Anyone use USB sound cards for 5.1?

I decided to keep my lappy that I so dearly love!

I just miss my 5.1 THX Logitechs beating my head off with their 300-watts. Does anyone have any experience with a true 5.1ch card with their gateway?

Any thoughts on quality, price, performance, and/or any other suggestions?

I've mainly been looking at the http://soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=17751 and the http://soundblaster.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=16642

I'm leaning more towards the USB mainly due to cost. With the xCard, I would still have to buy the $40 jacks to hook it up to my speakers.

 

I don't have any experiense with the P6860 which is what I have now, but on my last laptop an XPS I was doing research into the Soundblaster usb 5.1 and determined that I did not want one due to the fact (if you read product reviews) that the soundblaster cards screwed up the laptops internal sound drivers causing the speakers to not function in many laptops leaving only the soundblaster drivers functioning. I researched it last year, so keep that in mind. Of course if you don't care to use the laptops internal speakers, then your all set.
Seanno

 

I normally don't. I use headphones/headsets/ext. speakers and pretty much nothing more.

 

Then you will probably like those products. Other than the driver issue, I saw very few other problems that people were consistently having and of course the sound through external speakers and headphones will be much improved.
Seanno