Do I need a sound card for my HTPC?

[StraightPipe]

Currently I'm using onboard Realtek HD and I've got 5.1 Logitech Z-5300 speakers.

I watch tons of DVD rips and DVD's, and I'm probably going to be getting a BD burner in the the next year.

I listen to music all the time (often when I'm sleeping or not at home). I was raised on bass heavy metal riffs and techno, but I enjoy jazz and blue grass on a regular basis as well (I'm tyring to say I like a very full-rich sound). I'm fanatical about my car audio equipment (2x12" Alpine DVC's on an 1500W V12 amp, 6.5" and 5.25" Alpine components on a 740W V12 amp), and I like my music to be loud and clear.

I'm also an avid gamer. FPS and RTS primarily.

My question is whether or not I'll see much of a performance boost using a sound card (while playing games). And do you know of any recents tests that have compared the perfomance differences in games?

I'm assuming that there may be a small performance improvement in some worst case scenarios, so I'd like to see if anyone has done a comparison with recent technology (all the tests I found wile searching were 3-5 years old).

I've seen this site claiming 5-15% improvements (which would be worth upgrading for) and many forums claiming 1-2% improvements.

Anybody done tests or know of a site wo has?

 

[ForumMaster]

don't buy a sound card for performance improvement. you have a dual core CPU so that tiny improvement that might have been is taken care of by the second care. cards that offer EAX5.0 can help and the xi-fi cards can make non surround sound compatible.

but basically, if you're satisfied now from your sound, then don't buy a soundcard. otherwise, the ASUS Xonar D2X is a very good. there are cheaper alternatives that are also very good if you need it.

 

[GullyFoyle]

Originally posted by: ForumMaster
don't buy a sound card for performance improvement.

You didn't finish your sentence. It should say "Don't buy a sound card for performance improvement, buy it for improved sound."

In any comparison of Realtek onboard sound and average quality add-on cards, the sound quality of the Realtek has been measurably poorer.

I was lured in to using the onboard sound on my current motherboard, and I have to shut my speakers off when I'm not playing a game, since it picks up and amplifies all kinds of electrical noise, and my subwoofer keeps making weird thumpy noises that make me think someone is walking around on the floors above me...