Everybody loves music. Whether it's country or screamo or classical, music seems to resonate with us on a primeval, subconscious level. Small wonder, then, that one of the most widely-used and essential components of PC software are the audio drivers that come standard on a PC operating system. Realtek HD Audio Drivers for Windows XP are no exception.

Like all drivers, the Realtek HD Audio Drivers for Windows XP are a type of lightweight program that communicates between a computer's operating system and some particular piece of hardware. In this case, these drivers facilitate communication between Windows XP and a computer's speakers, allowing the user to listen to their audio of choice in high definition.

There are a couple of different methods available when you want to access and manage your Realtek HD Audio drivers. You can go by way of the Windows control panel icon, via the Start menu (Start--->Control Panel) or by clicking "Properties" on the contextual menu shown after you right-click your desktop. Either way, all roads lead to the System icon and the hardware properties window. From here, the drivers can be accessed via the Windows Device Manager. Once accessed, the drivers can be modified, deleted, re-installed, and so on.

As popular as these drivers are, they do have drawbacks as well as high points. You can find a summary of each below.

Pros:

Simply put, the Realtek HD Audio Drivers for XP do one thing very well: They deliver crisp, clear, high-definiiton audio through your computer's speaker setup.

Cons:

The fact is, no matter how great these drivers are, they're a part of an OS which, though it has many diehard fans, is swiftly fading into antiquity. If you want to use these drivers, you'll need to be running Windows XP, and that means the risk of getting left behind by developers and the Windows community at large. Additionally, these drivers can be somewhat "clunky" in terms of user experience. In any case, you now have all the information you need to make an informed decision.