usb card for additional ports

[Scott]

After having a usb hub misshap resulting in a fried guide camera and a ruined laptop, I've opted for a pc tower in my obs. To remove all usb hub options I need to add a usb card to the tower. All current usb slots are usb2. Is it possible to add a usb3 card or do I need to stick with usb2. 
Also, are all usb cards equal? I notice very few usb cards on ebay/amazon.
Thanks in advance

Scott

[Gina]

My desktop PC has 4 USB3 ports and 4 USB2 ports, that is enough for me but it wasn't a cheap tower to put in the observatory.

[Thalestris24]

46 minutes ago, Scott said:

After having a usb hub misshap resulting in a fried guide camera and a ruined laptop, I've opted for a pc tower in my obs. To remove all usb hub options I need to add a usb card to the tower. All current usb slots are usb2. Is it possible to add a usb3 card or do I need to stick with usb2. 
Also, are all usb cards equal? I notice very few usb cards on ebay/amazon.
Thanks in advance

Scott

Hi Scott

I think if you have a half-decent, newish PC than adding usb 3 in the form of an expansion card shouldn't be a problem. There are never any guarantees, however...

Louise

[Dr_Ju_ju]

If it currently doesn't have any USB 3.0 ports, that would suggest to me that it is quite old, 3\4 years at least. Adding a plug in card will depend on what expansion slots are available PCIe etc. 

Also what OS are you running Windows \ Linux ?? It maybe quicker to self build a PC tower with the specification you need, as opposed to shoehorning added bits into an older unit.

[michael8554]

Hi Scott

A USB3 Expansion Card should cost less than a tenner, worth trying before building a new PC.

Michael 

[sloz1664]

Hi Scott

Yes a USB3 expansion card is the way to go. But, having had a fried guide camera and a ruined laptop don't buy a cheap Chinese clone from ebay. I opted for the Startech usb3 hub.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/StarTech-com-2-Port-PCI-Express-PCIe-SuperSpeed-USB-3-0-Card-Adapter-with-U/122415997599?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170912102133%26meid%3Db12b787ca7dc40fcb398b69b021a9b5e%26pid%3D100754%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26&_trksid=p2045573.c100754.m4842

Steve