If the names look familiar, that’s because the cards are the PCI Express versions of the Xonar DG and DS. Indeed, the two we’ll be putting under the microscope today-Asus’ Xonar DGX and DSX-sell for less than $50.

They’re amazingly inexpensive considering the expected lifespan. Good sound cards tend to last through multiple upgrade cycles, too. They simply sound better than the typical integrated audio on motherboards, especially for those with discerning ears and halfway-decent speakers or headphones. For years, we’ve trumpeted the benefits of discrete sound cards.