hi mick
yes of couse mate,soundcards are a much forgotten peripheral,and as most audio is produced by onboard and intergrated sound devices many users dont bother with dedicated sound cards
the good news is a very good souncard like the Creative S/B Audigy SE 7.1 from http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Sound+Cards/Creative+S%2FB+Audigy+SE+7.1+OEM?productId=19790 can be bought for just £18.74 inc. VAT
this is a amazing card for its price and with some mazing specifications including............
audio quality of up to 24-bit / 96kHz, 100dB SNR clarity and 7.1 surround sound, EAX ADVANCED HD to reproduce the acoustic characteristics of gaming environments to give you that winning edge.
if you can afford to pay more for a soundcard then the Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer(http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Sound+Cards/Creative+X-Fi+Xtreme+Gamer?productId=26290)is a mega amazing soundcard
many of todays bands including keane and razor light use the soundblaster cards as the sound reproduction in second to none
the Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer is aimed towards the avid gamer however its a great addition to the p.c for the keen musician,and if you look at these specifications you will see why
Enclosure type ...Plug-in card
Features... 24-bit Crystalizer 3D MIDI, Creative Multi Speaker Surround... (CMSS) - 3D, EAX ADVANCED HD, SoundFont Bank technology, THX certified
Interfaces... CD-ROM, PCI slot
Maximum sample rate ...192 kHz
Response bandwidth ...10 - 88000 Hz
Signal processor ...Creative X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity
Signal to noise... 109 dB
Sound output mode ...7.1 channel surround
System requirements ....Microsoft Windows XP SP2
Warranty ...1 year RTB
Compatible slots... 1 x PCI
Package type... Retail
Compliant standards... ASIO 2.0, Digital Theater Systems (DTS), Dolby Digital EX, EAX ADVANCED HD, THX
Max speakers qty... 8
Min sample rate ...8 kHz
i have heard people who have used these soundcards and they say the sound is amazing
i hope this helps
good luck mate !