The sound card provides exactly what its namesake implies: sound. From regular stereo sound to 8.1 channels of high-quality surround sound, these cards provide you with yet another level of immersion; but, do you really need a sound card?

Why Bother with a Sound Card?

Let's face it: the sound card is slowly being relegated to specialty niche markets. As more and more motherboards start to include sound on-board, the sound cards importance in a computer is slowly being phased out.