Are Sound Cards Needed These days?

[linnemeyerhere]

For ultimate audio in a proper two channel and not gaming rig then only the mobo or cards optical or digital outputs are needed to a proper external DAC then on to your pre-amp inputs or receiver. The isolation properties and ability to maintain the minute nuances of signal is much easier but more expensive outboard and not in the computer. Much of it is regulated power supply issues and cross-talk and energy migration limits of a modern computer case. Again this is for extremely critical applications and systems of a very high resolution. USB DAC's have come a long way but still can't compare.

 

[TwoCables]

Everyone? Never, but casual audio folks, including me at least with my $200 cost mobo the ALC-889 audio is very good.

I still have old sound cards mainly for the old gamepad port.

I overspent in the past on PCI sound cards, won't any more.

Beware of very cheap cards, read up on issues, I had to return one by Diamond would crash frequently, long forgotten though.

If I had to advise someone, assuming they have PCIe x1 port, I'd look for a sound card using that.
Sound cards don't seem to get rave reviews across the board, unless very expensive class, that audiophiles buy, that's all I have noticed looking at them occasionally, but not bought one in 5 years?

You don't have to spend any more than $100 to get a sound card that will be noticeably better than even your onboard audio chip. It would be an improvement that you'd appreciate very much.