This card shines for gaming and entertainment, and it's also a good entry point for anyone who wants to start making music on their PC.

The Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 is a portable, well-rounded external sound card with all the advantages of Creative’s internal sound card range. Some won't notice its benefits, but its support for EAX and X-Fi technology will be an advantage for most people.

Do yourself a favour and upgrade from the integrated sound on your motherboard to this X-Fi card. Its sound quality was excellent, as was its ability to record from line sources.

If you're after a new sound card, the Xonar U1 is a decent choice -- it'll even work on computers that have ancient USB 1.1 ports. However, its sound quality wasn't always perfect during our tests, and longer cables would've been beneficial.

When onboard audio just won't do, the Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio Notebook is an exceptional option and one that notebook gamers, music enthusiasts and film buffs will greatly appreciate.

The Xmod is a brilliant product. While the audio does have a slightly manufactured sound to it, it's nonetheless impressive. The portable form factor, combined with the cheap price make this an ideal solution for quality audio on a budget.

The X-Fi Elite Pro is an extremely impressive sound card. The audio performance rivals that of many professional cards, and the break-out box offers more connections than a BT exchange. However, it's also seriously pricey, and unless you're a dedicated audiophile we don't think it's quite worth so much.

Overall, the SoundBlaster X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS is an impressive piece of hardware that fulfils the key functions of a sound card better than any other consumer product. Hardcore gamers now face the difficult choice: a new graphics card, or an X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS?