Internal PCI Sound card or USB Sound card?

you are welcome , if you decide on a sound card look at the asus xonar range or the creative x-fi range , both quality audio
and you will notice the difference if you are an audiophile and enjoy gaming

Audiophiles tend to be snobs where they trash the rest of us 'idiots' for listening to MP3 when FLAC is ooooh so more better, etc. The people tend to be very broadrange audio dynamically able to pick out individual sounds that most people hear 'merged' or overlapping one another... so for them YES a ext Audio device is OHHHHH so much better. But like other audio device decisions, you want to be a snob you need to pay to be it, and only the best hardware has independent channeling, multiple sound processors, and NOT virtual 5.1/7.1 but ACTUAL 5.1 / 7.1 sound (oh by the way 7.1 is passe it is 9.1 that is the standard now if your going to be a proper snob - LOL!) . Which all hooks to independent speakers, some go as far as to actually require a external power source, and can connect to over 16 different types of connections (I lost track when I was trying the read the back of the box on that one).

generally onboard sound is fine for most people unless A) you're an audiophile or B) the onboard has noticible audio quality issues.

external soundcards have a slight edge since they can completely avoid the electrical noise inside the pc case.

other than that... high end internal soundcards are pretty much equal to high end externals.

just pick whichever has the features you want in your particular budget. if you dont want something sitting on your desk then go internal, if you dont mind then go external. your choice pretty much.

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if you really wanted to get into the realm of good equipment then you're talking home theater/hifi 5.1 dacs or a sound processor. that stuff is expensive though and only beneficial if you have really good (read: hifi or home theater speakers and an amp)

I know you were making a joke but, even though I don't consider myself a "snob," I do hear and can focus on one particular instrument/voice. That comes from being in an extremely good primary school music program that included band, music theory, music appreciation/history, and music composition. My first college also had an outstanding music program, so "music snob" is just another word for experience, training and plain old paying attention.

For example, whenever I hear a woman sing the Michael Jackson song "Billie Jean," the chorus really bugs me, although no one else can understand why. Just think about that for a minute. Maybe I'm too literal, but a woman saying "the kid is not my son"? Just sayin'.

Anyway, I'm looking for a replacement for my PCI sound card. I'm skeptical that an external interface, particularly a USB 2.0 interface, is as fast & clean as PCI or PCIe. Despite the apparent trend towards USB, I'm having trouble finding informative comparison articles with recent dates.

As I said, I don't consider myself a "snob." Do I appreciate crisp, clean highs; clarity that allows me to hear all instruments/voices both individually and together; and feeling the kick in my gut of the low frequencies? Hell, yes! But I'm also on a budget and cannot afford a grand for a sound card. I'm still using my nearly 20 year-old Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 speakers, having just recently replaced the foam surrounds for the subs.

I can't afford new speakers, if I could even find ones with comparable performance in my price range. In 1997, I paid $300 for the Klipsch system and saved for 6 months to get it. Now I'm on disability and have an even tighter budget. Not to mention, before I can even think about speakers, I have to replace my sound card and the MIDI interface for my piano.

I just want to know if an external sound interface, with the same features as my current card, really can perform like its PCI or PCIe counterpart.

please start your own thread instead of necroing a long dead one.