Considerably better than on-board Realtek. Fairly light-weight drivers and software. Easy to configure surround (for speaker setups). Virtual surround for headphones (a gimmick mostly, but it's there for those need that placebo-surround). Decent built in hardware EQ. Connector for front panel audio. Headphones output is reasonably powerful, and can handle low sensitivity / high Ohm headphones.

This would a no-brainer at 2/3 the price, and as it stands, it's a bit too expensive for its quality. Software interface is extremely dated. Not as good sounding as an external standalone DAC in the same price range by any reputable company (Schiit, etc).

This is a good option for gaming, with its solid EAX and surround support. The sound quality is reasonably good, and a big step up from motherboard Realtek audio. It holds its own for music playback too.