usb soundcard or internal?

My front audio ports are playing up on my case.
I also want to upgrade from onboard sound (Realtek ALC898)

I was thinking, instead of getting an internal soundcard and a front panel auido bay.
I could kill 2 birds buy buying a usb soundcard.
Had a look at the asus xonar U7 but the bad reviews about them breaking are putting me off.

So are the external soundcards worth or is it better to go internal?
Main uses are gaming, movies and some music.
Headphones are Sennheiser PC360se
(would love to get the gsx1000 but way out of my price range )

If virtual surround is important then a sound card, internal or external, is essential.

If not, then a Schiit Fulla 2 will sound better than anything else you can buy around the £100 mark, although you would still need to plug your mic into the motherboard.

Thx rids.
I forgot to say that I wanted surround sound.

Are the recent usb Soundcards as good as the internal ones?

Creative X-Fi HD might be worth considering, as the U7, whilst very good when it works, is not much use if it breaks outside of warranty.

I must admit I have had my u7 for nearly 2 years and I run all inputs on it and it's never let me down once but I might just be lucky