How to Upgrade a Laptop Sound Card

A USB sound card can provide a significant sound improvement over integrated laptop sound cards.

Laptops are highly integrated devices that do not rely on a motherboard and daughter boards like desktops. Laptops rely on one motherboard with all the components integrated. In order to upgrade the sound card on your laptop, you will have to use a USB sound card.

Things You'll Need

• USB sound card

Instructions

1. Turn on your computer.

2. Connect the USB sound card to a USB port on your laptop.

3. Follow the wizard that pops up after inserting the CD to install the drivers for the sound card. If no wizard appears, go to the "Start" menu and select "My computer." Double click on the USB sound card manufacturer logo to launch the installer.

4. Connect your headphones or speakers to the new sound card.

Tips & Warnings

• Some advanced software such as Blue-Ray software player or advanced music player might require you to change the default sound card.

• Always plug the USB in the same USB port. If you change the USB port, you might have to reconfigure some software to use what the system considers new.

• Recent operating systems might detect the USB card automatically.

• Make sure you do not push or pull the USB card when your laptop is on your lap as the USB connector can break.

References

• TechSpot: Creative XFI go USB