Thread: Do I need a sound card ?

I have brought 5.1 speakers which works in the green jack at the back panel off my comp but jarrs when I play video files sometimes i even have problem with mp3 files I dont know much about the technicalities can somebody HELP

For 5.1 speakers, you either need on board sound that has six outputs or you need a separate sound card.

The green jack is meant for pure stereo speakers or headphones.

for a 5.1 system u need a card with 3 outputs. Those 3 go to ur sub. Frm there,5 connections will go to the speakers and 1 for ur remote.

Try to get some cheap card. It may cost u abt Rs800 or so. See if it fixes ur problem.

almost all motherboards(unless they are very old) support 5.1 setup.the same green jack & other jacks can be used to connect 5.1 speaker setup.you just have to select the 5.1 setup from the audio properties of your onboard sound control in control panel.if you select the 5.1 setup from control panel a window should display that which cable is to be plugged in which jack because in this case line in & mic jack will work differently to support additional 2 cables from 5.1 setup.
How to Connect 5.1 Speakers to Your PC | Hardware Secrets

If your computer doesn’t have these two extra outputs (rear out and center/subwoofer out), you will need to use the line in and mic in plugs. Of course there is a really big disadvantage in using this configuration: you cannot use your microphone or line in inputs and your 5.1 speaker system at the same time. More: if you need to use these inputs – maybe you want to connect a mike to use Skype or MSN Messenger, for example – you will need to unplug your speakers and connect your device, use it, and then plug the speakers back after using your mike or capturing audio. Yes, it is really a hassle. That’s why if you really want to use a 5.1 speaker system you should look for a motherboard that provides separated rear and center/subwoofer outputs, like the one shown on Figure 8.

Thanks for the link white star it provided me with all the help needed