Is sound card worth it?

[Viktor277]

FIrst, my speaker setup: JBL Professional 8330, H/K PM645. Weird? I know.

I've had ASRock B450 Fata1ity as my first motherboard with ALC892 codec onboard, had some issues and i had to sell the PC (R5 2600, 2x8GB 3000mhz, RX 580 8gb, Corsair HX850). What i was left with was old HP ProBook 4540s laptop, which had pretty decent onboard sound, comparable to b450 fatality. And then i sold my laptop to get something that can run games,again.. Duh..i5 2500k and RX 470, good enough i guess.

Main issue i have with this "new" pc is the onboard sound on it's motherboard (Asus P8H61-M LX R2.0, ALC 887 Codec) - it's noticeably worse than either of mine previous configs. Now.. i wonder if it's worth it to buy a dedicated sound card, like Audigy FX, or a simple Sound Blaster Play! 3 would be enough to mach sound output from my previous pc's?

[rice guru]

2 minutes ago, Viktor277 said:

FIrst, my speaker setup: JBL Professional 8330, H/K PM645. Weird? I know.

I've had ASRock B450 Fata1ity as my first motherboard with ALC892 codec onboard, had some issues and i had to sell the PC (R5 2600, 2x8GB 3000mhz, RX 580 8gb, Corsair HX850). What i was left with was old HP ProBook 4540s laptop, which had pretty decent onboard sound, comparable to b450 fatality. And then i sold my laptop to get something that can run games,again.. Duh..i5 2500k and RX 470, good enough i guess.

Main issue i have with this "new" pc is the onboard sound on it's motherboard (Asus P8H61-M LX R2.0, ALC 887 Codec) - it's noticeably worse than either of mine previous configs. Now.. i wonder if it's worth it to buy a dedicated sound card, like Audigy FX, or a simple Sound Blaster Play! 3 would be enough to mach sound output from my previous pc's?

A sound blaster play 3 is decent and should sound as good as a PC onboard. 

[Viktor277]

Just now, rice guru said:

A sound blaster play 3 is decent and should sound as good as a PC onboard. 

Thank you!

[Viktor277]

On 1/24/2021 at 2:13 AM, rice guru said:

A sound blaster play 3 is decent and should sound as good as a PC onboard. 

A quick update, i don't even know if u care but i'll write it anyway. Sound blaster play 3 arrived today, and i must say, do not use this without drivers, they are a must. Certainly an upgrade from my motherboard audio, but compared to my laptop (hp probook 4540s) still sound a bit dull and less "lively" compared to it, but still provides excellent clarity and detail, and good enough bass response. I just wish i knew how it sounds before buying it, cuz i know how capable the speakers are. Guess the next upgrade is better amplifier. Summary don't buy this, just save up for something like Audigy Rx or Fx, or even better sound cards, or buy it if you dont have any pci express slots available lol