I notice a difference between my onboard sound and my sound card. It's a whole world of difference. If you have 80 bucks, then pick up a Sound Blaster Audigy 4. BF2, Oblivion, and even music have never sounded better. With the right headphones/speakers, you'll literally hear things you never heard before in games and in music. My only gripe is all my PCI slots are now used up. One for the sound, and one for the wireless network card...