In the 1980s and '90s, a dedicated sound card was a must-have for anyone serious about PC gaming or music, since built-in audio could only manage basic beeps and low-resolution samples. That has changed dramatically. Modern motherboards integrate audio processing onto a single chip, and the source notes that most shoppers can safely skip a dedicated card.
For typical music listening or gaming, integrated audio is enough. High-quality and lossless audio can be delivered over USB, HDMI, DisplayPort, or Wi-Fi, and even a demanding Dolby Atmos TrueHD stream uses only a fraction of available bandwidth. Internal sound cards also consume space, add heat, and can pick up interference from other components, which is why many professional audio devices now sit on the desk rather than inside the PC.
The remaining reasons to buy a sound card or external audio interface are professional and enthusiast use. Connecting microphones, guitars, and keyboards regularly benefits from outboard controls and better shielding, and high-impedance headphones may need extra amplification that motherboards don't provide. The source suggests that only well-funded purists or people aiming to become professional music producers need to upgrade their audio hardware — a far cry from the early PC era, and a clear sign of how much the market has shrunk for companies like Creative.