If this one has been answered before I sure can't find it.

Ok, I know that my computer speakers have to be "powered" because there isn't any power in my sound card to drive them.
Soooo...
if I wanted to run sound from my computer (without using my Xbox) directly to my stereo speakers would I need an amp of some sort?
Also, are there better sound cards for this purpose? i.e. more than a single output? And how does that single output affect my sound? Are the connections different? Specifically, I am trying to figure out what to run to L&R inputs (use a splitter?). And what's with all the muppets?
I apologize for rambling a bit, so I threw in that last one so that I would be guaranteed responses that would make me look less incoherent.