The sound cards are available in various types, such as PCI and the ISA sound cards. They all have different specifications. The pro users always pick the best sound card for PC to push their audio experience to the maximum level. Graphics is just like sound as it transfers the video signal, so a good sound card determines the best graphics card for the better and high-quality results of the games and other apps. CPU is the central processing unit. The proper commands we can develop at their most advanced level if we have a great processor. And a good sound card also makes a CPU the best CPU for gaming as it will then be able to deliver more detailed and refined audio to the gamers and other users.

For the betterment of work, you should consider the best motherboard for gaming in which we can display an excellent sound card for gaming and crystal clear audio. A power supply is another part of the PC. It is a device that converts the signal coming to the computer to the DC voltage for the usage in various activities done on the computer. As for a good running computer, the best power supply for gaming PC is essential. In this case, a sound card with quality has high power during its operation. You can enjoy the music and audio of the games and the voice of your gamers with complete ease and clarity.

Our top picks

01

best sound card for pc

Creative Sound Blaster Z

Creative Sound Blaster Z

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02

best budget sound card for pc

ASUS Xonar SE Gaming Sound Card

ASUS Xonar SE Gaming Sound Card

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03

best lighting sound card for pc

EVGA 712-P1-AN01-KR NU Audio Card

EVGA 712-P1-AN01-KR NU Audio Card

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Quick Shopping Tips:

The following factors will help you buy an excellent possible card for you.

Interference: You must ensure the available connection on the computer. It sounds like cards offer both PCI and ISA connection. Most cards these days have a PCI connection. If you want to watch DVD movies and play games, you should get a PCI sound card. If a person cannot spend too much money on the sound card, those buyers should go for the ISA sound cards. Checking the connection of the card on the computer is important.

Full-Duplex: Things to look upon before buying a good and reliable sound card; this tip also has importance. It means that you have access to both recording your voice and playing the games simultaneously. This factor is beneficial not only for gamers but also for content creators. They have to record themselves out during the live streaming and also for the record of a standard video or video of a game.

Audio Glitches: Any users don’t want any audio Glitches in the sound while playing a game and running other programs. Clear crystal audio and voice are the needs of every person, especially if you are paying for the thing related to the audio. High output capacity and frequency will lead you to the best possible sound card available.

Pricing: Pricing is the foremost leading tip you must see before buying any technology device. Sounds are not too expensive compared to other devices and different things on the PC. They mostly sold at low prices. But of course, there is a difference between the pricing of different models of the brands. So their features vary according to the amount of money you pay.

The Best Sound Cards for PC: First look

Creative Sound Blaster Z

Creative Sound Blaster Z

best sound card for pc

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ASUS Xonar SE Gaming Sound Card

ASUS Xonar SE Gaming Sound Card

best budget sound card for pc

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EVGA 712-P1-AN01-KR NU Audio Card

EVGA 712-P1-AN01-KR NU Audio Card

best lighting sound card for pc

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Creative Sound Blaster AE-7

Creative Sound Blaster AE-7

best controller sound card for pc

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Creative Sound BlasterX G6

Creative Sound BlasterX G6

best external sound card for pc

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FiiO E10K

FiiO E10K

best compact sound card for pc

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Asus Xonar AE

Asus Xonar AE

best overall sound card for pc

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ASUS Essence STX II

ASUS Essence STX II

best quality sound card for pc

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The Best Sound Cards for PC: In-depth Review

01

best sound card for pc

Creative Sound Blaster Z

Brand

Creative

Series

SB1500

Audio Output mode

5.1

Hardware Interference

PCI-e x 1

Max. Sample Rate

96 kHz

Weight

6.4 ounces

Dimensions

5.35 x 4.98 x 0.91 inches

Creative Sound Blaster Z
Creative Sound Blaster Z

PROS

+Drive easy to navigate

+Work great during gaming

+Equipped with a quality microphone

CONS

-Short warranty time

-No effective scout mode

The Creative Sound Blaster Z is an ideal gaming sound card. It is complete with a sound blaster microphone which gives a clear communication voice. This card is designed as the best sound card for PC for those who want to create or experience the content. Its signal-to-noise ratio is 116 dB which almost gives a clear voice of the audio and is far better than the motherboard audio. It includes programming for recording and also for voice chat. With SBX Pro Studio, users can experience inspiring audio that develops more interest in the games and movies.

The quad-core Sound Core3D audio processor is designed to dump SBX professional Studio and CrystalVoice effects from your primary central processing unit, which raises the performance of this best sound card leading to drastically impressive and unique audio and voice quality. Access the complete suite of Sound Blaster’s leading audio process technologies and Crystallizer that helps improve the variety of audio that has an enormous punch on the low finish. All improvements are customizable from the computer’s sound workman command code suite. Users should catch this sound card if looking for a clear sound experience.

02

best budget sound card for pc

ASUS Xonar SE Gaming Sound Card

Brand

ASUS

Model Number

XONAR SE

Audio Output Mode

5.1

Hardware Interference

USB

Max. Sample Rate

192 kHz

Weight

9.6 ounces

Dimensions

9.29 x 2.36 x 6.54 inches

ASUS Xonar SE Gaming Sound Card
ASUS Xonar SE Gaming Sound Card

PROS

+Easy to use

+Amazing headphone amp

+Fit perfectly in most systems

CONS

-Sometimes cause glitches

-No support for windows 11

ASUS Xonar SE Gaming Sound Card is a gaming sound card that satisfies gamers with its fantastic experience. With up to 5.1 output and a rate of 192 kHz, this best budget sound card for PC provides the cinematic sound while gaming at a much lower amount. If we look at the features of Xonar, they are pretty impressive and attract users. Despite all these remarkable performances, the sound card price is much lower than is easily affordable. It is better than the average onboard audio chips as it provides more clear audio under a 116 dB signal-to-noise ratio.

A lot of gamers professionally play the games full time. Mostly while playing the games, they used to wear the headphones as they have to also communicate with other gamers, and other noise games are there. For a clear description of each sound, this best sound card for PC delivers detailed audio with defined bass. It is fully compatible with Windows 10. Its height is shallow compared to the other cards, so it easily fits any small metal case with strong signal insulation and reduces distortion and interference, and is considered one of the most significant using audio cards for the users.

03

best lighting sound card for pc

EVGA 712-P1-AN01-KR NU Audio Card

Brand

EVGA

Model Number

712-P1-AN01-KR

Audio Output Mode

5.1

Hardware Interference

PCI-e x8

Max. Sample Rate

384 kHz

Weight

25.6 ounces

Dimensions

3.03 x 10.59 x 15.04 inches

EVGA 712-P1-AN01-KR NU Audio Card
EVGA 712-P1-AN01-KR NU Audio Card

PROS

+Immersive sound quality

+Outstanding build material

+Equipped with audio-grade components

CONS

-No strong amp

-Minimal impact with low-end speakers

EVGA 712-P1-AN01-KR NU Audio Card is one of the most powerful cards with impressive settings. It provides an efficient amount of power for the working of the card. EVGA is kind enough to be considered the best lighting sound card for PC, with remarkable lighting that attracts the users and buyers. The build quality of the card is excellent and outstanding. This card is powerful, an excellent factor as it increases its lifetime and usage. There is no need to care too much about this as this is made complex and not delicate.

Its strong manufacturing adds to its weight which is a little more but not a lot compared to others. The device is equipped with high audio-grade components, which increases the performance of the audio quality of the PC. Due to outstanding performance by money, the card is considered the best sound card because of its fantastic experience with the users. With the output of 5.1 and rate of 384 kHz, it gives clear audio and voice of other gamers to the users during online and offline gaming. The best performer for the users is available in the form of this card.

04

best controller sound card for pc

Creative Sound Blaster AE-7

Brand

Creative

Model Number

70SB180000000

Audio Output Mode

7.1

Hardware Interference

‎PCI Express x4

Max. Sample Rate

384 kHz

Weight

25.6 ounces

Dimensions

‎5.71 x 0.79 x 5.04 inches

Creative Sound Blaster AE-7
Creative Sound Blaster AE-7

PROS

+Intuitive software

+Easy to install its compact design

+The functional audio control module

CONS

-No backplate

-Random volume changes

Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 has a signal-to-noise ratio of 120 dB, which gives a crystal clear sound. It has a fantastic output of up to 7.1. With ease, you can transfer from speakers to the headphones of this best controller sound card for PC with efficient control of the bass. It gives enhanced audio which is delivered by its excellent components. There is an ACM that incorporates the built-in microphone. There are connectors present in the card for the headphone and the speakers. The knob is also there on the sound card to adjust the volume. So every control function is in your hands.

The Sound AE-7 shows inventive listening. It disables the RGB distraction, specializing in audio quality and property in the particular package. With the bump in specification to a higher quality DAC and the inclusion of a box build, this is not only the best PC sound card but a content creator too. The audio and voice control module of the product is beneficial to the users. It has one of the most compact designs, which benefits that it can fit easily on the PC. This on-budget sound card successfully gives the top performance to its users.

05

best external sound card for pc

Creative Sound BlasterX G6

Brand

Creative

Model Number

70SB177000000

Audio Output Mode

7.1

Hardware Interference

PCI-e x4

Max. Sample Rate

384 kHz

Weight

5.1 ounces

Dimensions

4.37 x 0.94 x 2.76 inches

Creative Sound BlasterX G6
Creative Sound BlasterX G6

PROS

+Good range of ports

+Dolby Digital Decoding

+Hear In-game Cues with Scout Mode

CONS

-No SXFI BATTLE Mode

-No power adapter for consoles

Creative Sound BlasterX G6 is very lightweight and easy to handle and fits in the PC with great ease. It also has excellent RGB, which also not only makes the card looks attractive but also enhances the looking quality of the PC. The color of RGB lightning present in this best external sound card for PC can easily be controlled by installing an app. It can also blink according to your tunes. If you want to work on the PC in the darkness, this also has lightning in the volume knob. Except for thickness, the longitudinal size of the device is way smaller, just equal to the size of the mobile phone.

Improving the audio quality makes the experience more enjoyable. Using the volume knob, you can adjust the volume without quitting the game directly from the volume knob. It has hear-in games that give tactical advantages. This tested technology enhances the importance of the gaming experience. The sounds like weapon switching and footsteps in the game have clear audio from the system. It allows you to respond to your opponents before they respond to you immediately. By looking at the fully-featured sound card and its budget price, this is considered the best for the users and their foremost choice.

06

best compact sound card for pc

FiiO E10K

Brand

FiiO

Model Number

E10K

Audio Output Mode

3.5

Hardware Interference

USB

Max. Sample Rate

96 kHz

Weight

2.7 ounces

Dimensions

0.83 x 1.93 x 3.11 inches

PROS

+Have a lot of power

+High and low gain usage

+Improved frequency spectrum

CONS

-No balanced out

-Loose connection at the back

FiiO E10K is one of the most successful units of the brand. It is the latest edition of the series. It has a new Type-C USB connector. The USB audio of this best compact sound card for PC is far more compared to other models. Its size is also compact, easily fitting in the PC and requiring less space. It has a linear sound that is detailed, defined, and resolved. Power is an essential thing in any technology device for its fluent running. The power for running this sound card is a lot more. It also gained a low weight.

The bass performance of the E10K is quite fast. Its bass is very clear-sounding. The bass is also entirely accurate to the recording. The version you get by this sound card is pretty impressive and attractive to the users. The linearity of the internal digital filter is effectively improved. The frequency rate of the card is very much improved and better than the previous model. It is very much easy to carry as the weight of this card is very much low. This in-budget card is very readily affordable, even for beginners.

07

best overall sound card for pc

Asus Xonar AE

Brand

Asus

Model Number

90YA00P0-M0UA00

Audio Output Mode

7.1

Hardware Interference

PCI-e x4

Hardware Interference

PCI-e x4

Weight

2.5 ounces

Dimensions

2.52 x 0.71 x 6.69 inches

Asus Xonar AE
Asus Xonar AE

PROS

+High-quality ESS DAC

+Exclusive EMI back plate

+Intuitive Sonic Studio interface

CONS

-No front audio support

-Not compatible with windows 11

The Asus Xonar AE has better quality than the onboard audio chips inserted in the PC. It has a 110 dB signal-to-noise ratio which gives an exceptional audio signal. Xonar AE is considered the best overall sound card for PC, which delivers the defined bass to the user’s listening. It also introduces the latest Sonic Studio Software that has control over approximately every sound technology. Despite increasing the extra amount of weight on the PC in which it is placed, lightweight decreases the PC’s weight by its side.

Its output is as much as 7.1; with this much output, it gives the cinematic sound of movies, shows, and games. It is fully compatible with Windows 10 and ensures a great audio experience with minimal setup. It has excellent control of Sonic Studio technology which makes it the best PC sound card and gives the perfect voice to the users. It has a built-in headphone amplifier of 150 ohms. Users don’t need to add a headphone amplifier from outside for the detailed and clear voice of the audio. With a high output of 7.1, this has impressive performance for its users.

08

best quality sound card for pc

ASUS Essence STX II

Brand

Asus

Model Number

Essence STX II

Audio Output Mode

7.1

Hardware Interference

PCI-e x 1

Max. Sample Rate

192 kHz

Weight

25 ounces

Dimensions

6.61 x 4.21 inches

ASUS Essence STX II
ASUS Essence STX II

PROS

+Swappable op-amps

+High capability of 7.1

+High-quality components

CONS

-Soundstage lack some depth

-No attachment for various devices

ASUS Essence STX II contains a high capability of 7.1, which enhances the quality of the sound card. The ultra-low jitter with a fantastic clock is also provided in the device. The card is considered the best quality sound card for PC with a top-notch performance of a built-in amplifier of 600 ohms. It also has the availability of the op-amp swap kits containing three op-amps, and it also has the tool for easy taming of the tone. Although we have to pay for this product a little more than the other cards, it effectively overcomes the money paid for it as it has impressive specifications and top-notch features.

It is purely made for the users who use the PCs not only the amusement or enjoyment but for work and also for professional gaming. It is the updated version of the previous models of the series. It enhances all the features present in them and adds up the new features, making it look more attractive to buyers. The audio can be listened to in a much clearer voice, and the hardware pack. For all the inputs of the outside wires, different jacks are present at the front and back, which adds ease to the working.

Final Words

In this buying guide, we have reviewed all of the unbiasedly and focused on the specification and feature base real-time performance. The readers may get the best sound card in no time because we present them with the best available options in the market. And according to the budget, buyers should choose one of the best performing sound cards. The sample rate, output rate, weight, and other features are involved in selecting desirable cards.

The sound cards of Asus, Creator, and more brands are written in this article with their features. By looking at the budget, buyers can easily select the best PC sound card for their working PC. Many people buy the product because the built-in cards do not give a filled performance, So the sound cards with tremendous output and in-budget are considered suitable for the users and buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the best sound card for PC?

ASUS Xonar SE is one of the best sound cards for PC. It is built as it is made for the PC for watching HD movies and also playing games. It is effortless to use as it can fit in most systems. It has a great headphone amp. It counts as an excellent sound card due to its remarkable features.

Do PC sound cards make a difference?

Yes, the sound card made the difference in the audio quality of the PC. It makes a huge difference, and people more enjoy the games with crystal clear sound quality and also listening to the voice of their fellow companions. But the cards are of no use if we don’t have good quality speakers and headphones.

What is the best sound card in 2022?

Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 is the best available sound card for 2022. It has intuitive software with many other features. It has a built-in microphone, which helps while recording while playing a game or recording your voice during a stream. And if you talk to your fellow gamers, their sound transfer will also be unique.

What's a good sound card?

If we talk about the overall performance ASUS Essence STX II is a good sound. There are also other sound card models present from different brands like creative that fulfill the requirement of a sound card. ASUS provides an excellent output of up to 7.1, which is a high output and great for working. It is also surrounded by high-quality components, enhancing its performance and strength.