Repairing and Upgrading Your PC

Choosing an Audio Adapter

Use the following guidelines when choosing an audio adapter:

Don't buy too much audio adapter.

When you add or replace an audio adapter, don't pay for features you won't use. Don't buy an expensive audio adapter if you'll use it only for playing CDs, casual gaming, VoIP telephony, and so on. Even $30 sound cards include most of the features that more expensive cards provide, and are more than adequate for most purposes.

Don't buy too little audio adapter.

If you use your sound card for 3D gaming, buy one with hardware acceleration and other features that support what you use the card for. Capable consumer-grade audio adapters like the M-AUDIO Revolution 5.1 and Creative Labs Audigy2series sound cards sell for under $100, ...