Sound Cards... what's the point?

[LinearHD]

So. As much as I might get flamed for this, I like dubstep, and I like the deep bass it produces out of a quality sound system. So, in combination with the Phillips SPA2602 5.1 Surround Sound speaker system, how much of a difference would it make between:
Onboard 6 Channel Sound
Soundblaster Audigy (£19)
and Soubdblaster Xi-Fi Xtreme Audio (£39)
I am willing to pay for either of the two upgrades, but I want to know if it will make a difference or not in the overall sound.

 

[Fear]

To be honest it all depends if you personally can tell the difference or if it bothers you, for me i like to have a soundcard as i notice a big difference in the sound quality i had the audigy in my last desktop and for £19 if you can spare it then i would reccomend it but everybody has their own opinion and most are happy with the onboard sound.

 

[LinearHD]

Yeah, I'll be having one of those then

 

[Tom DWC]

I'm one of those that says you don't need a soundcard unless you're working at a professional level.

The top of the range soundcards can make a noticeable difference but only when coupled with high quality equipment.

The onboard audio is much better than it used to be and a budget soundcard offers little notable improvement.

Past issues with onboard audio (such as interference and resource usage) no longer exist.

 

[LinearHD]

Okay, now I'm not so sure about getting one... If in my rig I was to sacrifice the soundcard, I could upgrade the PSU to 850watt and replace the card reader... choices, choices :S

 

[PokerFace]

Okay, now I'm not so sure about getting one... If in my rig I was to sacrifice the soundcard, I could upgrade the PSU to 850watt and replace the card reader... choices, choices :S

Do you really NEED a card reader? From what I've read, most people connect camera etc direct via usb these days. I've got a card reader and never used it. As someone once said, it adds a bit of cost and is just extra holes to let dust in.

 

[LinearHD]

Well... do the card readers support SDHC? Coz they can be up to 1TB, and that could be useful... and also, the T900 case looks kinda ugly without it, theres just a little black flap that doesn't match the rest of the case...

 

[Teaz]

It is supported.

Plus a card reader comes handy most days especially for people short on usb ports like myself. Plus usb isn't really dominating these days as i still know a large majority of people prefer working with the card reader than direct usb. You can't really go wrong or right with a card reader.

 

[LinearHD]

Cool, I guess I'll stick with the card reader