Low Recording Volume

Hello,
Currently I have tried out 2 mics (albeit, low end ones) which when used on my pc to record have EXTREMELY low volume. I would try a third, higher quality mic, but if it isn't the mics that are the problem, I'm wasting £30 :/

I use Realtek Hd Audio which has it's own manager, and it is not the one with the hidden mic output option.
The only way for me to actually record my own voice at a barely listenable level is to go for the +20db option, although that results in slightly increased volume, but more static noise than anything else. I would assume that I shouldn't need to add 20db to my mic volume when recording to be heard at a normal level?

Basically I'm wondering if there is a solution for this without just adding more and more decibels which means more noise in the background.

So the things I HAVE tried are:
-Updating drivers
-Increasing volume slider on mic input
-Increasing +db slider (does help a bit, but not massively, also the white noise in background counteracts this anyway)
-Changing mics
-Using front & back pink mic jacks
-Unticking and ticking all the optional effects in turn (e.g. noise cancellation, dc output balance, immediate mode)


And none of these seem to show anything more than a marginal improvement. I don't understand why my mic doesn't show much of an input (even on the bar next to it in my input devices menu... not unless I blow hard into it or scream into it)

Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this?

Thanks

Dan