# Adding a sound card to my computer.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-sound-card-to-my-computer/224945>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 17, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-sound-card-to-my-computer/224945 "2004-01-17T16:47:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-sound-card-to-my-computer/224945/1 "2004-01-17T16:47:44Z")

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Just a couple of days ago, I went and bought a _Soundblaster 16 PCI_ card for a computer that I have. As I was installing it, I wasn’t careful and, let’s just say I think that due to some static, I killed my motherboard. No problem, I was going to upgrade anyway. So yesterday I get a new computer, but the motherboard has built in audio. According to my Windows 98 SE profile, it’s a _Avance AC97 Audio for VIA ® Audio Controler_.

OK, so my question is, since I don’t want my SB card to go to waste, I’m thinking of installing it in my computer. But can I leave the built in sound card activated, then, if I feel like it, switch back and forth between sound cards in Windows, or do I have to disable the built in card if I install a new one?

Thanks. Oh, and I did look in the motherboard manual, but I didn’t see anything that helped to answer my question.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-sound-card-to-my-computer/224945/2 "2004-01-17T16:51:04Z")

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Don’t bother. The 32-bit onboard sound card on your new mainboard will vastly outperform your 16-bit SB card. You could sell it on eBay or something.

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**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-sound-card-to-my-computer/224945/3 "2004-01-17T16:56:59Z")

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Wow, so basically, $30 down the drain, minus what I might be able to sell it for. Oh well, live and learn I guess.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-sound-card-to-my-computer/224945/4 "2004-01-17T17:55:04Z")

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Don’t get rid of it just yet. My board has the same AC97 onboard setup yours does, and I’ve had no end of problems with it. A couple weeks after I first fired it up, it started producing horrible static.

An upgrade to WinXP appears to have solved the problem, though.

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**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-sound-card-to-my-computer/224945/5 "2004-01-17T19:43:33Z")

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FWIW, my VIA sound built into my MOBO sounds great. No problems with Win XP.

-B