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770 Review
51 Karma

Review on πŸ”Œ PCI-E x1 to Dual Port 19-Pin USB 3.0 Header Adapter Card with Dual 20-Pin USB 3.0 Connectors by Jorge Kumar

Revainrating 1 out of 5

Effective but took some time to get started

I have an overclocked 1st gen i7 processor but the motherboard I'm using is so old it doesn't have USB 3.0 ports. I recently upgraded to a new case and her absence has become an issue. I bought this PCIE card to add the appropriate connectors to my motherboard. I needed two headers. Many of the options available offer USB ports and a port. I specifically needed two because that supports the body. This card was my choice. It has two USB 3.0 ports and that's it, but it's what I needed. Unfortunately I got a mixed bag. It was packaged in a standard box in an anti-static bag with a mini floppy disk containing a range of drivers for various products and an alternative flat metal slot cover, presumably for use in small cases. Oddly enough, reading other reviews suggests that the inclusion of a CD and alternate slot cover is somewhat coincidental. Maybe they don't always forget to put them in the box. Installing the card on my motherboard was a problem. I read in another Revain review that the card is not always recognized correctly. Windows didn't recognize it the first time I turned on the computer, the second or third time. I've finally done what you should never do...installed it while the computer was on. Yes. call me an idiot But it worked and I haven't had any problems since. I wouldn't recommend this and honestly the fact that this was the only way to tell is definitely a huge blow to this product. Installing the driver was also a bit of a headache. There was no specific information on the card on the box, so trying to install the drivers for it I found myself using the included CD to figure out which of the dozens of included drivers was the correct one. Since I'm still using Windows 7 on my computer, it didn't update automatically. Luckily, searching through the Revain product list gave me the answer I needed, but without it it would have taken a lot of trial and error. If you need to install from disk, run the Setup.bat file, select PCI-E USB 3.0 Drivers, then NEC 720201/720202. Conclusion: I cannot say that I recommend this card. I bought it because it needed two USB 3.0 ports and the price was right. It works, but it took a lot more work than it should have to get it there. Given the shortcomings, I can't say I recommend it.

Pros
  • Very impressive
Cons
  • Boring packaging