Sound cards worth buying?

[imported_dvdman]

I'm building a new PC and was wondering if sound cards are worth buying these days or is the on-board sound generally good enough?

FWIW I am planning on getting a Gigabyte GA-H170-D3HP Mobo and was looking at getting the Asus Xonar DGX 5.1 PCIe Sound Card.

 

[Burpo]

The Realtek ALC 1150 is one of the best onboard options you can get. I wouldn't think you'd need the Xonar.

 

[JeffMD]

If you are using analog connection, stick with onboard sound. If you want a spdif for digital, consider the xonar.

 

[bononos]

If you are using analog connection, stick with onboard sound. If you want a spdif for digital, consider the xonar.

Shouldn't it be the other way around? Digital out through spdif/optical shouldn't use the onboard dac and goes straight to your external DAC/receiver.

 

[bononos]

I'm building a new PC and was wondering if sound cards are worth buying these days or is the on-board sound generally good enough?

FWIW I am planning on getting a Gigabyte GA-H170-D3HP Mobo and was looking at getting the Asus Xonar DGX 5.1 PCIe Sound Card.

For the last decade onboard is generally good enough for most gamers especially since win7 took out directsound hw acceleration. Xonar/Creative will have better 3d positioning but not by alot. Youtube has some examples and you can judge for yourself. There are many similar old threads in the peripherals subforum.

 

[MongGrel]

Depends on what you are doing I'd think personally.

If you're gaming with headphones on board would be more than adequate.

I use an older sound card that I even bought an adapter for, but I use it TOS-Link to a pretty large sound system for movies and things.

 

[imported_dvdman]

Well I do need an optical out, that's one thing. I mainly just use them for general use, music and sometimes movies with 5.1, not a lot of gaming.

 

[sm625]

I had been using a card with TOS-Link for years. But when it stopped working, I ran hdmi into my receiver instead and havent noticed any difference.

 

[Watsy 1958]

Myself i just purchased the Asus Xonar Essense II amazing card with opticial out, i find you dont screw around with audio you just buy the best. But if your looking to listen to true 5.1 surround sound you have to find games or music that was recorded in surround sound if not your just listening to someones upmix crap and your really wasting your time and money.

 

[DigDog]

what Burpo said.