal bay with ports. I guess some people like paying extra for it. But then you might as well buy a MAudio card for good recording/playback.