I need more USB 2.0 ports for my Mac Pro (early 2008). Which one should I get? What's the difference between PCI and PCI Express? I had added a USB PCI card in my G4 and it caused some issues with waking from sleep mode... is this an issue with the Mac Pros?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
USB 2.0 PCI Card - which one?
- Thread starter radiohead1075
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
That is one of the cards I was looking at. Can anyone confirm if this card will cause issues with Sleep Mode if installed in a Mac Pro?
quote from the above owc link:
considering a hub? Consider the tradeoffsevery peripheral you plug in has to share a single port's bandwidth (potentially affecting the devices' performance), and you may have to plug it into a power outlet as well as your computer in order to operate some devices.
Sonnet's Allegro Express USB adds five full-bandwidth, high-speed USB connections to your computer without the need for an external box or AC power adapterno trade-offs necessary.
I would get a USB hub if the devices you are connecting are not always running (memory card reader or iPods) or don't have a large data stream (keyboards, mice, etc).
The only things that I would really want dedicated ports for would be hard drives or external optical drives.
The only things that I would really want dedicated ports for would be hard drives or external optical drives.
The internal port is great for when you want to attach a USB dongle to your system all the time, but not have it sticking out the back of the system. Many people use it to add bluetooth or Wifi to Macs without having to purchase Apple's expensive upgrades.
For pcs I have seen media card bays that fit in cd bay in tower system. An internal port would be nice for that.
Also, suppose you had a software dongle. Slightly less likely to wander off if out of sight.
PCIe v.2.0 vs v.1
Sonnet's PCIe Allegro was designed for an earlier version of PCIe than PCIe 2.0 found in Mac Pro 2009. Is backwards compatibility a given? (Let me stress we are talking versions of PCIe, not of USB.)
Sonnet's PCIe Allegro was designed for an earlier version of PCIe than PCIe 2.0 found in Mac Pro 2009. Is backwards compatibility a given? (Let me stress we are talking versions of PCIe, not of USB.)
Sonnet and Belkin
I've just received a reply from Sonnet Tech
Judging by "I imagine the new Mac Pros come with 10.5.6" they have not actually tested it though.
----
And then there is Belkin's F5U252EA (also 4+1 USB 2.0 ports)
http://www.belkin.com/uk/support/product/?lid=en&pid=F5U252ea
Anecdotal evidence suggests that this worked in earlier Mac Pro models. Belkin themselves however do not support its use with Macs, so I would wait until somebody actually tries it with 2009MP.
I've just received a reply from Sonnet Tech
Judging by "I imagine the new Mac Pros come with 10.5.6" they have not actually tested it though.
----
And then there is Belkin's F5U252EA (also 4+1 USB 2.0 ports)
http://www.belkin.com/uk/support/product/?lid=en&pid=F5U252ea
Anecdotal evidence suggests that this worked in earlier Mac Pro models. Belkin themselves however do not support its use with Macs, so I would wait until somebody actually tries it with 2009MP.
Sonnet
Well, I got Sonnet's Allegro Express USB 2.0 for the recent arrival. It works, sleeps and wakes (Miglia EvolutionTV tuner, USB-powered scanner, printer).
However I've been having some problems with EvolutionTVoccassional loss of sound/video sync or loss of sound altogether. The problems seem to have subsided since I moved the tuner to one of the native USB ports. I have no clue if this has anything to do with Sonnet though.
Well, I got Sonnet's Allegro Express USB 2.0 for the recent arrival. It works, sleeps and wakes (Miglia EvolutionTV tuner, USB-powered scanner, printer).
However I've been having some problems with EvolutionTVoccassional loss of sound/video sync or loss of sound altogether. The problems seem to have subsided since I moved the tuner to one of the native USB ports. I have no clue if this has anything to do with Sonnet though.
Good to know. When I order my MP I'm planning on getting this card (to connect a bunch of legacy windows peripherals).
It's already been said, but you aren't going to saturate the USB 2.0 bus enough to need a card unless you're running hard drives or optical drives over USB... which is a terrible idea to begin with.
The reason to get a card is to add ports (especially conveniently-located rear ports). In my experience adding ports via a PCI* card works a lot better than using a hub, particularly if you have a lot of junk hanging off the USB bus.
I purchased this card and it works great.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815283014
I haven't tested Sleep mode yet though, care to share an effective way?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815283014
I haven't tested Sleep mode yet though, care to share an effective way?
What I meant is, it will not prevent the computer from going to sleep nor from waking up as some earlier card/computer/system combinations did.
I didn't understand the need for this either till I noticed the price was $23. <shrug>
There's five individual full speed full bandwidth USB 2.0 ports (two on front panel, three on back panel) on the MP. Right? I think the only time you're going to need more is if you're reading and writing to all 5 at the same time at full speed. Unless I was running CD/DVD duplication rigs of some kind I can't see that ever happening. Each port can support what, 4 power requiting devices? So that's 20 total with just cheap split-hubs. The thing is this card is the same price as a single hub just about, so I guess anything more than 5 devices and it becomes useful anyway. Same cost as a hub, same number of added ports, more potential bandwidth. <shrug> <shrug>
There's five individual full speed full bandwidth USB 2.0 ports (two on front panel, three on back panel) on the MP. Right? I think the only time you're going to need more is if you're reading and writing to all 5 at the same time at full speed. Unless I was running CD/DVD duplication rigs of some kind I can't see that ever happening. Each port can support what, 4 power requiting devices? So that's 20 total with just cheap split-hubs. The thing is this card is the same price as a single hub just about, so I guess anything more than 5 devices and it becomes useful anyway. Same cost as a hub, same number of added ports, more potential bandwidth. <shrug> <shrug>