Sound Cards		COMPUSA'S TOP SELLERS
Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer The Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ XtremeGamer sound card delivers faster audio performance and intense, realistic sound in all your games. Only $89.99	Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy SE The Sound Blaster® Audigy® SE is an excellent value upgrade to 7.1 surround sound on the PC. Only $29.99	1.  Creative Labs 70SB104000000 2.  Creative Labs Sound Blaster 3.  Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1 PCI 4.  Sabrent SBT-SP6C Sound Card 5.  Creative Labs Sound Blaster 6.  Creative Labs 70SB104000000 7.  Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 PCIe Soun 8.  Creative Labs Sound Blaster 9.  Creative Labs Sound Blaster 10.  Diamond Xtreme Sound 5.1/16

Creative Labs 70SB104000000 SB Xtreme Audio OEM Creative Labs 70SB104000000 Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCIe - OEM Only $39.99    StarTech ICUSBAUDIO USB 2.0 to Audio Adapter StarTech ICUSBAUDIO USB 2.0 to Audio Adapter Only $14.99    Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1 PCIe Sound Card Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1 Low Profile PCI Express Sound Card Only $149.99    Sabrent SBT-SP6C Sound Card Sabrent SBT-SP6C 6-Channel 5.1 Surround Sound 3D PCI Sound Card - Vista Ready Only $9.99    Diamond Xtreme Sound 5.1/16 bit Sound Card Diamond Xtreme Sound 5.1/16 bit Sound Card Only $19.99    Creative Labs 70SB104000000 SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio Creative Labs 70SB104000000 Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Sound Card - PCIe Only $59.99    Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB (70SB109000000) Only $59.99    Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 Slim 7.1 LP PCI Sound Card Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 Slim 7.1 LP PCI Sound Card Only $149.99    Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater 1.3a Sound Card Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater 1.3a Sound Card - HDMI, PCI, 24p Compatible, Non-Downsampling Only $249.99    Sabrent USB-SND8 8-Channel Sound Box Sabrent USB-SND8 8-Channel USB 2.0 External 7.1 Sound Box Only $24.99    Asus Xonar D1 7.1 PCI Sound Card Asus Xonar D1 7.1 PCI Sound Card Only $69.99 after rebate*    StarTech 4 Channel PCI Sound Card StarTech 4 Channel PCI Sound Card (PCISOUND4CH) Only $14.99    Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro USB Sound Card Only $34.99    Auzentech X-Studio 5.1 Sound Card Auzentech X-Studio 5.1 Sound Card - Low Profile, PCI, ICE 1723, 24-bit/96kHz Only $49.99    Creative Labs 70SB117000003 SB Wireless System Creative Labs 70SB117000003 Sound Blaster Wireless System - For iTunes and Receiver Only $149.99    Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro Only $299.99

2.1 Sound Cards (6)   5.1 Sound Cards (7)   External Sound Cards (13)   4.1 Sound Cards (2)   7.1 Sound Cards (19)   Audio Interface (15)

PC Sound Cards

A sound card (also known as an audio card) is a computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output of audio signals to/from a computer under control of computer programs. 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). Many computers have sound capabilities built in, while others require additional expansion cards to provide for audio capability. Sound cards usually feature a digital-to-analog converter, to convert recorded or generated digital data into an analog format. The output signal is typically connected to an amplifier, headphones, or external device using standard interconnects, such as a TRS connector or an RCA connector.

Another important characteristic of sound cards is polyphony, which is more than one distinct voice or sound playable simultaneously and independently, and the number of simultaneous channels. These are intended as the number of distinct electrical audio outputs, which may correspond to a speaker configuration such as 2.0 (stereo), 2.1 (stereo and sub woofer), 4.1 or 5.1 etc.). Sometimes, the terms "voices" and "channels" are used interchangeably to indicate the degree of polyphony, not the output speaker configuration.

Today, a sound card providing actual hardware polyphony, regardless of the number of output channels, is typically referred to as a "hardware audio accelerator", although actual voice polyphony is not the sole prerequisite, with other aspects such as hardware acceleration of 3D sound, positional audio, surround sound, and real-time DSP effects being more important. For that reason Surround Sound PCI Cards are among the most popular.

Since digital sound playback has become available and provided better performance than synthesis, modern soundcards with hardware polyphony don't actually use DACs with as many channels as voices, but rather perform voice mixing and effects processing in hardware inside a dedicated DSP. The final playback stage is performed by an external DAC with significantly fewer channels than voices (e.g., 8 channels for 7.1 audio, which can be divided among 32, 64 or even 128 voices).

The leading manufacturers of sound adaptors today are: Creative Labs, Diamond Multimedia, Sabrent, and others.