?This step will obviously not apply to people building computers for uses other than home recording. However, if you are building a home recording computer, ALWAYS CHOOSE THE SOUNDCARD FIRST!!! This is important for a number of reasons.

It's easy to work the computer around the soundcard. All you have to do is select different components. Since you haven't selected these components yet, it's not big deal to make sure you have X chipset when shopping.

It's much more difficult to find a different soundcard that has all the features you want / need that fits your computer.

Take some time on this. Visit the website of the manufacturer of the soundcard you intend to buy. Find any specific needs they may require. Sometimes there will be issues with certain styles of motherboard chipsets, firewire, etc.

Once you establish the exact needs of the soundcard, the rest is pretty straightforward.