Types of PC Sound Cards

The PC sound card allows your computer to convert sound files into sound or music. Without a sound card, your computer will not be able to play your favorites mp3 songs and background music in games and movies.

PC sound cards are usually located inside the computer chassis and attached to the computer motherboard. We call these computer components internal sound cards, as opposed to external sound cards which are located outside of the computer case.
Internal PC sound cards may be classified into two types: Integrated and Dedicated.

* Integrated PC Sound Card

The integrated PC sound card is "integrated" into the computer motherboard. It is part of this powerful computer component. As such, the integrated sound card is otherwise known as an onboard sound card.

Since they are part of the motherboard, integrated sound cards are an affordable way to play music and sounds. These computer hardware are very capable. But if you want premium sounds, you will want to replace your onboard sound card with a dedicated one.

* Dedicated PC Sound Card

Unlike the integrated PC sound card, the dedicated PC sound card is not built onto the computer motherboard. The dedicated sound card exists as a computer component that you can buy separately from the motherboard.

Because they are not constrained by the form factor of the motherboard, manufacturers have more leeway with the design of dedicated sound cards. Thus, a dedicated PC sound card is usually more powerful than an onboard sound card. More often than not, the people who buy dedicated sound cards are music enthusiasts who can tell top quality sounds from mainstream sounds.

The dedicated PC sound card is usually attached to the motherboard via a free PCI or PCI Express slot.

No matter which type of internal sound card you get for your computer, make sure that you pair it with a fully compatible computer sound system. Advanced sound cards will require equally advanced sound systems to play high-quality surround sounds.


Source : http://www.goarticles.com by Jeffrey Frasco

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