Sound cards enable your computer to play music and sounds through your speakers. Almost all new computers come with a built-in sound card. However, if your computer doesn't have one installed, or if you want to upgrade the sound playback or recording capabilities of your computer, you may want to install a sound card.
There are three types of sound cards: sound cards built onto your computer's motherboard, and internal and external sound cards. This article focuses on installing an internal sound card, which fits in an expansion slot inside your computer. Motherboard sound cards can't be removed, though you can usually install an internal or external sound card and disable the motherboard sound. External sound cards typically connect via a universal serial bus (USB) connector. For information on installing external sound cards and other USB devices, see Install a USB device.
Before installing a sound card, be sure to consult the documentation that came with it. The guidelines shown here are very general, and the sound card documentation may contain important information specific to installing that card. Also, be sure to consult the documentation that came with your computer to see if opening your computer affects the computer's warranty coverage.