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StarTech.com 7 Port PCI USB Card Adapter - PCI to USB 2.0 Controller Adapter Card - Full Profile Expansion Card (PCIUSB7)

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 389 ratings
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Purchase options and add-ons

Brand StarTech.com
Hardware Interface PCI
Product Dimensions 4.8"L x 4.7"W x 0.8"H
Style PCI
Item Weight 0.08 Kilograms

About this item

  • 4 external USB 2.0 ports and 3 internal USB 2.0 port/headers
  • High Speed USB 2.0 compliant, with support for data transfer rates up to 480Mbps. Backwards compatible with USB1.1/1.0 devices
  • Up to 500mA of power per port
  • Compliant with USB EHCI revision 0.95 and UHCI 1.1 specifications
  • Compliant with PCI revision 2.2 specification

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A versatile solution

This PCI USB card adds seven USB 2.0 ports (1 internal USB A Female, 2 internal USB motherboard header, and 4 external USB A Female) to your PCI-capable PC.

The PCI USB 2.0 card is a versatile solution that lets you add USB 2.0 connections without having to upgrade the system motherboard.

Applications

Add 7 USB 2.0 Ports to your PC through a PCI slot

Add additional internal and external USB 2.0 ports to a desktop computer system

Add an internal USB 2.0 header for use with internal/front-bay mounted USB peripherals

Balance the number of available internal and external USB 2.0 ports on a computer system

StarTech.com Packaging

Look for StarTech Branded Packaging to ensure you are getting a genuine StarTech product.

What's in the Box

1 - PCI USB 2.0 Card.

1 - Driver CD.

1 - Instruction Manual.

Features

  • 4 external USB 2.0 ports and 3 internal USB 2.0 port/headers
  • High Speed USB 2.0 compliant, with support for data transfer rates up to 480Mbps
  • Backwards compatible with USB1.1/1.0 devices

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StarTech.com 7 Port PCI USB Card Adapter - PCI to USB 2.0 Controller Adapter Card - Full Profile Expansion Card (PCIUSB7)
StarTech.com 7 Port PCI USB Card Adapter - PCI to USB 2.0 Controller Adapter Card - Full Profile Expansion Card (PCIUSB7)
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Customer Ratings
Easy to install
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4.2
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3.9
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pci x 1, pci x 4, pci x 8, pci x 16, usb3.0 a, usb3.0 c
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StarTech.com 7 Port PCI USB Card Adapter - PCI to USB 2.0 Controller Adapter Card - Full Profile Expansion Card (PCIUSB7)

StarTech.com 7 Port PCI USB Card Adapter - PCI to USB 2.0 Controller Adapter Card - Full Profile Expansion Card (PCIUSB7)


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Product Description

Seven-Port PCI USB Card Adapter - More USB Ports for Your Computer This PCI USB card adds seven USB 2.0 ports (1 internal USB A Female, 2 internal USB motherboard header, and 4 external USB A Female) to your PCI-capable PC. 4 x 4-pin Type A Female USB 2.0 USB External. Internal/external ports: 1 - USB A (4-pin) female, 2 - IDC (10 pin, motherboard header) male/4 - USB A (4-pin) female. Form factor: Plug-in card. Maximum data transfer rate: 480 Mbps. Dimensions: 0.8"(H) x 4.7"(W) x 4.8"(L). Operating system: Windows 8/8.1/7/Vista/XP (32/64-bit), 2000, Windows Server 2012, Mac OS 10.2.x, Linux. Host interface: PCI. Up to 500 mA of power/port. Includes PCI USB 2.0 card, driver CD, instruction manual. Certification standards: CE, FCC, RoHS, Green compliant. Weight: 2.5 oz. Warranty: 2 years limited. Supports up to 127 USB devices (requires addition USB Hubs). Backwards compatible with USB1.1/1.0 devices. System and cable requirements: Unused PCI slot. Package contents: 1 x PCI USB 2.0 card, 1 - driver CD, 1 x instruction manual. Weight: 2.5 oz. Certification and standards: Green compliant, ROHS, CE, FCC. Warranty: Limited lifetime. Add extra ports to connect your mobile device or an external hard drive without upgrading your motherboard with the seven-port PCI USB card adapter. Compatible with your Windows or Linux operating system, the adapter features three internal and four external female USB slots, giving you plenty of ports for your file transfer needs. If you have additional hubs, the adapter can handle up to 127 devices.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
389 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the performance, ease of installation, and ports of the USB adapter. For example, they mention it works as expected, it's simple to install, and has two internal ports. That said, opinions are mixed on drivers, fit, and recognition.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

80 customers mention65 positive15 negative

Customers like the performance of the card. For example, they say it recognizes devices attached to the card reader, works well on their Windows 7 PC, and is easy to install. Some mention that it works consistently and that it's great for powering devices.

"...They worked seamlessly. I did not test transfer speeds, but I'll know soon enough if there has been negative impact to speed...." Read more

"The product works well and does what it claims - it adds a total of 7 USB 2.0 ports, including 4 external USB A ports, one internal USB A port, and..." Read more

"It’s a USB 2 card that fits into a legacy PCI slot. It works as expected, as it recognizes devices attached to the card reader I have connected via..." Read more

"...Pretty much plug and play. Immediately recognized by Windows XP SP3, plugged my wireless Logitech keyboard mouse combo in, they were recognized and..." Read more

46 customers mention46 positive0 negative

Customers find the installation of the card simple, with no effort required. They say the device works right out of the box and does what it's advertised to do.

"...True plug-and-play. No BIOS update required. No driver download required. No system hangs experienced. No BSODs experienced...." Read more

"...It’s easy to install and a good value, however do NOT mistake the slot for a x16 PCI Express slot as they are keyed differently and not physically..." Read more

"This is a straight forward little device that does what is advertised: provides additional USB ports...." Read more

"...Pretty much plug and play...." Read more

26 customers mention20 positive6 negative

Customers like the ports on the card. They say it adds 7 fully functioning USB ports to their new PC build, and is a great way to add more USB ports. The two internal ports are a plus, and the system recognizes them. It's a plug and play device that utilizes the traditional PCI ports, and works great to add extra USB cords for different cameras.

"...The rear ports also work as expected...." Read more

"...The 2 internal ports are a plus because one is a motherboard-style 9-pin header, a feature not found on all add-on cards, very handy if you have an..." Read more

"...forward little device that does what is advertised: provides additional USB ports...." Read more

"...short, the screw holes preventing proper seating, the external ports not lining up correctly, etc...." Read more

16 customers mention16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the value of the USB PCI adapter. They say it's a great adapter for the price and is easy to install.

"...It isn't perfect, but it works fairly well and the price is very reasonable." Read more

"...It’s easy to install and a good value, however do NOT mistake the slot for a x16 PCI Express slot as they are keyed differently and not physically..." Read more

"...Also, it was cheap and easy to install (I forget if I had to get drivers on or not on an XP machine)...." Read more

"...This is a great value for improving an older machine." Read more

7 customers mention7 positive0 negative

Customers are satisfied with the reliability of the card. They mention that it is a high-quality product with a solid electronic construction. Overall, most recommend it as a good and cheap way to upgrade your old PC to USB 2.0.

"...That suggests solid electronic construction...." Read more

"...Performance, reliability and speed are perfect...." Read more

"...All in all, it's a really good product, I have no problems.I HIGHLY recommend." Read more

"...It appears to be well made and it is easy to install." Read more

10 customers mention6 positive4 negative

Customers are mixed about the drivers. Some mention that there are no drivers needed, while others say that there is no driver for this OS.

"...True plug-and-play. No BIOS update required. No driver download required. No system hangs experienced. No BSODs experienced...." Read more

"...No amount of driver searching led to this board working. Included drivers stopped at XP...." Read more

"...Worked perfectly first time fired up. No driver installation required.Recommended." Read more

"The card came without any packing. It had no driver cd. Nothing. Just the card in a plastic bag, in a paper envelope...." Read more

9 customers mention3 positive6 negative

Customers are mixed about the fit of the card. Some mention it fits quickly, perfectly, and snugly, while others say that it wouldn't fit into their motherboard. Some customers also mention that the PCI cover plate didn't line up and that the card wouldn' t fit properly into the PCi socket.

"...the slot between the motherboard and the back of the case, the plate being too short, the screw holes preventing proper seating, the external ports..." Read more

"...Fits nicely in the chassis. Slight minor issue of the ports not sitting right so couldn't plug in my USB drive...." Read more

"...Specifically, the screw tab on the plate aren't quite dimensionally correct so the mounting screw slot doesn't match up with the screw hole in the..." Read more

"7 USB pci card works great but pci card metal bracket is to short for the ATX case" Read more

7 customers mention4 positive3 negative

Customers are mixed about the recognition of the card. Some mention that it works consistently and Windows recognizes the card and installs the proper drivers. However, others say that the machine wouldn't recognize the card, and that it doesn't work with Microsoft Windows 7 64 bit.

"...It works as expected, as it recognizes devices attached to the card reader I have connected via the internal header...." Read more

"...Still no card recognized...." Read more

"...Still the card worked consistently and Windows recognized the card and installed the proper drivers without the need for the enclosed disc...." Read more

"My XP machine wouldn't recognize the card: unable to use it." Read more

Zero issues, quick install, WinXP, PCI (not PCIe) socket, older motherboard.
5 Stars
Zero issues, quick install, WinXP, PCI (not PCIe) socket, older motherboard.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: I had zero problems/issues installing this card under Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3, into a circa-2007 (Intel DP965LT) motherboard. Plug it in and go. The card I installed matched the pictures in this listing, bore a PCIUSB7 product label and had a VIA VT6212L chipset mounted on it. It was shipped and sold by Amazon (not a third-party) and arrived in the retail packaging/box pictured.THE DETAILS (FOR THOSE SEEKING DETAILS):There are other comments here about the board not fitting properly into the PCI socket. I had three (white) PCI sockets on this motherboard and had NO PROBLEM snapping this board into one of them. It fit quickly, perfectly and snugly. I suspect those having problems fitting this board to the socket are incorrectly trying to cram it into a newer standard PCI-Express (PCIe) socket. This board is designed to fit into an old-school (just) PCI socket. Unfortunate nomenclature perhaps, but PCI sockets and PCI-Express sockets are entirely different and the standards & sockets are NOT compatible. This MAY also be why you see a poster here or there speaking of frying/cooking/smoking onboard-sound or motherboards or whatever, in that they may have forced this PCI device into a PCI-Express socket, not knowing any better.There are other comments here about the PCI cover plate not fitting right, the top screw slot not lining up, having to bend the tang to get it to fit into the slot between the motherboard and the back of the case, the plate being too short, the screw holes preventing proper seating, the external ports not lining up correctly, etc. I did NOT HAVE ANY OF THOSE PROBLEMS with the card I received. YMMV … or perhaps those are historical manufacturing imperfections that have long since been resolved. Or perhaps, again, it may be someone who has forced this PCI device into a PCI-Express socket.I did NOT install any USB devices onto the StarTech board until AFTER I assured the StarTech board was properly installed. I did NOT update … or need to update the BIOS. I disconnected my Internet, so that no drivers would download without my knowledge, so I could be sure that the drivers that ended up being used were 'native.' (They were.)I booted the system. It POSTed and loaded Windows without issue. Once Windows was running, it displayed the scissors-looking "new device" icon in the system tray. Windows did NOT execute the "New Hardware Wizard" nor did it indicate it was doing anything about the device at all. After about one minute, that system tray icon simply disappeared.Then I confirmed the board was installed. I followed the path ControlPanel/System/Hardware/DeviceManager. At the bottom of the Device Manager list, under the heading "Universal Serial Bus controllers" the board could be seen to be using native Windows drivers (not previously observed in Device Manager): two instances of "VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller" and one instance of "VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller." (I uploaded a picture so you can see what I mean.)THEN I plugged in two USB devices (to the two lower external ports). They worked seamlessly. I did not test transfer speeds, but I'll know soon enough if there has been negative impact to speed.True plug-and-play. No BIOS update required. No driver download required. No system hangs experienced. No BSODs experienced.There was a (mini) drivers CD included in the box. The CD content is also available as a .ZIP download at the StarTech support page for this device. I downloaded it and the .ZIP file contains a .DOC file titled "Driver Installation Guide, Revision 2.1, 2003-05-26." The Guide states that the drivers provided are for use with Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000. The Guide states that for Windows XP usage, Service Pack 1 is required, in order to obtain the required EHCI drivers. The Guide describes using the CD's XP Setup program that will 'install USB 2.0 host driver.' All that program really does is connect to the Windows Update website. That being moot, since the Windows Update server will no longer serve XP anyway. And, as described above, under XP Professional Service Pack 3, all the needed drivers are native. The Guide makes no reference to any Windows version above XP.This board claims to have seven USB ports. It DOES HAVE SEVEN PORTS. It has four external ports on the PCI faceplate … and three internal ports on the board. One of the internal ports is plainly an "ordinary" USB 2.0 female socket. But the board also has an internal 9-pin header that will accommodate TWO more USB devices. It only takes 4 pins to connect a USB 2.0 block plug. When you plug-in a 2x5 USB 2.0 block plug you are actually 'consuming' two 4-pin USB ports … even if the device does not appear to be using both of the ports.Some posters were confused about the 9-pin header. The 9th pin is simply there to make sure that a 2x5 block plug is oriented correctly; on the block plug the tenth 'hole' is sealed, so that means there is only one 'direction' in which the 2x5 block plug can be inserted down onto the 9-pin header. This is the only function the 9th pin serves. Again, it only takes 4 pins to connect-up a USB 2.0 device.Some posters reported troubles using the internal ports and/or the top external port. The way this board is 'organized' is that the four external ports are 'regular' USB ports. However, the top external port is being used as the 'provider' for a 4-port USB 2.0 hub … a hub upon which the three internal ports are mounted. Said another way, the three lower external USB ports each behave logically as an individual/dedicated port … but the top external port and the three internal ports are 'logically sharing' a single port. The "VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller" driver acts as a 'traffic cop,' prioritizing access among the four inputs to the hub's one shared port. This is why there are two instances of the "VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller" driver. One is driving the four external ports … then the other is driving the four ports on the hub.Said another way, data flowing through a port on the hub has to pass through three drivers, data flowing through one of the three bottom three external ports only has to pass through one driver.Accordingly, try not to have multiple 'data-intensive' devices sharing the ports on the hub, given they are actually/logically sharing a single port. And keep in mind that some devices just 'don't play nice' when being 'strung through a hub,' as they require a constant/direct connection to a port in order to perform correctly. This hub phenomenon MAY also explain why certain posters are complaining about reduced throughput speeds … in that they MIGHT be using a port on the hub while another port on the hub is also attempting some kind of throughput.Note this board appears to have one capacitor-per-port. That suggests solid electronic construction. I looked at photographs of other boards designed to do the same thing; many of them only had one capacitor, period. And this board has decent support/information at its manufacturer's website. That wasn't true of most of the other boards I looked at; the products seemed to be abandoned, missing a/o forgotten at their websites, with what's still selling likely to be just the last of new-old-stock floating around.CONCLUSION: A perfect board for easily adding USB 2.0 ports to your motherboard. IF you abide by the facts that (1) this board is only for (just) PCI sockets, (2) this board is primarily designed for older versions of Windows and (3) judicious/intelligent use of the ports that are involved in the hub is required. That is why this board has 100% 5-star reviews … among those reviews dated prior to newer versions of Windows and dated before wide-spread abandonment of (just) PCI socketry.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2020
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5.0 out of 5 stars Zero issues, quick install, WinXP, PCI (not PCIe) socket, older motherboard.
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: I had zero problems/issues installing this card under Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3, into a circa-2007 (Intel DP965LT) motherboard. Plug it in and go. The card I installed matched the pictures in this listing, bore a PCIUSB7 product label and had a VIA VT6212L chipset mounted on it. It was shipped and sold by Amazon (not a third-party) and arrived in the retail packaging/box pictured.

THE DETAILS (FOR THOSE SEEKING DETAILS):

There are other comments here about the board not fitting properly into the PCI socket. I had three (white) PCI sockets on this motherboard and had NO PROBLEM snapping this board into one of them. It fit quickly, perfectly and snugly. I suspect those having problems fitting this board to the socket are incorrectly trying to cram it into a newer standard PCI-Express (PCIe) socket. This board is designed to fit into an old-school (just) PCI socket. Unfortunate nomenclature perhaps, but PCI sockets and PCI-Express sockets are entirely different and the standards & sockets are NOT compatible. This MAY also be why you see a poster here or there speaking of frying/cooking/smoking onboard-sound or motherboards or whatever, in that they may have forced this PCI device into a PCI-Express socket, not knowing any better.

There are other comments here about the PCI cover plate not fitting right, the top screw slot not lining up, having to bend the tang to get it to fit into the slot between the motherboard and the back of the case, the plate being too short, the screw holes preventing proper seating, the external ports not lining up correctly, etc. I did NOT HAVE ANY OF THOSE PROBLEMS with the card I received. YMMV … or perhaps those are historical manufacturing imperfections that have long since been resolved. Or perhaps, again, it may be someone who has forced this PCI device into a PCI-Express socket.

I did NOT install any USB devices onto the StarTech board until AFTER I assured the StarTech board was properly installed. I did NOT update … or need to update the BIOS. I disconnected my Internet, so that no drivers would download without my knowledge, so I could be sure that the drivers that ended up being used were 'native.' (They were.)

I booted the system. It POSTed and loaded Windows without issue. Once Windows was running, it displayed the scissors-looking "new device" icon in the system tray. Windows did NOT execute the "New Hardware Wizard" nor did it indicate it was doing anything about the device at all. After about one minute, that system tray icon simply disappeared.

Then I confirmed the board was installed. I followed the path ControlPanel/System/Hardware/DeviceManager. At the bottom of the Device Manager list, under the heading "Universal Serial Bus controllers" the board could be seen to be using native Windows drivers (not previously observed in Device Manager): two instances of "VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller" and one instance of "VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller." (I uploaded a picture so you can see what I mean.)

THEN I plugged in two USB devices (to the two lower external ports). They worked seamlessly. I did not test transfer speeds, but I'll know soon enough if there has been negative impact to speed.

True plug-and-play. No BIOS update required. No driver download required. No system hangs experienced. No BSODs experienced.

There was a (mini) drivers CD included in the box. The CD content is also available as a .ZIP download at the StarTech support page for this device. I downloaded it and the .ZIP file contains a .DOC file titled "Driver Installation Guide, Revision 2.1, 2003-05-26." The Guide states that the drivers provided are for use with Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000. The Guide states that for Windows XP usage, Service Pack 1 is required, in order to obtain the required EHCI drivers. The Guide describes using the CD's XP Setup program that will 'install USB 2.0 host driver.' All that program really does is connect to the Windows Update website. That being moot, since the Windows Update server will no longer serve XP anyway. And, as described above, under XP Professional Service Pack 3, all the needed drivers are native. The Guide makes no reference to any Windows version above XP.

This board claims to have seven USB ports. It DOES HAVE SEVEN PORTS. It has four external ports on the PCI faceplate … and three internal ports on the board. One of the internal ports is plainly an "ordinary" USB 2.0 female socket. But the board also has an internal 9-pin header that will accommodate TWO more USB devices. It only takes 4 pins to connect a USB 2.0 block plug. When you plug-in a 2x5 USB 2.0 block plug you are actually 'consuming' two 4-pin USB ports … even if the device does not appear to be using both of the ports.

Some posters were confused about the 9-pin header. The 9th pin is simply there to make sure that a 2x5 block plug is oriented correctly; on the block plug the tenth 'hole' is sealed, so that means there is only one 'direction' in which the 2x5 block plug can be inserted down onto the 9-pin header. This is the only function the 9th pin serves. Again, it only takes 4 pins to connect-up a USB 2.0 device.

Some posters reported troubles using the internal ports and/or the top external port. The way this board is 'organized' is that the four external ports are 'regular' USB ports. However, the top external port is being used as the 'provider' for a 4-port USB 2.0 hub … a hub upon which the three internal ports are mounted. Said another way, the three lower external USB ports each behave logically as an individual/dedicated port … but the top external port and the three internal ports are 'logically sharing' a single port. The "VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller" driver acts as a 'traffic cop,' prioritizing access among the four inputs to the hub's one shared port. This is why there are two instances of the "VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller" driver. One is driving the four external ports … then the other is driving the four ports on the hub.

Said another way, data flowing through a port on the hub has to pass through three drivers, data flowing through one of the three bottom three external ports only has to pass through one driver.

Accordingly, try not to have multiple 'data-intensive' devices sharing the ports on the hub, given they are actually/logically sharing a single port. And keep in mind that some devices just 'don't play nice' when being 'strung through a hub,' as they require a constant/direct connection to a port in order to perform correctly. This hub phenomenon MAY also explain why certain posters are complaining about reduced throughput speeds … in that they MIGHT be using a port on the hub while another port on the hub is also attempting some kind of throughput.

Note this board appears to have one capacitor-per-port. That suggests solid electronic construction. I looked at photographs of other boards designed to do the same thing; many of them only had one capacitor, period. And this board has decent support/information at its manufacturer's website. That wasn't true of most of the other boards I looked at; the products seemed to be abandoned, missing a/o forgotten at their websites, with what's still selling likely to be just the last of new-old-stock floating around.

CONCLUSION: A perfect board for easily adding USB 2.0 ports to your motherboard. IF you abide by the facts that (1) this board is only for (just) PCI sockets, (2) this board is primarily designed for older versions of Windows and (3) judicious/intelligent use of the ports that are involved in the hub is required. That is why this board has 100% 5-star reviews … among those reviews dated prior to newer versions of Windows and dated before wide-spread abandonment of (just) PCI socketry.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2020
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Top reviews from other countries

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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Aspettative rispettate
Reviewed in Italy on February 13, 2023
John Fliczuk
5.0 out of 5 stars Works with XP
Reviewed in Canada on September 10, 2020
Yered León
5.0 out of 5 stars No lo pide probar
Reviewed in Mexico on October 31, 2019
Ikherbane
5.0 out of 5 stars conforme en terme de fonction et de qualité
Reviewed in France on April 1, 2017
Josè
5.0 out of 5 stars Tarjeta PCI super funcional
Reviewed in Spain on January 19, 2014