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sound cards in laptops

S

substance12

Senior member
i would imagine that most sound cards aren't very good in laptops. I wanted to get a laptop because they are much quieter than desktops (as well as other reasons). I was going to move my desktop into another room and use that as my server/mp3 box. The laptop would stay in my room and if i were to leave that on all night then at least it would be quiet.

anyhow, I have a 6 speaker logitech system. Are there laptops with soundcards that can support that kind of speaker system? i would imagine I need 3 i/o sound ports. Any insight would be helpful, thanks!

edit: spelling
 
A sound Blaster Extigy would give you a fully functional sound card (ie: like an Audigy for a desktop), but they aren't the cheapest of things. I think they plug into the USB port.

Not sure if you can get soundcards for laptops in the normal sense, maybe there are ones to plug into PCMCIA ports or something, but as far as others, the Extigy is the one I know of.

Newegg $125

Fully external Sound Blaster for your PC or notebook. Hook-up to your PC or notebook with the hassle-free external USB connection. Experience high-definition audio with 24-bit multi-channel performance with 100dB SNR clarity. Transform your PC into a home-theater system with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.
Click to expand...
 
ooh, i believe that may be my solution. the reviews all mention it not decoding 5.1 through the optical input, but that it sounds very good nonetheless and its very affordable relative to the audigy ones.

Thanks Lonyo.
 
am i wrong in that laptops are for the most part quieter than desktops? my coworker just told me laptops are noisy. Is there some specification I need to be on the lookout for when I get one? If i'm going to be accessing mp3s through the network, will that be memory intensive? what about remote desktop? is that memory intensive? or processor intensive?
 
Are you going to buy a new laptop specifically for use in your room?
If you don't NEED a laptop, it isn't too hard to find parts to make a silent desktop PC, and may be cheaper and more powerful.
 
ive been trying to make the silent desktop for a while. i put dynamat on the insides of the case. i've changed all the fans to 5V. basically "no computer" will be quietest at night. and if i move the 24/7 desktop to the other room and have a laptop in my room (which i have the option of turning off or going into standby), i'm closest to achieving that affect.

i mean it will be convenient having a laptop for one thing. If i get a wifi card i can bring it anywhere in the house.
 
Buy a case that will accept 120mm fans (slow, quite, still push air nicely), get a 60 -> 80mm adapter for the CPU, and get a slow 80mm fan, get a Zalman heatsink for the graphics card, get a Zalman heatsink for the northbridge (if it has active cooling, small 40mm fans are evil).
Get a quiet PSU (check Anandtechs roundup)
Get a quite HDD (I think Seagate are meant to be good on this).

There you have a mostly quiet PC. You could even get a Zalman flower for the CPU to make the CPU passively cooled, then your only fans might be the PSU and a couple of quiet case fans (7v mod some 120mm fans?)


But as you said, a Laptop would give you portability.

I'm not sure they're really meant to be on 24/7 though, they'd get pretty damned hot.
 
lonyo, thanks for giving me those tips. But i won't be keeping the laptop on 24/7. during the day when im not home, won't be on. only when im at home. even then i have standby mode and i'll turn it off at night unless i want to listen to music while i sleep 🙂.

as for USB soundcards, i'm thinking that is the better way to go as opposed to PCMCIA. I'd like to leave that slot open for wifi.
 
hehe, the 4 reviews on newegg regarding the M-Audio Sonica 7.1 just blasted that thing to he11. i appreciate the suggestion though 🙂
 
Just one general comment - lappies do not have "sound cards." They have sound chips embedded on the motherboard. Those that support 5.1 will say so in their specs - most do not. The Extigy external would be the best solution that I know of. YOu could also use the Line Out audio prt and go to a complete external sound system with amps, speakers, etc. That's what I do and it sounds very good hooked to my Bose Wave radio.
 
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