adding USB ports, PCI vs Hub

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ken Verdrom
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K

Ken Verdrom

Hi,

I am wondering :

* what is best ? : adding USB ports by using an external hub or by adding a
PCI card with additional USB ports.
* Will USB ports on an additional PCI card have the same speed and behavior
as the ones that come directly from the motherboard ?

Thanks,

Ken
 
Hi,

I am wondering :

* what is best ? : adding USB ports by using an external hub or by adding a
PCI card with additional USB ports.
Click to expand...

Depends what you have now, and if you can spare a PCI slot.
* Will USB ports on an additional PCI card have the same speed and behavior
as the ones that come directly from the motherboard ?
Click to expand...

The new card will have the speed of the chipset on it, regrardless of
the speed of the motherboard USB.
 
Ken said:
Hi,

I am wondering :

* what is best ? : adding USB ports by using an external hub or by adding a
PCI card with additional USB ports.
Click to expand...

Isn't a USB hub just a splitter for a single port, so the bandwidth of
that port is divided by the number of devices on it (or worse, reduced
to usb1.1 if even one attached device is usb1.1)? I'd go with a usb2.0
pci card.
* Will USB ports on an additional PCI card have the same speed and behavior
as the ones that come directly from the motherboard ?
Click to expand...

That really depends on what version usb ports are on your motherboard!
If they're the same version, the speed should be equivalent.
 
Ken Verdrom said:
Hi,

I am wondering :

* what is best ? : adding USB ports by using an external hub or by adding a
PCI card with additional USB ports.
* Will USB ports on an additional PCI card have the same speed and behavior
as the ones that come directly from the motherboard ?

Thanks,

Ken
Click to expand...
Have you checked to see if you have a front USB header on the motherboard?
Most do so could add two ports at the front - using something like the Easy
USB 5 1/4 bay adaptor from Antec if your case does not have front sockets.
Cheaper than a PCI card or hub.
 
Hi,

I am wondering :

* what is best ? : adding USB ports by using an external hub or by adding a
PCI card with additional USB ports.
Click to expand...

Depends on what you want. If the objective is to get a bit more power
output from the ports or to get better port access, a powered USB hub
might be a better choice.

If the objective is to get access to faster ports (ie. your system has
only USB 1.1 ports, but you need USB 2.0 ports) the PCI card is a
better choice. I guess that's the answer to your second question...
* Will USB ports on an additional PCI card have the same speed and behavior
as the ones that come directly from the motherboard ?
Click to expand...

Depends on the card. The controller on the expansion card is separate
from what's on the system. One won't affect the other. If your
system is USB 1.1, and you add in a USB 2.0 controller card, the ports
coming off the new card are going to be USB 2.0. The old ones are
still 1.1. Likewise, if you have a system with USB 2.0 ports, and go
with an expansion card with a USB 1.1 controller, the ports off the
new card will obviously be 1.1, and your original ports will still be
2.0.

Re-reading that, I probably could have made that clearer...
 
I have found some devices will not run on a USB Hub...The biggest
culprit has been my usb thumb drive..
 
Another thought:

My MB has USB 1.1 ports, some to the front of the case.

I added a PCI card that gave me USB 2.0 -and- Firewire for a new
external HD.

I also changed the front of case ports to 2.0 from the new card.
 
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