Sound Card/Onboard Audio?

What's the benefit (besides the obvious for 5.1 Dolby...) to have a Sound card in your PC? I've been looking at a few builds and they include a sound card, but I’m not sure why onboard audio wouldn't be plenty for LAN style usage. I understand if your plugging in your 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound at home, but for a paid of regular L & R speakers/headphones is there a need for one?

Guess i messed up the voting... And i'm not sure how to delete it and start over...

well i used to have a X-Fi Xtremegamer from creative until i fried it with my watercooling accident a long time ago and i was very pleased with the increase of sound quality that the x-fi platform can push. however, i wouldn't invest in a sound card because if you have a gigabyte mobo and realtek audio onboard chip, you can download a modded driver and have x-fi quality sound. if you are an audiophile and don't have a gigabyte + realtek equipment then i would recommend a sound card. the easiest way to describe the change is listening from any ordinary speaker and then go listen to a bose speaker. thats the type of quality difference to be had. i personally have the x-fi modded driver and bose companion speakers and i love the sound that it puts out of my computer

/end story

ASUS Xonar DX, here. One and only reason for my sound card? I won it. Only justification? Vocal fucking effects. Need I remind anyone of my Satan voice?

NitrosDragon wrote: ASUS Xonar DX, here. One and only reason for my sound card? I won it. Only justification? Vocal fucking effects. Need I remind anyone of my Satan voice?

The Satan voice is what got me thinking about the topic...

NitrosDragon wrote: ASUS Xonar DX, here. One and only reason for my sound card? I won it. Only justification? Vocal fucking effects. Need I remind anyone of my Satan voice?

So much win!

If you have surround sound at home, or in your theater, I definitely recommend investing in a sound card. Anywhere from 4 speakers up will really make a difference because, at least with mine, there are so many options! It makes my 2 speakers (and sub) sound amazing. The "7.1 Virtual Speaker" setup is especially nice. Once again, this has only been the experience with mine, but I assume more expensive sound cards are better quality.