A sound card interprets sounds made on your computer so they can be played through your computer speakers. Whether it's the default Windows warnings or playing a CD or DVD in your computer, you need a sound card to hear it. Sound cards can plug into your computer's motherboard or they can be built directly onto the motherboard. Installing a sound card isn't difficult, but set aside some time to make sure you do it right.

Physically installing cards

Installing cards into your computer, sound or otherwise, is pretty simple, but it does require some understanding of adding hardware. Open the computer by removing the side door on the computer case. At the back of the computer is where all the connections are, so this is where all the cards are installed. The cards fit into slots that are built into the motherboard and there is a ledge to screw the edge of the card to on the case. A sound card usually comes as a PCI card. You need to know whether your computer has an available PCI slot for your sound card. If you have an existing sound card, you can remove it and put the new one in its place.

Installing drivers

After you have installed the sound card and closed your computer, start the computer and wait for Windows to ask you for the drivers. The drivers will probably be on a CD that came with the sound card. Put the CD in the CD tray and then browse to the driver folder on the CD. If you do not have the CD, download the drivers for the sound card from the manufacturer's website.

Multiple sound cards

If you have a built in sound card on your motherboard, which many do, you'll have to specify which card you are going to use. You can disable the onboard sound card by entering the BIOS and disabling it, or you can choose which default sound card to use in Windows. Go into the "Control Panel" and choose "Sounds and Audio Devices." Click the "Audio" and "Voice" tabs to select the new sound card you just installed or the built-in sound card.

Source:

Henry Amon; Information Systems Specialist; Salisbury, Maryland