5.1 vs 2.0

[suprropmp]

Well this may be a n00b question but here it goes. Will mp3s (or cds for that matter) play in 5.1 surround sound or 2.0 when played from a comp?

if they will play only in 2.0 then getting the 5.1 speakers would be sorta overkill

 

[Mister X]

Will mp3s (or cds for that matter) play in 5.1 surround sound

No.
Many sound cards an even Windows have mechanisms to turn a stereo source into a multi channel format but it will not be "surround sound."

 

[NightRaven]

You can have it reproduce the signal on multiple channels. Some sound cards also have surround emulation features that will apply some effects to 2 channel input to produce 5 channel output, but it won't be true surround audio.