Sound card is also known as ‘Audio Adapter’ or ‘Audio Card’ or ‘Sound Board’.
A sound card is a hardware component as rectangular shape that having many ports at the back side to attach audio device such as speaker, microphone, etc.
Sound card is also an expansion card or IC that generates the sound on your PC that can be heard with helping of headphones or speakers. Although, you don’t need to additional sound card because, it is embedded mostly built-in the motherboard on each computer.
If you want to get better sound for playing game then you can also install a good sound card on your computer as per your needs. Therefore, you can prefer to use breakout box that has several audio connectors and embedded into sound card, connect this box through USB or Firewire port.
Through this article, we will explain you full detail about several types of sound cards, uses, functions and so on.
Headlines of Entire Article
In this section, we will show you all headlines about this entire article; you can check them as your choice; below shown all:
Types of Sound Cards
Motherboard Sound Cards
Standard Sound Cards
External Sound Adapters
Internal Gaming Cards
Audiophile and Recording Cards
Uses of Sound Card
Real life Applications of Sound Card
Functions of Sound Card
How Does Sound Card Work?
Sound Card Connections
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is a sound card used for?
What is sound card example?
What are the types of sound card?
What is the benefit of a sound card?
Is a sound card input or output devicve?
Can Sound card port used for external audio sources?
Let’s Start!!
Types of Sound Cards
Now these days, there are different kinds of sound cards that easily available in the market with less price. Few sound cards are built-in on your computer’s motherboard, but some you have to need attach via USB or FireWire ports. Therefore, you can prefer them as you’re convince; below mentioned five types of sound card, check them:
Motherboard Sound Cards
Motherboard sound cards are presented mostly each types of computer system in modern era; this card is built in along with PC’s motherboard, so you can say it as sound chip as well because you don’t need to install any external sound cards with your Computer.
These sound cards were most costly when firstly introduced in the market place. Computer sound technology became available with lesser cost, miniaturization technology got let computer hardware manufactures to provide sound into one chip. So, now these days, almost all motherboard sound chips are affordable for all computer owners.
Standard Sound Cards
Standard sound card is connected internally your computer with one of slots. It lets you provide great performance compare to motherboard sound chips, because it made with its own processor chips. So you can say that this sound card perform on the base of using of computer’ processor. While, you playing games, standard sound card offers better result as it makes less a load of main PC’s processor.
External Sound Adapters
External sound adapters have almost all features similar standard sound card. Its shape likes as small box that enables all connection with using of USB or FireWire port, beyond of, using as internal expansion slot. They also are having other additional features that are not available into standard sound card, like as physical volume control knobs and extra input and out controlling system. You can easily swap an external sound adapter to new PC as standard sound card. You can also upgrade the sound of your laptop or PC by using USB or FireWire expansion slots.
Internal Gaming Cards
Gaming sound cards have own separate processors, which provide better audio, erasing the work of making it from your PC’s CPU. They also contain own set of inputs/outputs that mostly have good shielding and, like as lesser noise levels compare to inputs/outputs embedded into your computer system. Mostly gaming sound card are designed with advance technology that let assist to locate created sound in 3D space and it is easier to hear.
Audiophile and Recording Cards
These sound cards offer ultimate sound quality, and these special cards are used either the audiophile market or the professional audio market. Audiophile sound cards contain massive shielded outputs/analogue circuitry that objectives to both decrease the noise levels, then accurately regenerate sound signals.
Uses of Sound Card
The main aim of using sound card is to offer audio that lets you to hear with playing song and watching movie along with several formats and degrees control system. There are various sectors where this sound card can be used; below shown few areas:
Using educational software that means while watching educational tutorial, you can hear sound to improve the experience in education.
Using to record dictations
Functions of Sound Card
Sound card is an expansion hardware part that is used into PC to grab and send audio. Software applications and device drivers let you help to get configuration in this sound card.
Computer input devices are connected to receive audio data like as microphone, and output device are linked to spread the audio data usually headphones or speakers.
Sound card lets to convert incoming digital audio data into analog so that headphones can play it. In the opposite scenario, this card can also convert analog audio data from the microphone to digital data that can be kept to save on the computer by using audio software.
How Does Sound Card Work?
When you will try to listen to voice of sound card then sound in the form of digital data waveform.wav or mp3 sent to sound card. DSP (Digital Signal processing) lets to process the digital data by using of DAC (Digital Analog Converter). Once converted digital signal into an analog signal that is amplified, and analog signal is spread via speaker.
If you get ready to record sound with using of a microphone, then this sound is processed into analog format by using DSP, the mode ADC (Analog Digital Converter: Convert analog to digital). Then it converts the analog signal into digital signal that is stored into table format or regular waveform written .wav (wave) in a disk or compressed into other forms such as mp3.
Sound Card Connections
The image is an example of a sound card audio ports or audio jacks on the rear side of your PC with attached color and connectors symbols. Here shown you 5 audio jack are used with devices that is used the 3.5 mm mini plug.
With surround sound or loudspeakers, digital out is used (white or yellow; words: “Digital” or “Digital Out”).
Sound in or line in (blue; Arrow pointing into waves): This connection is used for external audio device like as record player, tape recorder, etc.
Microphone or Mic (pink): This connection is used for headphones or microphones.
Sound out or line out (green; Arrow pointing out of waves): This is used for primary sound connection such as speakers or headphones. This sound card also contains the second (black) and third (orange) sound out connector.
FireWire (Not Shown Image): This is used for high-quality sound cards like as video cameras and other devices.
MIDI or joystick (15 pin yellow connector): This connection is useful for connecting MIDI keyboard or joystick, MIDI or joystick.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is a sound card used for?
Main aim of using sound card is to convert digital audio signals to analog signal, as apposite analog audio signals to digital ones.
What is sound card example?
The best example is to get turn your iTunes files into music on your MacBook system, but hardware parts let to generate and store this sounds.
What are the types of sound card?
There are five kinds of sound card, which are used in daily life. We already explained it above in this article, you can check them.
What is the benefit of a sound card?
The main advantage of this card is that it will decrease the CPU usage and get freeing it up for executing another task like as watching movie or playing game.
Is a sound card input or output device?
Sound card is an audio output device that offers the input/output of audio signals to and from PC, it is controlled by computer programs.
Can Sound card port used for external audio sources?
Yes! For example – speakers and headphones
The Bottom Lines
However, sound card is a most important part of our daily used in Computer. so, i hope that you have completely educated about sound card and their different types, uses, functions, working and more. If this content is fruitful for you then please share it along with your friends, family members or relatives over social media platforms like as Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Twitter, and more.
