5 Port USB PCI Card

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Category: Pc Hardware

Published on Saturday, 01 July 2017 06:21

Written by Ben

Hits: 9228

Need more USB ports?

This is a great solution for those who just have and use a lot of devices that connect to the PC with USB ports and still have a good old PCI slot on their motherboard.

Usually motherboard manufacturers supply their motherboards with plenty of USB ports to begin with and they are more than enough for the average end user. Typically, an average user would connect a mouse, a keyboard, an all in one printer (which is also a scanner, a copier and a fax), a smartphone and maybe a gaming controller – that’s it. And if you replace the separated keyboard and mouse USB dongles with a single USB dongle that connects to both – you have saved another USB slot.

But some end users are not average users, they use a high number of hardware that inevitably connects to the pc via USB. For that we either use a USB docking station (which in this case is way more comfortable in terms of installation) or use a more traditional cheaper solution that comes in the form of a PCI USB card.

The pros of this product are obvious – it is cheap, in fact is it much cheaper relatively to the generic USB docking stations that are sold out there and that usually they come with more USB slots. Another advantage is that this device is much more stable and reliable than a USB docking station of a USB splitter – it’s connected INSIDE the computer case itself, screwed firmly to the case and installed well secured by the power of friction to the PCI slot.

The cons of this product are the method of installation and the fact that it is more expensive than just buying a simple USB splitter. In order to install this device, the computer’s power has to be turned off and the case needs to be opened afterwards. Dust cleanup would probably a part of the process and therefore makes it a bit messy. And if the hardware for some reason is not compatible with the Operating system that you are running on your computer or the motherboard and there is no other alternative than not to use this device – the installation process has to be reversed and unless your PC case sits on a table, it means crouching down and powering down again….

Software and driver installation are fairly easy and quick, usually Windows recognizes the software automatically from a certain version and if you lose the driver installation disk – it’s not a big deal to find it online considering the chip is generic.

Solution wise this device is very comfortable and long lasting. Personally, I like when my USB ports are well secured to the case itself rather than being on a desk. It’s a perfect product for those who want to connect their permanent USB devices and peripherals, however, it is not a comfortable solution for those who need a quick plug and play terminal for devices like portable HDDs, USB memory sticks etc.

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