SOUND CARDS

With all the fuss made over the latest and greatest graphics cards it's easy to forget the importance of PC audio. As George Lucas famously said, 'sound is half the cinematic experience', and the same is just as true for games. While cool graphics will produce an immediate wow factor, it's the audio that really draws you into a game. Think of the instantly recognisable trademark 'Star Wars' sounds, such as the hum of a lightsaber, or a Colonial Marine's pulse rifle from 'Aliens'. In games and movies, hearing is believing.

As cards become more powerful, developers are able to enhance the gaming experience and make game worlds sound as real as they look. Positional audio and environmental effects make it possible to hear when someone is behind you, in front of you or in the next room.

However, it's not just effects that are improving - more attention is being paid to the actual sound quality. Precise 24-bit digital audio is quickly supplanting 16-bit as the new fidelity standard, while sampling rates are up from 44KHz on standard CDs to as much as 192KHz. This is important, as for many people the PC is their primary entertainment hub, taking care not only of games, but also music and movies. Whether you're playing compressed audio or CDs, a high-quality sound card can make a big difference in conjunction with high-quality speakers. An increasing number of DVDs are mastered in seven-channel Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES, which helps to create an even more encompassing sound field than 5.1. The home cinema market even has 7.1 sound, which adds two extra rear speakers. The PC is never far behind, and five of the eight cards we tested offer 7.1 support.

Our primary focus of this test was to measure how different cards perform for gaming and DVDs rather than for music production. Cards designed for this tend to offer high audio quality and responsiveness but lack gaming-friendly features. All the cards we tested sell for under £100, and two of them will set you back less than a score. At these prices, there's no reason to put up with sub-standard audio on your PC.