StarTech 2-port PCI Express USB 3.0 Controller Review @ Elite Bastards

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Are you looking to add USB 3.0 support to your system without breaking the bank on a new motherboard? StarTech might have just the answer for your needs with their 2-port PCI Express USB 3.0 controller, using NEC's popular chip to provide a couple of ports for anyone with a spare PCI Express 1x slot.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first thing we can see if just how diminutive this controller card is, fitting into the length you'd expect of a PCI Express 2.0 1x card perfectly, with the board supporting both PCI Express 2.0 and 1.1 while also serving to act as a half-height card when equipped with the correct mounting bracket.

At the heart of this device is the same NEC chip seen on most of the motherboards which have added USB 3.0 support to their specification, with this chip supporting two devices as per the specification of the card itself.

Additional power is required via a single four-pin Molex connector attached to the rear of the card - This allows the device to provide juice to powered USB devices, to the tune of 900 mA per port.

Read the full review at Elite Bastards.