Almost every PC user daydreams about upgrading their graphics card, CPU, SSD, and RAM. Even the monitor gets a lot of love, thanks to the gaming performance of the latest OLED monitors. However, very few PC users think about making audio upgrades to their gaming PC. Strong GPU horsepower and a decent display are integral to an enjoyable gaming PC experience, but without crisp and clean audio, you'll always feel something is missing.

Whether it's the built-in speakers on your monitor, the sound quality of budget headphones, or even the onboard audio on some motherboards, there are many areas where you can improve the audio experience of your gaming PC. Let's get into each of them one by one.

5 Ditch your monitor's built-in speakers

Enough of sub-par speakers already

Much like the onboard speakers on most TVs, built-in monitor speakers are famously bad for most purposes. Sure, the occasional YouTube video will be fine, but we're talking about gaming PCs here, where immersion and accuracy are non-negotiable. If you're still suffering at the hands of onboard speakers, it's time to upgrade to a set of desktop speakers ASAP.

Even most budget speakers with 2.1-channel audio would be an incredible improvement over your monitor's built-in excuse of a speaker setup. The best PC speakers can take your audio experience to a whole different level, especially if you invest in an elaborate 5.1-channel speaker system or a pair of monitor speakers used for audio production but great for movies and games.

The night-and-day difference you'll notice when switching from built-in speakers to discrete ones isn't just limited to the maximum volume. The much-improved thump of, say, a subwoofer or the fuller soundstage of any quality speaker will make you regret why you didn't upgrade sooner. Speakers with surround sound can even help you locate enemy footsteps and gunshots in competitive games, something that's simply not on the horizon with your monitor's built-in speakers.

4 Get a compact gaming soundbar

A soundbar might be the ideal gaming speaker

Depending on your budget, soundbars might not be able to compete with speakers on a technical level, but they have other advantages. A soundbar usually occupies much less space on your desk than a speaker system. Although it might look bigger than a pair of bite-sized speakers, you're still getting a single slab speaker that fits under your monitor. Plus, there are no cables to deal with, except the one connected to your PC (if you have a wired soundbar).

If you're worried about the loss of audio quality, you'd love to know that soundbars have come a long way. Soundbars stand toe-to-toe with some of the best PC speakers whether it's the sound output, audio clarity, or connectivity options. In fact, some gaming soundbars feature spatial audio, aggressive yet compact form factors, and RGB lighting that you can sync with the rest of your setup.

There are enough decent soundbars for every budget, so you don't need to compromise on that front, either. You might need to spend more than you would for a pair of cheap desktop speakers, but the trade-off is worth it — less clutter on the desk, great sound quality for the price, and an arguably better design than most speakers.

3 Invest in a quality gaming headset

It's hard to beat a good headset in terms of immersion

Desktop speakers might go a long way to simulate surround sound and deliver a satisfying soundstage, but most can't compete with a pair of high-quality gaming headphones. The way a headset isolates you from your surroundings, offers noise cancelation, and immerses you in the sound effects and music of the game is unparalleled. Just try playing Alan Wake 2, Apex Legends, or Red Dead Redemption 2 on your PC speakers and your gaming headset — the things you'll notice on the latter will delight you to no end.

For those who play online multiplayer games with friends, having an attached microphone on the headset is super handy. Having a separate mic for communicating with your squad is tedious and mostly unnecessary. The quality of mics on many gaming headsets has improved to the extent that you don't need to worry about being audible and clear to your teammates.

If you're using a wireless headset, your gaming experience can be even better. You can move around freely when you want to grab a snack between games. And there's no risk of the cable getting in your way when immersed in a tense gaming session. The best gaming headsets are phenomenal at delivering studio-grade sound quality combined with tons of quality-of-life, gamer-friendly features like detachable mics, comfortable ear cushions, and robust build quality.

2 Consider a discrete sound card

An easy way to upgrade your PC audio

There used to be a time when sound cards were necessary. Today, onboard audio on most motherboards has improved to the extent that it's tough to find discrete sound cards on most PCs. Whether your gaming PC needs to connect to a pair of desktop speakers or a soundbar, you can do it all without a separate sound card. That said, there are still significant advantages to installing a discrete sound card on your PC.

No matter how good your motherboard audio is, it can never compete with a separate sound card. Compared to motherboards, sound cards have much more space to house dedicated components, naturally offering higher-quality sound output. They also support lossless audio files, which you can enjoy if your speakers or headphones support them.

Perhaps the most significant upside of using a separate sound card versus onboard audio is that the audio is no longer marred by interference. Your motherboard's audio components have multiple other sources of electrical and magnetic interference inside the PC case. A sound card, designed purely for high-quality audio delivery, is much better at isolating the signal and eliminating noise. All of this contributes to cleaner sound through your speakers or headset, enhancing your gaming experience.

1 Upgrade to an external DAC

Audiophiles will swear by it

A DAC or Digital-to-Analog Converter converts digital audio to analog audio that speakers and headphones support. As you can surmise, your motherboard and discrete sound cards have a DAC chip to deliver analog signals to your listening device. Even your smartphone has one that converts your Spotify stream to something you can hear. However, switching to an external DAC to perform basically the same conversion has some worthwhile benefits.

Sound cards are specialized audio equipment designed for high-quality audio output, but they aren't immune to picking up noise from inside the PC. They're able to smooth the interference but can't really eliminate it. An external DAC is removed from your PC altogether, not drawing power from it, and instead connected to a separate power source. Hence, it's not prone to signal interference from other sources.

Switching to a DAC makes the most sense for users who are able to pick up subtle nuances in audio output. If you've already used a sound card and think it improved your experience, it's worth considering an external DAC. Many users swear by an external DAC for a pure audio signal, but it might not be worth investing in for everyone. If you only want to increase the power output of your headphones, you can consider an amplifier instead to drive your high-impedance headphones.

Upgrading your PC audio is worth the investment

Many gaming PC users aren't aware that a superior audio experience is within their grasp. Switching from built-in monitor speakers to a decent speaker system, soundbar, or gaming headset can markedly improve immersion in games and other media. For audiophiles, investing in a discrete sound card or an external DAC can further enhance the audio experience by isolating the signal from interference by other PC components.

If you've been feeling a distinct lack of satisfaction with your PC's audio experience, trying one or more of these upgrades might be worthwhile. You could start with speakers and headphones and then move on to sound cards and DACs if you want even higher-fidelity audio.