Review on StarTech.com 3 Port PCI Express USB 3.0 Card + Gigabit Ethernet: Enhanced 🖥️ Connectivity for Standard & Low-Profile PCs - UASP Support, Optional SATA Power - PEXUSB3S3GE by Reggie Stewart

This is a really excellent card. I replaced the Intel Gigabit CT desktop adapter card, which only provided an RJ-45 port, with StarTech because I needed powered USB 3.0 ports to get the new monitor and accompanying soundbar working. The card is powered by a SATA cable. It powers the card, which in turn powers the USB 3.0 ports at up to 900mA per port. I connected my monitor to one of the USB 3.0 ports with an upstream cable to power all the USB ports on the monitor. The soundbar connects to one of the monitor's USB 3.0 ports. The HDMI connection from my graphics card to the monitor provides both sound and picture. The soundbar is my default audio device and works great with this setup. I also bought a Western Digital 1TB external USB 3.0 drive which I also plug into the StarTech card and it works great. Having both fully powered USB 3.0 ports and an RJ-45 port for Ethernet on the same board is certainly convenient. My computer, Dell Dimension E510, is running Windows 7 Home Premium, so the drivers were not automatically installed via the plug-in. and game. I haven't messed with the drivers that came with the card. Instead I downloaded the latest drivers from the StarTech website. First I installed the USB 3.0 driver and then the Ethernet driver. After installing the drivers everything worked. No reboot required. The only limitation concerns the orientation of the USB 3.0 ports. When the card is installed, the USB connectors are oriented vertically. As a result, the USB connectors cannot be fully inserted into the ports as they rest against the metal frame surrounding the PCI card bracket. Everything is working well. It's just something to know. If the ports were aligned horizontally, that wouldn't be a problem, but then there would probably be no more space for three USB ports.