Now most motherboards come with HD sound capability.
Sound card seems not necessary anymore.
Anyway, Creative Lab still making sound blaster card, and many more advanced sound cards.
For linux user, does sound card make a lot difference in sound quality?

The quick answer is probably yes, but it depends on so many other factors: firstly your own ear - are you dissatisfied with the sound you are getting without a sound card? If you are, consider the quality of your speakers - the easiest way to test this would be to borrow speakers from someone who has better ones. And then there's the ambience. If all else fails, buy a sound card, but it's probably not necessary unless you are very particular. Which you may be.

Anyway, you will hear a difference only if you use an audio source of high quality : it's pointless to buy an advanced sound card if it's to play 64kbps mp3's !

But buying an (external) sound card could provide you multiples in/outputs and mixing options, in addition of a higher quality.

I agree with both of the above posts.

This issue is exactly the same whether you are going to purchase a dedicated stereo system or a sound card for your computer. The old rule is "If you can't hear the difference then don't pay the difference."

Your music source is critical in this respect, as already stated in previous posts.

Also, some original sources have better aural qualities than others. The best recording I ever heard for judging sound quality was the opening seconds in Supertramp's "Even In The Quietest Moments" song on the vinyl album. The spacial quality/stereo image is unbelievable.

I found this using Google to search for "pc audiophile sound card".
http://www.stereophile.com/computera...tx_soundcards/