Sound Card
A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an internal computer expansion card that facilitates economical input and output ofaudio signals to and from a computer under control of computer programs. The term sound card is also applied to external audio interfaces that use software to generate sound, as opposed to using hardware inside the PC. Typical uses of sound cards include providing the audio component for multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video or audio, presentation, education and entertainment (games) and video projection.
Sound functionality can also be integrated onto the motherboard, using components similar to plug-in cards. The best plug-in cards, which use better and more expensive components, can achieve higher quality than integrated sound. The integrated sound system is often still referred to as a "sound card". Sound processing hardware is also present on modern video cards with HDMI to output sound along with the video using that connector; previously they used a SPDIF connection to the motherboard or sound card.
I’ve been testing two high end sound cards, the latest Asus Xonar Essence STX and the new Creative Labs Sound Blaster ZXR. They both have insanely high signal-to-noise ratios. Both claim a 124 dBA S/N ratio, extremely low distortion levels and flat frequency response out beyond the range of human hearing. Asus even supplies a test report inside the box.
Both cards are PCI Express x1 cards that plug into any available PCIe slot. The Asus card requires a dedicated power connector, while the Creative card does not.
