[NoxNoctum]

I'm buying a new gaming PC soon and was thinking, since I've got an amp and DAC that I play everything through (using FLAC files on the PC as the source), there's no reason for me not to get the absolutely cheapest sound card available for the motherboard I have in mind right?

 

[GreenBow]

Confused me completely.
 
If you have an amp and DAC, what do you need a sound card for?
 
Secondly, presumably your mainboard will have on-board sound so what do you even need a card for?

 

[PurpleAngel]

  I'm buying a new gaming PC soon and was thinking, since I've got an amp and DAC that I play everything through (using FLAC files on the PC as the source), there's no reason for me not to get the absolutely cheapest sound card available for the motherboard I have in mind right?

 
If the external DAC is USB, it bypasses all the sound card features anyway, so no need to add a sound card.
 
If the external DAC is S/PDIF optical, then you can use the motherboard's on-board audio.
or add a low cost sound card for Dolby Headphone, Xonar DG/DGX, $20-$40.
Or a Sound Blaster Z sound card, $60-$80, for SBX headphone surround sound.