SoundCard Performance?

[Spiff]

So would anyone actually recomend buying a soundcard rather than relying on OnBoard sound?

I ask not because i actualy care about sound quality (though in saying that my onbord sound suffers from being very quiet) but more because i figure there's the potential for freeing up quite a lot of processor cycles.

Does anyone have any first hand experience or useful gems of information? I wouldnt be looking to buy anything particularly expensive though, maybe in the £20 range

EDIT

i was going to get this one

Trust 5.1 Sound Expert Optical

[gg_wong]

i have a creative sound blaster audigy 2! value and my sounds are so much crisp clear. i didnt really see a performance boost.... but this card+2.1 speakers makes me happy =)