Sound Card for a Gaming PC
For gaming we definitely want to buy an Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro by Creative Labs (B0000CD0B9) for both high and low end machines. It is hands down the best consumer sound card on the market. It features 7.1 channels, 24-bit advance HD audio, and is THX certified for those movies with pounding bass. It has won numerous awards and will satisfy casual listeners and audiophiles alike. The Platinum Pro edition also includes the External I/O Hub, it has analog stereo connectors for six channel input, optical and coaxial digital I/O, full-sized MIDI I/O, microphone with gain control, headphone with volume control, and two 1394 Fire Wire ports. All this translates to killer gaming environments and detailed audio control.