installing an external sound card

I need a cheap way to install a pci sound card to a laptop. I know that you can do it through the express card slot. But I can't remember how?

 

why not consider a USB sound 'card'?

Absent a docking station that supports PCI directly to the internal components of a laptop, anything else is going to be a slow, potentially buggy kludge.

 

I had another thought. Could I use the HDMI output, which carries audio, and get some sort of converter to output a 5.1 surround sound?

 

an expresscard sound card will simply 'plug in'. all that needs to be done will be to install the drivers/software needed that will come with it... if u get it second hand just get them from the support site of the product.

http://us.store.creative.com/Sound-Blaster-XFi-Notebook/M/B001BS3A3E.htm

obvs it can be got for much cheaper than that though

 

that's a great solution but try getting some other brand... creative drivers have a lot of problems although the product is great!

 

I am fond of the TurtleBeach USB sound adapters.

I'm not wholly sure, but I think that all things HDMI are still kind of expensive. Much more so than a $30- usb adapter that is 5.1 and spdif capable.

 

What about these optons?
GWC USB 5.1
Creative Soundblaster
Creative Blaster Audigy PCMCIA

 

you can do an external sound card by using the DIY vidock parts. so instead of using a vid card you use a sound card. i have tested this myself using the old pe2l to expresscard adapter and it worked flawlessly with my xfi titanium fatality card. what most manufacturers dont tell you is that although the card they have is an expresscard it doesnt use the pci express lanes but uses the usb parts of the port so its basically a very oddly shaped usb card.

 

my personal vote would be for an expresscard one. it believe it will be slightly more discrete, i myself have the Creative Audigy 2 for PCMCIA that cloudbyday posted. i shift the laptop about a bit aswell and find that the length of the card and the way its held in is better because i sometimes knock usb out (i actually have a broken/bent usb port from clumsyness ). either way though, as the results of this thread show, your best bet is USB or Expresscard/PCMCIA

 

Both PC card and ExpressCard based solutions are much more expensive than a USB audio device.

 

I think that there are more people here with bad feelings and experiences with Creative Labs notebook products and drivers than 'good' feelings.

 

I am just trying to get a feel for what is the perfect sound card for a laptop. Are there any other sound cards with a 5.1?

 

If the laptop in question doesn't have spdif out (sager among a very few others has this), then I think that the consensus here will be for a USB dongle from anyone other than Creative.

There are however some dongles that simulate 5.1/7.1. You generally don't want these if your source material is true 5.1/7.1.

What is your source material (movies, games, streaming music?) and what are your intended speakers/headphones? Knowing these two basic pieces of information would make it a tad easier to recommend something.

 

Mainly music and some games. The speakers look like these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121006

 

Well, that particular system is a 2.1 input that simulates a 5.1 via their own internal 'matrix' circuitry. You won't need a 'real' 5.1 sould card (dongle, whatever) on your laptop to drive such a beast.

If you want 5.1 output, you need a speaker system that is real 5.1. This most often (always??) requires a spdif (optical or coax) connection between your computer and the speaker system.

ANY speaker system that has 2 or 3 connections to your computer (left/right/center) is simulating 5.1/7.1 output. Not quite the same thing.

However, in a small room like a home office or a dorm room, simulated 5.1/7.1 might be good enough.

Your call.

 

The sound card needs three ports (RGB)

 

RGB?? That is generally used to refer to video connections, not sound......