How does my sound card affect playback?

[kevin32]

Hi. I'm using a basic sound card that came with my PC, which is the SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio. When I play my music in-game, the quality is a little lower than playing it from my computer outside the game. I have 2 questions about this:

1. Is the music quality I hear in-game exactly what others will hear in-game? Or does it depend on their sound cards?

2. Will getting a better sound card for my computer make the music sound better in-game?

Thanks!

[Renegade]

Generally what you hear in-game will be similar to what others hear, minus minor differences such as volume etc.
Sound cards have been standardized enough that having a better/dedicated card makes little difference for general usage.