STARTECH PCIUSB3S4 4-Port PCI USB 3.0 Expansion Card

Add Four USB 3.0 Ports via PCI Slot

This StarTech.com PCIUSB3S4 card adds four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Type-A ports to a desktop computer through a standard PCI expansion slot. It includes both a full-height and a low-profile bracket for installation in standard or small form factor chassis. The adapter draws supplementary power from an internal SATA 15-pin or SP4 4-pin connector to support bus-powered USB 3.0 devices such as external hard drives. Driver support covers Windows XP through Windows 10 and Windows Server 2003 through 2016.

Suits Legacy Desktops Needing USB 3.0

The card is aimed at owners of older PCs that lack native USB 3.0 but have a free PCI slot, including models like the Dell OptiPlex 7010 or HP Compaq dc7800. It provides a practical upgrade path for connecting modern USB 3.0 peripherals to those systems. Builders whose motherboards only offer PCI Express slots cannot use this adapter because it requires a conventional 32-bit PCI interface. Users needing internal USB 3.0 headers or more than four external ports should consider a different solution.

PCI Bus Limits Transfer Rate to 1.3 Gbps

The single specification that determines suitability is the maximum data transfer rate of 1.3 Gbps imposed by the PCI bus itself. This ceiling is well below the 5 Gbps theoretical speed of USB 3.0, so connected devices will operate at reduced throughput. If your workload demands full USB 3.0 bandwidth, a PCI Express based controller is required instead.