Sound Cards
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Sound Cards
If you want to enjoy great sound on your PC, an onboard audio chip won't suffice, and you'll eventually need to get a sound card. Especially for computer games, investing in a sound card makes sense since the sound is calculated in real-time. Sound cards are particularly suitable for this because they offer much higher sampling rates than onboard audio chips. The sampling rate is measured in kHz and represents how often a sound card samples digital information per second and converts it into sound.
Additionally, a high resolution of at least 24-bit is important for a sound card. The so-called signal-to-noise ratio should be well over 100 decibels, preferably over 120. Furthermore, the frequency response should ideally range between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. Both factors are crucial for crystal-clear and unaltered sound reproduction.
Sound Cards for Optimal Surround Sound
If you want surround sound, you should look for standards like Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, or THX. For the highest possible quality, each channel should have its own audio jack. These are usually 3.5mm jacks and connect directly to the speakers. Additionally, gold-plated connectors and shielding of the sound card are preferred to avoid interference from the case's radiation or poor transmission, which can cause annoying crackling and noise. When buying a sound card, you should also consider:
- Connection: The sound card can be connected via PCI, PCI-Express, or externally via USB
- Functions: Some games require DirectX 11.2, Xaudio2, OpenAL, EAX
- Connections: Depending on the intended use, a sound card should have jacks, RCA, S/PDIF, or MIDI connections