Sound is often an underestimated facet of the PC. Everyone worries about having a graphics card that can shift millions of pixels, a massive hard drive which spins at more RPM than an F1 car on the grid waiting for the lights, and so on and so forth. But they rarely worry about the quality of sound their machine produces. After all, sound cards are all pretty much the same, right?

To quote the man in the pub, 'Not on your proverbial Nelly mate!'. Upgrading your sound card can produce a boost in quality that even the most tone-deaf can detect, particularly when it comes to gaming. That's exactly why we've set up stall here to tell you which are the best of the current crop of sound cards.

When it comes to games, there are a few 3D sound standards that are bandied about. 3D sound, which is basically surround sound, is all the rage at the moment. Cards will claim to support EAX, A3D and Sensaura 3D sound, but what does all that mean?

In a nutshell, they're all 3D sounds systems with merit. Last year A3D version 2.0 was widely regarded as having an edge in terms of true 3D sound, but Creative Labs' EAX has come back with force this year and evolved into a truly excellent system. Sensaura is more on the sidelines, although it does actually incorporate elements of EAX.

It basically boils down to what games specifically support these 3D systems, as they have to be programmed specially. At the moment support is still split, but with EAX just edging it over A3D, we'd say. As a final note of caution, do bear in mind that obviously no matter what sound card you have, a pair of tinny five quid speakers is going to let the side down in a big way. Click the 'NEXT' link below to find out more.