this card is really good if all you do is stereo gaming. (2.1 speakers or headphones/headset) I only use the stereo card. huge jump from motherboard on-board audio quality. The software by evga is simple and not bloated, or gimmicky.
The loud click at start up is normal, and every high end audio equipment with op-amps for speakers does the same thing. (my pioneer receiver makes a loud click upon startup.) if all you do is use headphones, you can just disable the amp for the speakers in the Evga software, so there will be no more clicking at computer start up.