Is a Sound Card Really Neccessary?

[Jagadamba]

hi there..
can any one help me in finding a review about the necessity of sound card......
i just wanted to know whether a sound card is really required?
I want to use it for movies, gaming, and music and I have 5:1 VS3251 Altecs'. I have like problem with loading cod4 multiplayer and its because of my sound/audio and i just fix with enabling the stereo mixer thing, but would a sound card be a solution to never see that anything "iw3mp has stopped working" error and other such types of error.....

please suggest me some needful.......

[Hardwareman]

My review:

A sound card also known as an audio card is a computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output of audio signals to/from a computer under control of computer programs. Typical uses of sound cards include providing the audio component for multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video or audio, presentation/education, and entertainment, games. Many computers have sound capabilities built in, while others require additional expansion cards to provide for audio capability.


An expansion board that enables a computer to manipulate and output sounds. Sound cards are necessary for nearly all CD-ROMs and have become commonplace on modern personal computers. Sound cards enable the computer to output sound through speakers connected to the board, to record sound input from a microphone connected to the computer, and manipulate sound stored on a disk.

Nearly all sound cards support MIDI, a standard for representing music electronically. In addition, most sound cards are Sound Blaster-compatible, which means that they can process commands written for a Sound Blaster card, the de facto standard for PC sound.

Sound cards use two basic methods to translate digital data into analog sounds:

FM Synthesis mimics different musical instruments according to built-in formulas.

Wavetable Synthesis relies on recordings of actual instruments to produce sound. Wavetable synthesis produces more accurate sound, but is also more expensive.

[Maxforu]

Creative USB Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Sound Card:

Features:

Better music and movie sound, made easy:

Your music and movies deserve Xtreme Fidelity. Simply connect the Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 sound card to your PC or notebook and turn your downloaded music into your very own personal concert. Watch DVDs or downloaded videos in full cinematic surround sound. Plus, you can also experience 3D audio and EAX effects in your games.

Revitalize your downloaded music and movies:

Restore the detail and vibrancy lost in your music and movies during compression. X-Fi technology intelligently enhances the highs and lows, letting you hear all the crisp cymbal crashes, wailing guitar solos, screeching tires and booming explosions.

Surround sound from your stereo music and movies;

Expand your stereo music and movies into stellar surround sound. Voices are centered in front of you. Ambient sound appears all around you... just like in a live performance. Take it all in from a pair of desktop speakers or a full 5.1 speaker system.

Headphone surround that sounds like multi-channel speakers:

Slip on your headphones and let the X-Fi CMSS-3D technology move the sound away from your ears into the space around you. You'll feel like you're sitting with your favorite band or in the best seat in the movie theater. Games sound better too with positional audio that's so accurate you can locate enemies through mere sound.

Get realistic sound effects in your games:

Bullets whizzing past your head. Explosions virtually shaking the room. Take your games to the next level with EAX ADVANCED HD sound effects.

And if you're using Windows Vista, Creative ALchemy restores surround sound for the same great gaming experience.

Cinematic surround sound from DVD movies:

Watch your DVDs in cinematic surround sound with PowerDVD software featuring DTS and Dolby Digital decoding . You can also send Dolby pass through audio directly to your home theater receiver using the optical output.

Ease of installation:

Installation is a breeze with the USB interface. Simply connect to a PC or laptop with a USB cable.

Specifications:

Playback: .

• USB 2.0: Stereo / Surround ≤ 24-Bit/96kHz 5.1
• USB 1.1: Stereo ≤ 24-Bit/96kHz 5.1
• Surround 16-Bit/48kHz

Signal-to-Noise Ratio:

99dB

Recording:

24-bit/96kHz

X-Fi Technology:

• X-Fi Crystalizer
• X-Fi CMSS-3D Surround
• X-Fi CMSS-3D Virtual
• X-Fi CMSS-3D Headphone

Connectivity:

• Microphone in (1/8" mini jack)
• Stereo Line in (1/8" mini jack)
• Headphone out (1/8" mini jack)
• Left/Right Speaker out (2x RCA jacks)
• Rear-Left/Rear-Right out (1/8" mini jack)
• Center/Subwoofer out (1/8" mini jack)
• Optical out (TOSLINK)1

Interface:

• USB 2.0 (USB 1.1 compatible2)
• Optical Out supports stereo SPDIF out and pass through of multi-channel DVD sound.
• 2When using a USB 1.1 connection it may not be possible to play back, record or simultaneously record and play back content at the highest bit rate and/or frequency supported.

Bundled Software:

• Creative MediaSource
• Entertainment Mode Console
• Microsoft Media Center Edition (MCE) plug-in
• Creative System Information
• Creative Diagnostic
• Creative ALchemy

System Requirements:

• Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP (Professional x64 Edition, Service Pack 2 or Media Center Edition)
• Intel Pentium 4 1.6 GHz, AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor or equivalent
• Available USB port (USB 2.0 recommended)
• 512MB RAM
• 600MB of free hard disk space
• CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
• Headphones or amplified speakers (available separately)
• Internet connection to download PowerDVD software
• Additional Requirements for Windows Vista
• Intel Core 2 Duo processor 2.0 GHz, AMD Athlon 64 x 2 Dual Core or equivalent processor
• 1GB RAM

Package Contents:

• Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 sound card
• USB cable
• Installation CD
• Quick Start leaflet
• Stereo RCA to 1/8” jack adapter

[Killen]

Intex PCI 3D Sound Card:

Technical Features:

• HRTF - based 3D positional audio ( c3dxTM ) FOR 4/6 Ch output
  
• Professional digital interface supporting 24-bit SPDIF IN/OUT ( 44.1k and 48k)
  
• Built -in - 32ohm earphone buffer, zv port and Pctel HSP 56 modem interface
  
• 32-bit PCI bus master
  
• Comprehensive driver support microsoft Direct sound tm 3D, EAX, Linux, BeOS etc.
  
• Microphone echo and karaoke ascending / desending key effect.
  
• Single Chip design. Digital power + 3.3 V analog power +5V
  
• OS Support: Win 95/ 98/ ME/ 2000/ XP/ NT

[T.J.]

Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 Channel Sound Card:

Key Features:

Asus Xonar D2X is the world's first PCI-E interface high end audio card featuring SNR up to 118dB. Xonar D2 provides intuitive DS3D GX to solve Vista gaming audio issues, and Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) for best voice communication quality, the Xonar D2X will undoubtedly provide the best gaming experience ever.

ASUS Xonar D2X -Solution to Windows Vista Gaming Audio Problems
With the introduction of Windows Vista, the whole audio architecture landscaped has been changed. This has resulted in teething problems for gamers - with the possibility of losing all surround sound or hardware accelerated Direct3D and EAX while gaming in the Windows Vista environment. To circumvent this problem, the ASUS Xonar family of audio cards utilizes an ASUS exclusive technology - the new DS3D GX extension in the Xonar D2X driver; to provide full support for surround sound and hardware accelerated features by translating DirectX to the DS3D GX. While other solutions like OpenAL requires special installation and game support, DS3D GX doesn't. Gamers can enjoy DirectX gaming with hardware enhanced surround sound and EAX effects automatically and immediately after installation.

Cleanest Voice in Online or LAN Game Chatting:

The Xonar D2X also includes the innovative "Acoustics Echo Cancellation" (AEC) technology to facilitate the best online voice communication quality. AEC can eliminate up-to-40dB speaker echo return and suppress noises that would otherwise enter the users' microphone – making the Xonar D2X the best audio card choice for online chatting in VOIP applications (Skype, MSN, Google, QQ, etc.) or online gaming.

Unparalleled Sound Clarity:

The ASUS Xonar D2X also features a signal- to-noise ratio (SNR) of 118 dB for both audio in and out - reaching the maximum limit of audio quality on most PC platforms. Unlike generic audio cards in the market that provide the highest SNR to only the front stereo outputs, the Xonar D2X is able to deliver 118 dB quality audio for all 7.1 channels.

Dolby and DTS for Complete Digital Home Experience
Besides delivering impressive audio quality, the Xonar D2X is also packed with multiple sound technologies from Dolby and DTS to deliver outstanding entertainment experiences. These include

Dolby Digital Live:

Converts PC or game audio content into Dolby Digital in real-time
Dolby Headphone: Creates a surround sound listening experience when using any set of headphones

Dolby Virtual Speaker:

Delivers a vibrant surround sound listening experience from stereo speakers

Dolby Pro Logic IIx:

C reates up to 7.1-channel surround sounds from stereo or 5.1 sources

DTS Connect:

Includes DTS Interactive and DTS NEOC

DTS Interactive for real time AC-3 encoding and

DTS NEO: PC stereo to multi-channel expander