Best RAID Controllers
Capacity: 4-port |. Style: 4-port Marvell 88SE9215. Compliant with PCI-Express Specification v2.0 and backwards compatible with PCIex1. Supports Communication Speeds of 6.0 Gbps, 3.0 Gbps, and 1.5 Gbps.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While the SATA ports on the card is capable of SATA III (6 Gb/s or 750 MB/s, where Gb = Gigabit and MB = Megabyte, and 1 Gb = 125 MB), the maximum speed of this card is limited by the 1 lane of PCIe slot, which depends on the version of PCI Express on your motherboard. In the SATA III ports, the max R/W speeds are 504/457 MB/s, as measured by CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1. In the SATA II ports, the max R/W speeds are 275/262 MB/s. The max R/W speeds are 385/286 MB/s. So, the PEX-40064 is capable of delivering a higher speed than SATA II, but far from SATA III (read on if you have PCI Express 1.1). I ran the same tests on an older motherboard -- Gigabyte P35-DS4, which has only SATA II ports and supports PCIe Express 1.1. In the SATA II ports, the max R/W speeds are 260/254 MB/s, similar to those in the SATA II ports of the newer ASUS board. I then plugged the SSD into the PEX-40064, and put it into the PCIe x1 slot of the older P35-DS4 board: The max R/W speeds are 202/168 MB/s. Indeed, the PCI Express 1.1 slots are slower than the PCI Express 2.0 slots and the SATA II ports. -If you have a motherboard that has SATA II ports (but no SATA III ports), and you have PCI Express 2.0 slots, then you can use the PEX-40064 card to get a faster speed (if your SSD can achieve it) but you will not get close to SATA III speeds (even if the SSD is capable to achieve it). -If you have a motherboard that has SATA II ports but no SATA III ports, and you have PCI Express 1.1 slots, then you are better off using the SATA II ports than the PEX-40064 card. SECOND AFTER THOUGHT: It is possible to achieve close to SATA III speeds in a motherboard with PCI Express 2.0 slots with more than 2 data lanes (e.g. x4, x8, or x16) with the PEX-40054 card instead of the PEX-40064 card."
"The bad news is there are many variations of the PCI-E interface and this card based on the Marvel 88SE9215 which is only an X1 device. That means that you will only get a single channel for your data (X1) and that the ability to get a SATA 3 speed is greatly reduced."
"This is a fine card for old school mechanical drives and CD/DVD reader/writers. So the SSDD went back to the motherboard's controller, and the other drives were connected to this board."
"BTW most of the time SATA drives formatted on PCI cards generally wont be recognized as formatted when plugged into an onboard SATA port."
"Can't say much about the card as installation was a breeze as was loading drivers and recognition of the card by the WIN7-64 OS but Bottom line - my purchase of a SATA3 and a USB 3.0 PCIE x 1 card(s) and an AMD single slot 6850 for HD HDMI throughput to my flat panel I would have been better off waiting for the new AMD or Intel chipsets with native function to the mb."
"This model does not appear to support it or allow the configuration, which is the ONLY reason i bought it, there are better options for "just" hyperduo, or just raid."
Featuring Hyper Duo technology, the SATA card offers SSD auto-tiring which lets you balance the performance advantages of SSD storage with the cost-effectiveness and large capacity of standard hard drives. Installed with a full profile bracket, Low profile included with the package. Compatible with SATA 6G, 3G and 1.5G Hard Drives. HyperDuo is configured with at least 1 hard disk drive (HDD) and up to 3 solid state drives (SSD).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While the SATA ports on the card is capable of SATA III (6 Gb/s or 750 MB/s, where Gb = Gigabit and MB = Megabyte, and 1 Gb = 125 MB), the maximum speed of this card is limited by the 1 lane of PCIe slot, which depends on the version of PCI Express on your motherboard. In the SATA III ports, the max R/W speeds are 504/457 MB/s, as measured by CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1. In the SATA II ports, the max R/W speeds are 275/262 MB/s. The max R/W speeds are 385/286 MB/s. So, the PEX-40064 is capable of delivering a higher speed than SATA II, but far from SATA III (read on if you have PCI Express 1.1). I ran the same tests on an older motherboard -- Gigabyte P35-DS4, which has only SATA II ports and supports PCIe Express 1.1. In the SATA II ports, the max R/W speeds are 260/254 MB/s, similar to those in the SATA II ports of the newer ASUS board. I then plugged the SSD into the PEX-40064, and put it into the PCIe x1 slot of the older P35-DS4 board: The max R/W speeds are 202/168 MB/s. Indeed, the PCI Express 1.1 slots are slower than the PCI Express 2.0 slots and the SATA II ports. -If you have a motherboard that has SATA II ports (but no SATA III ports), and you have PCI Express 2.0 slots, then you can use the PEX-40064 card to get a faster speed (if your SSD can achieve it) but you will not get close to SATA III speeds (even if the SSD is capable to achieve it). -If you have a motherboard that has SATA II ports but no SATA III ports, and you have PCI Express 1.1 slots, then you are better off using the SATA II ports than the PEX-40064 card. SECOND AFTER THOUGHT: It is possible to achieve close to SATA III speeds in a motherboard with PCI Express 2.0 slots with more than 2 data lanes (e.g. x4, x8, or x16) with the PEX-40054 card instead of the PEX-40064 card."
"The bad news is there are many variations of the PCI-E interface and this card based on the Marvel 88SE9215 which is only an X1 device. That means that you will only get a single channel for your data (X1) and that the ability to get a SATA 3 speed is greatly reduced."
"This is a fine card for old school mechanical drives and CD/DVD reader/writers. So the SSDD went back to the motherboard's controller, and the other drives were connected to this board."
"BTW most of the time SATA drives formatted on PCI cards generally wont be recognized as formatted when plugged into an onboard SATA port."
"Can't say much about the card as installation was a breeze as was loading drivers and recognition of the card by the WIN7-64 OS but Bottom line - my purchase of a SATA3 and a USB 3.0 PCIE x 1 card(s) and an AMD single slot 6850 for HD HDMI throughput to my flat panel I would have been better off waiting for the new AMD or Intel chipsets with native function to the mb."
"This model does not appear to support it or allow the configuration, which is the ONLY reason i bought it, there are better options for "just" hyperduo, or just raid."
Designed for businesses which require large data storage. Compliant with PCI-E Specification V2.0 and backward compatible with PCI-E 1.X. PCI Express x2 Interface, and Compatible with PCI Express x4, x8 and x16 Slots.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While the SATA ports on the card is capable of SATA III (6 Gb/s or 750 MB/s, where Gb = Gigabit and MB = Megabyte, and 1 Gb = 125 MB), the maximum speed of this card is limited by the 1 lane of PCIe slot, which depends on the version of PCI Express on your motherboard. In the SATA III ports, the max R/W speeds are 504/457 MB/s, as measured by CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1. In the SATA II ports, the max R/W speeds are 275/262 MB/s. The max R/W speeds are 385/286 MB/s. So, the PEX-40064 is capable of delivering a higher speed than SATA II, but far from SATA III (read on if you have PCI Express 1.1). I ran the same tests on an older motherboard -- Gigabyte P35-DS4, which has only SATA II ports and supports PCIe Express 1.1. In the SATA II ports, the max R/W speeds are 260/254 MB/s, similar to those in the SATA II ports of the newer ASUS board. I then plugged the SSD into the PEX-40064, and put it into the PCIe x1 slot of the older P35-DS4 board: The max R/W speeds are 202/168 MB/s. Indeed, the PCI Express 1.1 slots are slower than the PCI Express 2.0 slots and the SATA II ports. -If you have a motherboard that has SATA II ports (but no SATA III ports), and you have PCI Express 2.0 slots, then you can use the PEX-40064 card to get a faster speed (if your SSD can achieve it) but you will not get close to SATA III speeds (even if the SSD is capable to achieve it). -If you have a motherboard that has SATA II ports but no SATA III ports, and you have PCI Express 1.1 slots, then you are better off using the SATA II ports than the PEX-40064 card. SECOND AFTER THOUGHT: It is possible to achieve close to SATA III speeds in a motherboard with PCI Express 2.0 slots with more than 2 data lanes (e.g. x4, x8, or x16) with the PEX-40054 card instead of the PEX-40064 card."
"The bad news is there are many variations of the PCI-E interface and this card based on the Marvel 88SE9215 which is only an X1 device. That means that you will only get a single channel for your data (X1) and that the ability to get a SATA 3 speed is greatly reduced."
"This is a fine card for old school mechanical drives and CD/DVD reader/writers. So the SSDD went back to the motherboard's controller, and the other drives were connected to this board."
"BTW most of the time SATA drives formatted on PCI cards generally wont be recognized as formatted when plugged into an onboard SATA port."
"Can't say much about the card as installation was a breeze as was loading drivers and recognition of the card by the WIN7-64 OS but Bottom line - my purchase of a SATA3 and a USB 3.0 PCIE x 1 card(s) and an AMD single slot 6850 for HD HDMI throughput to my flat panel I would have been better off waiting for the new AMD or Intel chipsets with native function to the mb."
"This model does not appear to support it or allow the configuration, which is the ONLY reason i bought it, there are better options for "just" hyperduo, or just raid."
Best External Sound Cards
Description: This Sabrent AU-MMSA 2.1 Audio Sound Card Adapter is a highly flexible audio interface, which can be used with either laptop or desktop system. No driver required, plug-and-play for instant audio playing and compliant with all mainstream operation systems. USB audio sound adapter Warranty information: Connectors: USB Type-A, Stereo output jack, Mono microphone-input jack.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While I do stand by my original review, I felt it was right to add these new findings, since this review is rated as the top comment and will most likely be seen by future customers. ***ORIGINAL OCTOBER 25, 2015***. I had a damaged microphone port on my computer, so unfortunately, Neewer® 2X 3.5mm Hands Free Computer Clip on Mini Lapel Microphone (2X Lapel Microphone) that I had bought wasn't working. I even tested the mic on other computers, which it worked perfectly. In the Playback tab, make your built in speakers the default, and then go to the Recording tab and then make the USB the default for the microphone. Now I did test the audio capacity too, just to see how it was, and it sounds find."
"It seems the port is a weak point and the school lacks the resources to get them fixed (when you even can convince the teacher it's the port and not the headphones.)."
"Plugged it in, ran a 'pulseaudio --kill', to reset the sound, and my system was then able to detect this new usb audio output device."
"So after some research I found out that Its probably my sound card and or drivers that are giving me trouble."
"My laptop lost all sound when my home was getting 240 volts to all outlets because of a broken neutral wire from the meter."
"Her computer did not have trouble recognizing it and guiding you to make it the default sound device to output to external speakers."
"The sound card in my PC was outdated and I could not get drivers for it."
Best External Sound Cards
Description: This Sabrent AU-MMSA 2.1 Audio Sound Card Adapter is a highly flexible audio interface, which can be used with either laptop or desktop system. No driver required, plug-and-play for instant audio playing and compliant with all mainstream operation systems. USB audio sound adapter Warranty information: Connectors: USB Type-A, Stereo output jack, Mono microphone-input jack.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While I do stand by my original review, I felt it was right to add these new findings, since this review is rated as the top comment and will most likely be seen by future customers. ***ORIGINAL OCTOBER 25, 2015***. I had a damaged microphone port on my computer, so unfortunately, Neewer® 2X 3.5mm Hands Free Computer Clip on Mini Lapel Microphone (2X Lapel Microphone) that I had bought wasn't working. I even tested the mic on other computers, which it worked perfectly. In the Playback tab, make your built in speakers the default, and then go to the Recording tab and then make the USB the default for the microphone. Now I did test the audio capacity too, just to see how it was, and it sounds find."
"It seems the port is a weak point and the school lacks the resources to get them fixed (when you even can convince the teacher it's the port and not the headphones.)."
"Plugged it in, ran a 'pulseaudio --kill', to reset the sound, and my system was then able to detect this new usb audio output device."
"So after some research I found out that Its probably my sound card and or drivers that are giving me trouble."
"My laptop lost all sound when my home was getting 240 volts to all outlets because of a broken neutral wire from the meter."
"Her computer did not have trouble recognizing it and guiding you to make it the default sound device to output to external speakers."
"The sound card in my PC was outdated and I could not get drivers for it."
Best Parallel Port Cards
This high performance SPP/EPP/ECP parallel card adds one DB25 parallel port, perfect for connecting printers, scanners, CD-R/RW drives, memory card readers, bar code scanners and more. With the added convenience of plug and play capability, installing the parallel adapter card is hassle-free!The PCIe Parallel Adapter card includes both standard and half-height/low profile mounting brackets and is backed by a StarTech.com two year warranty and free lifetime technical support. Use existing parallel devices such as printers, scanners, CD-R/RWs, Zip drives and memory card readers with PCI Express systems, saving the cost and hassle of upgrading peripherals to work with newer systems.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Every StarTech product I've purchase has lived up to my performance expectations. I expect nothing less than an easy install letting Windows 7. load any needed drivers. Always had good luck with StarTech products and given them 5 star ratings. Don't purchase this card and install it in a computer with Windows 7/64 bit OS unless you want alot of frustration. They suggested doing the following: Below are the steps that need to be taken to install the drivers from our website on a Windows 7 64bit machine: Please download the drivers for your product using this link: [...]. When you download files, Windows usually saves them in the Downloads folder which is located under your user name in the users folder on the drive where Windows is installed (for example C:\users\your name\downloads). To open Device Manager: o Press Windows Key + R. o Type - devmgmt.msc. o Click OK. Driver Installation. 1. Select "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer." If a list of hardware types appears leave it set to show all and click Next. Repeat steps 1-5 for each serial port that appears after the OxMf or OxPCIeMf driver is installed, this time choosing "OxPCIeSer." Note: To check your System Type, click Start > right-click Computer > Properties. Since I already downloaded the .zip file I knew where to look for the drivers. Sent an email back to StarTech Tech Support suggestion they get the installation instructions updated and make mention of checking Port connection."
"The other version is the exact opposite: The half-height bracket is already installed, with a full-height bracket also included in the package."
"I installed this on a new HP Envy 750 64 bit Windows 10 computer with no problems."
"I have to give it 5 stars because everything is pretty-much how I'd like with a port card like this."
"I like this HP printer and really didn't want to replace. The parallel to USB adapters will not work with this particular HP."
"My system recognized the card but I needed to manually install the drivers which were on the supplied CD (it had versions for Win7 32-64, Vista 32-64 and earlier). Software & port lock all happy now and running fine (your mileage may vary depending on application/dongle type)."
"But since this computer never had a parallel port, it also had no LPT1."
Best Serial Port Cards
The PEX2S952 PCI Express based serial card turns a PCI Express slot into 2 RS-232 (DB9) serial connections. Native single-chip, single lane PCI Express offers increased speed and reduced CPU load by up to 48%.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I tried my USB-to-Serial cable that works for many of my other devices but it wouldn't work with the older software and drivers I needed for this scanner."
"Being able to have a console session open to both controllers at the same time has saved me a lot of running back and forth to switch cable connections."
"Initially purchased the Gearhead USB to serial converter from a local computer store, to use with my new Dell Inspiron 3000 PC running Windows 8.1. Six foot cable with Startech adaptor is 6 feet long; important when monitoring counts in real time from the fairly large particle counter, and must set the laptop down somewhere nearby."
"I had several Tandberg/Cisco devices that would not work with a Prolific bridge that worked with the FTDI bridge."
"The installation was problem-free and the serial card works great with both radios along with the software I use (which also upleveled)."
"We sometimes on start up have to individually disconnect and reconnect the usb ports in windows to recognize certain devices."
"An Amazon review for StarTech USB2serial indicated WIN10 works and they are likely referring to the StarTech ICUSB2324I 4-Port Industrial USB to Serial Hub, which I will order next."
"If the device is removable, remove the device and then disable/enable from device manager to recover."
Best Internal USB Port Cards
![Inateck SuperSpeed 4 Ports PCI-E to USB 3.0 Expansion Card - Interface USB 3.0 4-Port Express Card Desktop with 15 Pin SATA Power Connector, [ Include with A 4Pin to 2x15pin Cable + A 15Pin to 2X 15Pin SATA Y-Cable ], KT4001](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71QW9ZEDV3L._SS600_.jpg)
Attention 1) if your PC's power supply unit has only free 4 pin Molex plugs left, PLEASE power the card using the enclosed 4 pin Molex to SATA converter. Please make sure the power cable Strand colors match each other when connecting to the power augmentation to avoid a faulty current. PCI Express expansion card with 4 USB 3.0 ports: with quick and easy installation, this PCI Express card expands your PC by four high-speed USB 3.0 interfaces. Backwards compatible: works great with USB 2.0 and 1.1 devices.Supports USB hot Plug, Plug and play.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A four-port, single-controller USB hub is fine for fast transfers through one port and stable connections to printers, scanners, and other peripherals."
"I knew ahead of time that the included power cable adapters were not going to be long enough due to my case design so I ordered a 12" SATA power extension cable along with the card."
"It turned out to be a Carbonite issue but before I even had a chance to get back to Inateck support they had emailed me again asking if my problem was resolved yet and assuring me that the card was guaranteed for a year."
"I sent this Inateck adapter card back because of my mouse pointer froze for seconds at a time when it was installed."
"I installed the card in my PCI-E 1x slot, and used the included power splitter with the older Molex type connector. I simply started using one of the new USB 3.0 ports to do a full backup of my computer using a WD My Book external drive."
"Power indicator on the board lights up when the computer is turned on but the device is not detected by Windows 10. Plan is to use this with an Oculus Rift as it is recommended on their hardware/support forums for 3rd sensors on older hardware (z77 Motherboard). -- UPDATE 12/19/17--. Received the replacement card promptly on 12/11. Moved the card to PCIe 3.0 (x16 mode) slot and Windows 10 immediately detected and installed the default drivers for it."
Best Computer Internal SCSI Port Cards
★ HDMI output port: up to 4K UHD (3840x2160 @ 30Hz) or 2K/1080p/720p/480p/360p. ★ Ethernet port (RJ-45 port): 10/100/1000 Mbps. ★ USB 3.0 Type-A port: data transfer up to 5Gbps. ★ USB 2.0 Type-A port: data transfer up to 480Mbps. ★ SD/TF card slot: supported memory card capacity up to 512GB, read/write speed up to 104MB/S. ★ USB Type-C female PD charging port: charging up to 87W of power delivery (Only for laptop charging). ★ System requirements: laptop with an available USB-C port, Windows 7/8/8.1/10, macOS X v10.0 or above operating systems. The USB-C female port of this product is only for charging USB-C laptops whose USB-C port supports USB Power Delivery (PD) and does not support data transfer. Connect devices (e.g. mouse and keyboard) to USB 2.0 ports on the laptop. Connect the USB 3.0 hub to the laptop with a high-quality 1-foot or longer USB 3.0 extension cable; keep USB 3.0 devices away from the host computer. 8-in-1 multiport USB C Hub: USB-C Power Delivery Charging Port, USB C to HDMI Output, 2 x USB 3.0 Ports, USB 2.0 Port, Gigabit Ethernet port (RJ-45 port), SD card reader and TF card reader. USB 3.0/2.0 Ports allow you to connect keyboard, mouse, thumb drive to MacBook Pro, Chromebook and other Type-C devices, and access files from TF or SD card reader.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The USB A ports on the hub did work with my wife's computer."
"After 2 uses, I have had no problems."
"For future design, I wish the hub have either two hdmi or one hdmi and one display port for dual monitor setup."
"Drawback is that the computer doesn’t recommend using as a power source with the charger that comes with your computer."
"I bought TWO cheaper hubs before this one (to power my macbook, and use usb speakers and external drives), and both had problems."
"It gives 3 USB ports, 2 card reader ports, an HDMI port, an ethernet port and a USB-C power port."
"Excellent product, the only fault is when you connect a new device then ethernet shutdown for a second and then reconnect causing downloads to stop, same with a USB driver transmitting files."
Best Internal FireWire Port Cards
Each posted write data queue and completion data queue can store up to 8K bytes of data. Fully Interoperable with FireWire, iLink, and SB1394 Implementation of IEEE 1394 Standard.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Molex connector was firmly stuck onto the card, and in trying to remove it, I accidentally "ripped" the power connector right off the card, hence the need to purchase this one..."
"Provides INTERNAL 9-pin FIREWIRE header to connect PC front panel for new custom build with new next generation Z270 motherboard that doesn't have onboard FIREWIRE 9-pin header. FOOT NOTE: With a high end graphics card (GTX 1080) with backplate in the PCIe slot next to this card it's a tight fit for the internal FIREWIRE header but it works."
"See your editing softwares forums for details of compatibility (Or potential requirements) and why pricier cards MAY be more effective in your application."
"This card was recognized by my Windows 7 PC, but it was not recognized by my Tascam DM 4800 mixer's Firewire card."
"Attached the Satellite Duo to one of the FW800 ports on the card and the UAD-2 control panel now show the satellite running a full FW speed."
"After rebooting the drive and computer a couple times, it would eventually kick back in and be fine for a day or so. After multiple reboots and restarting the drive as Drobo recommended, I decided to just give USB a try as a last ditch resort. Upon taking out the PCIe Firewire card, I discovered that one of the 1394b ports essentially broke out of its solder joints."