<h2>I've got a "consumer" soundcard, and it's noisy</h2>.

OK, there are many possible causes of this.

* We can try to fix it in software... CheapNoiseSoftwareTips

* Or we can try to fix the hardware... CheapNoiseHardwareTips

* Sometimes it's actually the VideoCard causing the problem.

Tried all that, and you still have noise problems?

You may be SOL ("s__t out of luck").

In other words, your soundcard is so bad that you can't do anything about it. It should be noted that the exact same soundcard can make very different noise in a
    different system. In fact, the impetus for starting this website was the terrible experience of transplanting a previously  well-behaved soundcard into a new system and finding a drastically increased noise floor in the soundcard output.

What else can you do?

Try to find out if other people report bad noise problems with the same soundcard. See below for a web site that shows extensive test results of various cards. If your card is known to be a noisy one, you will most likely have to get a different soundcard. If you already have a card that has a reputation for low noise, it's probably best to give up and get something better.

It may also be that you are blessed (or cursed) with very sensitive hearing. You probably won't be satisfied until you spend money on one of the professional quality  "Soundcards":Soundcards available.