Lesson 12: How to Find a Cheap Sound Card

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Notes we've taken concerning the Sound Card:

  • Interface Types: PCI, PCI-Express x1
  • # of PCI Slots Remaining: 2
  • # of PCI-Express x1 Slots Remaining: 1
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Step 1: Finding a Sound Card

Selecting a sound card is really a matter of preference. If you want cheap audio and it's not integrated into your motherboard, you can usually pick up a cheap PCI 2 or 4 channel sound card for under $15.

If you want full surround sound and you're willing to shell out some extra money for speakers that can support it, you can find some good quality PCI or PCI-E x1 sound card for around $30 but some of the higher quality cards can cost you well over $100.

To be completely honest, in most cases, the onboard audio that comes with your motherboard is all you will ever need. Some motherboards even offer full surround sound connections. These motherboards are generally more expensive but are available.

Navigate to the sound cards list from our vendor:

Computer Hardware List --> Sound Cards --> # of channels you prefer or Interface Type (PCI or PCI-Express x1)

-Order by “lowest price”

The best way to find a card you're looking for is to just read other user reviews. Just because the card is more expensive doesn't mean it's better than a cheaper one.

Here's a really cheap 4 channel PCI sound card:

Cheap Sound Card

PPA 1417v 4 Channels 16-bit PCI Interface Sound Card - 8.99

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Notes to take before the next lesson:

You only need to take note of how many channels your sound card supports and the interface type of the card. In our example, ours is a PCI card and since we had 2 PCI slots, we now only have 1 remaining.

  • # of PCI Slots Remaining: 1 if you purchased a PCI Sound Card, 2 if you did not.
  • # of PCI-Express x1 Slots Remaining: 0 if you purchased a PCI-Express x1 Sound Card, 1 if you did not.
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Total spent so far:

Total: $193.94 *
* This price does not include shipping and handling.

** These prices are taken at the time of this writing and are subject to change at any time without notice.

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