[Dryer_Lint]

Which soundcard is better, and why?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...6829102101

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...6829276001

[webdev77]

Out of those two, I would get the Creative card. It's $100 cheaper and a 1dB difference in DNR is completely unnoticeable even between high quality audio samples. Electronic test equipment is the only way to even verify there is a difference at that point.

[Dryer_Lint]

Out of those two, I would get the Creative card. It's $100 cheaper and a 1dB difference in DNR is completely unnoticeable even between high quality audio samples. Electronic test equipment is the only way to even verify there is a difference at that point.

Will it make VOIP clearer in games?

[webdev77]

Will it make VOIP clearer in games?

No. A sound card will not be able to improve a horribly compressed in-game voice signal.

[Capn_N3m0]

These are radically different cards for radically different purposes.

The Soundblaster is a gaming card, the EVGA NU is an audiophile card. The I/O of the cards is radically different, and the NU has replaceable opamps. If you don't know what an opamp is, then you don't need this. If you're not going to use the RCA outputs, or aren't in the habit of regularly spending $120+ on headphones that don't come with 1/4" phone jacks, then you don't really need it. The NU also comes with multiple inputs, one for a mic level input signal and the other for a line-level input--which while similar, are not the same thing. But if you're not nit-picky, they can be used more or less interchangeably.

From your apparent lack of comprehension regarding this, I'd suggest you go with the Soundblaster, being cheaper, and more likely to plug and play with your purpose. Unless you've got lots of money and time to burn, and are considering getting into the audiophile's world, most people won't notice the difference with typical consumer audio equipment. But if you go with the NU, be warned, that the high-end audio hobby is FAR BEYOND expensive.

[Dryer_Lint]

These are radically different cards for radically different purposes.

The Soundblaster is a gaming card, the EVGA NU is an audiophile card. The I/O of the cards is radically different, and the NU has replaceable opamps. If you don't know what an opamp is, then you don't need this. If you're not going to use the RCA outputs, or aren't in the habit of regularly spending $120+ on headphones that don't come with 1/4" phone jacks, then you don't really need it. The NU also comes with multiple inputs, one for a mic level input signal and the other for a line-level input--which while similar, are not the same thing. But if you're not nit-picky, they can be used more or less interchangeably.

From your apparent lack of comprehension regarding this, I'd suggest you go with the Soundblaster, being cheaper, and more likely to plug and play with your purpose. Unless you've got lots of money and time to burn, and are considering getting into the audiophile's world, most people won't notice the difference with typical consumer audio equipment. But if you go with the NU, be warned, that the high-end audio hobby is FAR BEYOND expensive.

So what you're saying is that the AE-5 is for gaming, and the NU Audio is for professional purposes?

There won't be any noticeable difference in audio quality between the two cards when gaming?

[Slightly.]

So what you're saying is that the AE-5 is for gaming, and the NU Audio is for professional purposes?

There won't be any noticeable difference in audio quality between the two cards when gaming?

No difference you will notice, no.

[Capn_N3m0]

So what you're saying is that the AE-5 is for gaming, and the NU Audio is for professional purposes?

There won't be any noticeable difference in audio quality between the two cards when gaming?

There might very well be a noticeable difference, but it would be one of timbre, or what others would call 'color'. The NU is more likely to be 'warmer' in sound, but that's something that can easily be achieved faked by turning up the mid-range, or dialing down the highs and lows.

The NU card is not a "Professional" card--it's an audiophile card--it's for hobby listeners. Real audio professionals use far more sophisticated technology, with either far more inputs and outputs, or with SNR ratios that push the limits of technology, depending on what job they actually have. They also do other things, such as drilling down 100 ft+ into the earth for their electrical 'ground', and spend as much money on passive things such as sound absorbers and reflectors as they do on their technology. Granted, hobbyists will also do things like this, but its because sound gives them meaning in their life or something like that. It's like buying a Porsche for a mall cop to drive around in. My point is, if you're not willing to invest in sound treatments, dedicated amplifiers and speakers, and different kinds of opamps, then the NU is not for you.

If you're just looking to game, then save the money and use the Sound Blaster--they're great cards, and have been since at least the 1990's. Besides, having a dedicated audio card is already ahead of the game, these days.