Need a sound board/card?

[kayofcircles]

I know this question will get me some deserved ridicule from you music lovers, but the only thing I can do well while listening to music is housework, so I leave my speakers turned off except on those rare occasions that I "view" a greeting card with music. My puter still "tunks" at me when I do something it doesn't like. My husband and I are currently putting together a list of possible components for a new system...and my question is: If we buy a mobo with as few "onboard" parts as possible, will we "need" a sound board?

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Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.
-- Chinese proverb

[BigBlue66]

Hi Kay,

Hmmm, yep, you will need a sound card if you want to listen to those musical greeting cards. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Onboard sound has come a long way, but the trade-off is that it shares memory resources with the system.

You probably should consider a sound card right from the beginning because chances are that in the future, you will wish you had one. There are some great cards out nowadays, coupled with the right speaker system, that sound just as good as a home stereo system.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66


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The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability that you'll get it wrong.

[tjaymadison]

It's certainly not required, but then you miss all those nice
default beeps and boops MS has when you open, close, etc. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif
And that orchestral flourish for the Windows splash screen. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

In the days of Win3.1, I downloaded a sound clip
that played when I opened File Manager:

Arnold (as the Terminator): "I have detailed files."

And when shutting down: "I'll be baaack." http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

PS -- If I play some music, will you come over and clean our house?



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"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

[Bailey]

Hi Kay

One of the reasons for putting your own pc together, is to build what youwant.

Sound isn't very important to me either, but i do have a cheapo card and speakers which are good enough for me. (I keep my sound turned down most of the time too)

You can buy a mobo with or without onboard sound, just make sure you know what you are getting in the board you buy. Onboard sound may be fine for you and your husband, while someone else may not be able to live without sblive and klipsch speakers.

You may want to read more motherboard reviews and decide if the onboard sound is right for you.

Good luck


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"Ooooh, They have the
internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

[kayofcircles]

One of the first things we learned in our "we have a NEW puter!" days was how to turn off sounds...was in troubleshooter section of Help files for 98 startup and shutdown problems. So, I turned off practically everything long ago except the "no no!" sounds. Those seem to work just fine, even with speakers off.

Which "cheapo" card, Bailey? Like the cheapo part...really have no yearning for stereo quality sound for something that I will leave "off" most of the time.

Depends on the music, TJay. I do exceptional housework, but only with the "oldies" playing. If you're offering some other kind of music, forget it!

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Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.
-- Chinese proverb

[Bailey]

Got a $19 card at CompUSA last year, along with some $12 speakers. Cheap as almost anything you can get online, especially considering s&h.

This may not be what you want for listening to music. I generally listen on my stereo rather than my pc.

But it does suit me just fine.

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/cool.gif

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"Ooooh, They have the
internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

[kayofcircles]

Thanks, Bailey. We also have a stereo to listen to music on, and will check CompUSA for cheapo card.

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Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.
-- Chinese proverb

[Dogdaysdude]

On the other end of the spectrum, what real nice sound cards would you gents recommend? In various price ranges, that is.

[CWelker73]

I have a soundblaster live x-gamer. Coupled w/ the right speakers, I can get the walls to shake nice http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif , plus it sounds great for when i need good sound, that is when i am playing games and listening to music.

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Allright brain, I dont like you and you dont like me, so lets get this over with and get back to killing you with beer. -Homer Simpson