{"id":127895,"date":"2020-12-07T09:40:27","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T06:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/do-you-need-a-dedicated-sound-card-for-your-pc\/"},"modified":"2020-12-07T09:40:27","modified_gmt":"2020-12-07T06:40:27","slug":"do-you-need-a-dedicated-sound-card-for-your-pc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-you-need-a-dedicated-sound-card-for-your-pc\/","title":{"rendered":"#Do You Need a Dedicated Sound Card for Your PC?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a262638ca5da\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a262638ca5da\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-you-need-a-dedicated-sound-card-for-your-pc\/#Whats_the_Point_of_a_Dedicated_Sound_Card\" >What\u2019s the Point of a Dedicated Sound Card?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-you-need-a-dedicated-sound-card-for-your-pc\/#Audio_Interference\" >Audio Interference<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-you-need-a-dedicated-sound-card-for-your-pc\/#Are_Good_Headphones_a_Better_Investment\" >Are Good Headphones a Better Investment?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/do-you-need-a-dedicated-sound-card-for-your-pc\/#Should_You_Buy_a_Dedicated_Sound_Card\" >Should You Buy a Dedicated Sound Card?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#Do You Need a Dedicated Sound Card for Your PC?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_702751\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-702751 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/xSoundBlasterAE-9.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.Wj7gIAIXMo.png\" alt=\"Creative's Sound Blaster AE-9 PCIe card with audio control module\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"Creative\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Creative<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For years, getting a dedicated sound card for your PC was a given because it was the only way to get quality sound. Modern PCs, however, have good audio hardware built into their motherboards. But dedicated sound cards still exist.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_Point_of_a_Dedicated_Sound_Card\"><\/span>What\u2019s the Point of a Dedicated Sound Card?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Companies like longtime sound-card manufacturer,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/us.creative.com\/p\/sound-blaster\">Creative<\/a>, and PC hardware manufacturers,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asus.com\/us\/Sound-Cards\/\">Asus<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.evga.com\/products\/productlist.aspx?type=19&amp;family=Audio+Card+Family\">EVGA<\/a>, still make dedicated sound-card hardware.<\/p>\n<p>But who\u2019s buying them? Are they worth the investment? Do you still need a sound card in your PC, despite the built-in audio? The answer depends on what \u201cneed\u201d means to you.<\/p>\n<p>The thing about the audio hardware built into modern motherboards is it\u2019s good. It works really well, and most people are fine with it. However, it can\u2019t offer the same clarity, detail, and effects that dedicated audio hardware can for one very simple reason.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Audio_Interference\"><\/span>Audio Interference<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_440184\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-440184 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/xIntelATXMobo.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.N6e-T-2Do4.jpg\" alt=\"A bare gaming ATX motherboard.\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"MSI\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">MSI<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The major issue that kills audio performance on PCs is electrical interference. The motherboard is a hotbed of activity with electrical impulses flying through the PCIe lanes between the GPU and CPU, not to mention the work the chipset is doing. Then there\u2019s the\u00a0RAM, USB connections, and all that pretty RGB lighting.<\/p>\n<p>All this action creates a background hiss that can degrade overall audio performance. In an attempt to reduce potential interference, many motherboards include isolation and shielding for the audio components. This definitely improves the situation, but it can\u2019t remove electrical interference entirely.<\/p>\n<p>You won\u2019t really hear this interference all that often. It\u2019s most noticeable when your PC is working hard. If you plug in a pair of headphones, crank your audio all the way up, and then start transferring a large file, you might be able to hear it. Still, you\u2019re more likely to hear it when a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> is on a silent loading screen or when you\u2019re waiting for your computer to process some other heavy workload with no active audio.<\/p>\n<p>For\u00a0example, I\u2019ve logged hundreds of hours in the game <em>The Division 2<\/em>. For most of that time, I\u2019ve used my motherboard\u2019s built-in audio. Whenever the game would hit its first loading screen, there was always a hiss over the audio due to electrical interference from the motherboard. I never thought much about it, and, eventually, it just faded into the background.<\/p>\n<p>Then, I picked up a sound card. Suddenly, not only was the hiss gone, but there were underlying sounds I\u2019d never heard before. This was a nice benefit, but who cares about sounds on the loading screen?<\/p>\n<p>The more notable differences were in-game. There was more sonic detail, and all sounds just <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly had more pop. The direction of enemy footfalls was also more precise, so it improved my gameplay.<\/p>\n<p>I noticed all these improvements over a ho-hum, generic pair of stereo headphones. A better pair would, no doubt, result in an even greater improvement.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_Good_Headphones_a_Better_Investment\"><\/span>Are Good Headphones a Better Investment?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_678853\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-678853 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/xperson-playing-video-games-while-wearing-headphones.jpg.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.enCl_KlAWo.jpg\" alt=\"Someone playing a video game on a big-screen TV while wearing headphones.\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-crediturl=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/young-gamer-playing-video-game-wearing-624801452\" data-credittext=\"sezer66\/Shutterstock\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/young-gamer-playing-video-game-wearing-624801452\">sezer66\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One of the most common responses when people ask whether they should get a sound card is, \u201cYou\u2019d be better off spending that money on a pair of high-quality headphones.\u201d Sound cards can run anywhere from $40 to nearly $400, which is enough for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/55205\/the-best-over-and-on-ear-headphones\/\">a solid pair of cans<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Good headphones definitely improve your audio experience, but that alone can\u2019t overcome the electrical interference issues inherent to built-in motherboard audio. In fact, they might even make any interference noise more pronounced.<\/p>\n<p>A sound card, though, takes care of all the audio processing above the \u201cnoise\u201d of the motherboard. It\u2019s still close to the source of the interference, but, sometimes, it\u2019s just that simple \u201cstep up\u201d from the motherboard to a stand-alone component in a PCIe slot that makes all the difference.<\/p>\n<p>But sound cards aren\u2019t the only solution to PC audio issues. Another alternative is an external digital-to-audio converter (DAC). A DAC converts\u00a0digital audio signals to analog sound your headphones or speakers can use.<\/p>\n<p>DAC boxes just sit on your desk, and the consumer-grade models also usually have a built-in amplifier. People who prefer DACs argue that it further separates the sound from any possible electrical interference from the motherboard.<\/p>\n<p>DACs can also work with multiple devices, so it isn\u2019t tied to your desktop like an internal sound card is.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_You_Buy_a_Dedicated_Sound_Card\"><\/span>Should You Buy a Dedicated Sound Card?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_702753\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-702753 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/xFiiODAC.png.pagespeed.gp+jp+jw+pj+ws+js+rj+rp+rw+ri+cp+md.ic.PAAZMjAsu1.png\" alt=\"A black portable digtal-to-audio converter\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\" data-credittext=\"FiiO\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The FiiO K3 DAC and headphone <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>. <span class=\"imagecredit\">FiiO<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s no question that a sound card would improve your audio experience on a PC. However, whether it\u2019s worth the cost comes down to your personal experience and preferences. Audio results aren\u2019t like the graphics benchmarks that determine whether your GPU has hit, exceeded, or fallen short of the minimum bar of 60 frames per second.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to audio, you see and hear terms like warmth, pop, greater dynamic range, deeper bass, and clarity of sound. All of these are entirely subjective and come down to what you want out of your audio experience.<\/p>\n<p>If you want the best sound possible for your PC, a sound card or DAC will solve any issues that better headphones can\u2019t.\u00a0If you use speakers more often than headphones, though, you would still get big benefits from dedicated PC audio hardware.<\/p>\n<p>If you haven\u2019t noticed any interference issues, you\u2019ll most likely be better off investing in some good headphones. But who says you can\u2019t have both? In fact, if you pick up a sound card or DAC and get rid of any interference issues, you\u2019ll probably end up saving for a better pair of headphones anyway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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Modern PCs, however, have good audio hardware built into their motherboards. But dedicated sound cards still exist. What\u2019s the Point of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":127896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/thumbcache\/2\/200\/296c976eaec3fb7380b1fc673c6485bc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/SoundBlasterAE-9.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127895\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}