Need a sound card not sure what to look for? Download sound
card drivers below
If you need
drivers please use download sound card drivers link at bottom of
page.
sound card or audio
card there are a lot of choices , there are literally hundreds
of cards available.
You could spend a few
dollars up to the high end of hundreds depending on what you
wish to use the card for. So when looking for a card you
really need to decide on the following
What will you be
using the card for ?
If you need
drivers please use download sound card drivers link at bottom of
page. If you are bog standard card for general games a low end
24 bit sound card will suffice, you will still get great sound,
but not some of the special effects written into some of the
games.
If you need drivers
please use download sound card drivers link at bottom of page.
If you need drivers please use download sound card drivers link
at bottom of page. If you are looking for a high end card to
play surround sound games, perform audio mixing or creating then
you might want to consider a card with multiple input and output
connections, digital and analogue together with multiple channel
simultaneous recording.
Compliant standards
should include most of the following DirectSound/3D , EAX 1 , 2
, 3 & 4 , Dolby Digital / EX , Digital Theater Systems , Dolby
Digital EX, ASIO 2.0, THX , Digital Theater Systems Digital
Surround, OpenAL, Digital Theater Systems Extended Surround .
If you need drivers
please use download sound card drivers link at bottom of page.
What kind of
Interface does the card need to have ?
If you need drivers
please use download sound card drivers link at bottom of page.
Most computers today will have PCI slots, but if you have an
older pc you might only have ISA slots, there are not too many
ISA cards around today, but going the second user route it
should only cost a few bucks.
If you have a laptop
, your options here are a little limited, a USB sound card is an
external box that plugs directly into the USB port, it’s easy to
install, but please bare in mind the later USB sound cards do
require USB 2 .
If you need drivers
please use download sound card drivers link at bottom of page.
How much do you wish
to spend ?
For a good basic card
with 24 bit sound you’ll be looking at around the $30 mark, this
will be something along the lines of a Creative Sound Blaster
Live! 24-bit . For something more professional with the above
features you’ll be looking at around $230 upwards , something
similar to a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro .
Please bare in mind
though , if you really are going to be playing games and still
want great sound it’s better to purchase a cheaper sound card
and then get better speakers., rather than a good sound card and
use poor quality speakers.
Is it worth going
for a second user card ?
Depending on the value
of the card you are looking for, it may be worth getting a
second user card, these can be obtained through sites such as
e-Bay.
Bare in mind though
chances are you won’t be getting any kind of warranty if
purchasing from a private seller.
Is it compatible
with my computer ? sound card for window xp
Pretty much all pc sound
cards manufactured over the last 3 years will be compatible with
Windows XP and 2000, if you are using another system such as NT
, windows 95, 98 or ME check the cards compatibility either on
the side of the box or from a general web search.
If it’s a older card
chances are it will be compatible with the older systems, but
make sure you check first. If the card is a sound blaster clone
it should be auto detected by the operating system.
If you have a laptop and are looking for a sound card, why not
consider a USB sound card , they are not exactly cheap,
But if your looking
for an upgrade to the built in sound card, this Is a good
choice, with features such as Dolby , both analogue and digital
Surround sound & true 24 bit sound.
If your looking to download sound card drivers checkout
driver guide.com
If you need help installing your sound
card checkout our how to install sound card page
Computer-adviser.com for download sound
card drivers , card sound USB , need a sound card for window XP
, need analogue sound USB
computer adviser
card sound usb article |
