13th February 2008, 7:16 PM
Yeah, on-board audio is sufficient for the needs of most, so if you don't want one it isn't needed. However, if you want some better sound, you'll notice it so long as the game supports sound acceleration, and most do (even though MS dropped official DX support of hardware sound Creative still helps game companies add in unofficial support, and it works great). Today's on-board audio is certainly a lot better than when they first started putting cheap SB16 ripoffs on boards.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)