Find wattage output of sound card?

Software & Apps
#1

I bought a computer recently, a custom-built with an Asus P5K-E Motherboard in it. The sound card (far as I know) is a built-on ADI AD1988B 8-channel High Definition Audio card. This computer did not come with speakers so I have been shopping for those, but I do not know how many watts the sound card can put out.

If you know the output or know how to find it, that would be great.

I’ve checked the manual that came with the Asus board, tried to find the information in the audio driver on the computer, and looked online but no luck.

#2

The sound card itself only puts out a couple of [I]milli[/I]watts. Enough to drive headphones or an amplifier (or amplified speakers). The speakers (and their amplifiers) are what’s rated in watts.

#3

The days of amplified soundcards directly driving speakers are long gone.

Every PC speaker set you would buy now is amplified.
In a 2 speaker set, the amplifier will be in one of the spekers (will have a mains pwer lead or adapter connected).
In 2.1 or larger sets, the amplifier is normally located in the bass unit.

2.1 is stereo satellites with a bass unit, normally driven as a 2 channel, with the speaker system seperating the bass to the bass unit.
5.1 is perhaps the most often seen, with front left & right, rear left & right, front centre and bass, each driven by seperate feeds from 3x jacks.

7.1, using the full 8 channels, adds a pair of side surround left & right.

NB. Just because it is capable of 8 channels, does not mean you have to go for an 8 way set. Setting them all up in proper positions can be awkward, so a 5.1 or 2.1 can be more satisfactory in general use.