New row when limit on row reached with mysqli while php -

so have little row setup mysqli echoing system can paste out information want in little boxes have in row. want 4 columns , should filled (if they're not, filled other boxes). now, when limit reached, want new row started on. in theory should easy.. can't figure out.

can you?

                $sql = mysqli_query($con, "select * as_sound left join as_account on as_account.id = as_sound.poster_id ");                         $counter = 0;                         $max = 4;                          echo "<div class='row'>";                              if(mysqli_num_rows($sql) > 0){                                 while (($row = mysqli_fetch_assoc($sql)) , ($counter < $max)){                                      echo " <div class='column'>                                                 <div class='item'>                                                     <a class='item-link' href='#'><img src='images/test.jpg' alt='header-image' width='346' ></a>                                                     <p class='sound-title'><a class='item-link' href='#'>" . $row['name'] ."</p></a>                                                     <table style='width:100%'>                                                     <td><a class='item-link' href='#'><p class='sound-desc'>" . $row['short_desc'] ."</p></a></td>                                                     <td><a class='item-link' href='#'><div class='item-avatar'><img src='" . $row['avatarimg'] . "' alt='avatar'></a></div>                                                     </table>                                                     <div class='price'>$" . $row['price'] . "</div>                                                 </div>                                             </div>";                                               $counter++; }}                      echo "</div>"; 

keep track of how many things you've output:

$col = 1;  while(...) {    $col++;    if ($col > $col_limit) {       ... end previous column       ... start new column       $col = 0;    }    ... output column }