USB 3.0 PCI e cards-revision

[Rocketman122]

im trying to find the cheapest usb 3.0 pci express for a single usb 3.0 port to be added to the back.

Im looking on ebay and all have this $7 card that look the same.
I come to look at the specs and they all have a pcie x1 which is only 2.5mbps. usb 3.0 can run up to 5. and if I use both ports that splitting it between them.

can someone recommend a very fast pcie USB 3.0 card that wont break my pocket? It has to be from ebay since newegg doesnt ship intl and amazon is problematic with some things.

any pcie x2 or x4 cards?

 

[Insert_Nickname]

I come to look at the specs and they all have a pcie x1 which is only 2.5mbps. usb 3.0 can run up to 5. and if I use both ports that splitting it between them.

They properly mean PCIe 2.0 x1, which translates as 500MB/s. More then enough for USB3. As with regular USB1.1/2 all ports share the same bandwidth.

I haven't seen any PCIe 1.0 x1 USB3 cards. Because all USB3 chipsets are PCIe 2.0 compatible. There are very few PCI USB3 cards available, but those use bridge chips from PCIe to PCI.

The thing to look for is what chipset the card is using. I've had best success/compatibility with NEC/Renesas chipsets. ASMedia is okay'ish with the newest drivers.

If you want to go completely overboard, Highpoint has a PCIe 2.0 x4 card, but its expensive and not really needed on regular desktop systems.

http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series_RocketU1144C.htm

 

[Gunbuster]

You'll have to spend more than $7...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815158362

 

[Rocketman122]

They properly mean PCIe 2.0 x1, which translates as 500MB/s. More then enough for USB3. As with regular USB1.1/2 all ports share the same bandwidth.

I haven't seen any PCIe 1.0 x1 USB3 cards. Because all USB3 chipsets are PCIe 2.0 compatible. There are very few PCI USB3 cards available, but those use bridge chips from PCIe to PCI.

The thing to look for is what chipset the card is using. I've had best success/compatibility with NEC/Renesas chipsets. ASMedia is okay'ish with the newest drivers.

If you want to go completely overboard, Highpoint has a PCIe 2.0 x4 card, but its expensive and not really needed on regular desktop systems.

http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series_RocketU1144C.htm

that card looks heavy duty!

maybe will get just a regular transcend and be done with it?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...anscend%20card

or this one? it says nec/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORICO-PCI-E...rnal_Port_Expansion_Cards&hash=item233142fbec

not looking for the fastest speeds but want to feel a difference between USB 2 and 3

You'll have to spend more than $7...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815158362

yea, just a few bucks more..hahaha!

 

[Insert_Nickname]

that card looks heavy duty!

maybe will get just a regular transcend and be done with it?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...anscend%20card

or this one? it says nec/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORICO-PCI-E...rnal_Port_Expansion_Cards&hash=item233142fbec

Either is good enough. There is very little difference between USB3 cards anyway. Mostly its the name and what kind of bundle is offered. If you don't need the extras in the box, I'd just go with the cheapest one.

Don't forget to use the latest drivers, here is a link to the latest NEC/Renesas and here to ASMedia.

not looking for the fastest speeds but want to feel a difference between USB 2 and 3

Depending on what you use, don't expect miracles. External HDDs top out somewhere around 100MB/s sequential read/write, slower for 5400RPM drives. Even slower if you transfer large numbers of smaller files. Random read/writes kill performance. Some of the better USB3 dongles can do around 150MB/s reading. For maximum performance an external SSD is required, they can easily saturate USB3. Expect 300-350MB/s with one. ~400MB/s has been reported with UASP.

 

[phryguy]

Either is good enough. There is very little difference between USB3 cards anyway. Mostly its the name and what kind of bundle is offered. If you don't need the extras in the box, I'd just go with the cheapest one.

Really? Someone on another forum mentioned the Fresco Logic FL1100 chip used by the (new black) Mac Pro.

So, someone found at http://www.amazon.com/Compatible-Win...DateDescending. 22% of them are 1-star, including some cases of hardware being fried.

I am in the market myself for a good PCI or PCIe USB 3.0 card.

I also recall seeing some complaints on Newegg about port fit issues on some USB 3.0 cards w/4 stacked ports.

Examples for http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158354&ignorebbr=1...

From a 2-star review:

Pros: I liked the availability of 4 USB 3.0 ports, and their orientation, as well as the 15-pin SATA power connector

Cons: The card does not fit properly in a standard backplane slot. The connectors are unusable unless the divider between the backplane slots is cut to fit. Two computers with this device installed failed to boot when the 15-pin power connector was plugged in, as if the machine detected a short to ground. without the 15-pin connector installed, both machine powered up and recognized the card. Returned for refund

From a 1-star review:

Already dead... don't buy.

Pros: See below.

Cons: Bought this in on October 8, 2013 (Dec.1 2013 as I write this). Seemed to work okay sometimes with Win 7 x64, worse in WinXp x32. Sometimes things would be recognized, often times not. If they were, they were not recognized as USB 3.0 (I have a few things that are the new spec.). Now the thing is dead. Things plugged in get power but not recognized by system. So, at this point it's junk. BTW; I tried un-installing, re-installing the thing as well as running the latest drivers - nada.

Other Thoughts: As others have mentioned, if there is a ridge or rim around the opening for the slot where this card plugs in (usually the first slot on the MB) you won't be able to plug USB connectors in all the way. I found that with a small X-Acto knife you can cut the edge of the plastic back enough so that the connector plugs in all the way. Easier than modifying the computer chassis.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Really? Someone on another forum mentioned the Fresco Logic FL1100 chip used by the (new black) Mac Pro.

So, someone found at http://www.amazon.com/Compatible-Win...DateDescending. 22% of them are 1-star, including some cases of hardware being fried.

I am in the market myself for a good PCI or PCIe USB 3.0 card.

I also recall seeing some complaints on Newegg about port fit issues on some USB 3.0 cards w/4 stacked ports.

Mostly that kind of reviews are down to user error, cheap cases with loose tolerances, bad PSU's (connectors), bad cables/connectors or using old drivers... :whiste:

(Such reviews should be taken with a grain of salt)

And before you ask, I've had my share of problems with USB3. 98% of which where driver issues that have been ironed out in subsequent releases. That's why its important to use the latest drivers, or Windows 8(.1)'s generic USB3 driver...