You will also need a 5.1 sound card to take full advantage of the speaker system, since most laptops have only stereo output. Look for Logitech z5500. It has onboard DTS and Dolby Digital decoders and is THX certified. Since you are a newbie here, take your time to read the surround amplifier and Home Theater threads. After a few weeks, you will definitely change your perception about sound systems and you will be wanting more and ready to shell out that extra money.