Resolved Will this USB PCI card work in any Powermac?

[poiihy]

Will this card work in any Powermac, or a Powermac G3 beige and a Powermac G4 DA at least? It is one with an NEC controller or whatever that is.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-USB-2-0...rnal_Port_Expansion_Cards&hash=item4603bf0105

Just want to make sure

I know this will only work once the operating system is loaded. Will it work with 10.2 Jaguar and 10.4 Tiger?

 

[weckart]

I can clearly see a VIA chip on it. Avoid.

Try looking for one of these instead

http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=107412

Sleep only works after Tiger 10.4.3 or 10.4.4. Can't remember which. Cards work in USB 1.1 mode in OS9 but sleep is disabled.

 

[Altemose]

I can clearly see a VIA chip on it. Avoid.

Try looking for one of these instead

http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=107412

Sleep only works after Tiger 10.4.3 or 10.4.4. Can't remember which. Cards work in USB 1.1 mode in OS9 but sleep is disabled.

I have one of those cards in my PowerMac and it works great under both Tiger and Leopard with no reliability issues.

 

[archtopshop]

This one should work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bundle-USB-...rnal_Port_Expansion_Cards&hash=item418c3d1627

It has the same NEC chip on it as mine, which I purchased at Monoprice. I just checked Monoprice and it looks like they quit carrying it; they only have the VIA now.

Also, looks like this one from Newegg is ok.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SYBA-SD-NEC...sk_Controllers_RAID_Cards&hash=item462bb1632a

Search for "usb pci cards NEC" on eBay.

EDIT: The one from Newegg shows the same box as several I purchased from Monoprice--SYBA brand.

MODS: Not my auctions. Just trying to help out.

 

[poiihy]

I can clearly see a VIA chip on it. Avoid.

Try looking for one of these instead

http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=107412

Sleep only works after Tiger 10.4.3 or 10.4.4. Can't remember which. Cards work in USB 1.1 mode in OS9 but sleep is disabled.

Oh so that one has a VIA chip and not an NEC chip? I thought it did have an NEC controller.... they look the same.

----------

What about this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Port-USB-...645?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item27b1927f65

 

[weckart]

Oh so that one has a VIA chip and not an NEC chip?

----------

What about this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Port-USB-...645?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item27b1927f65

You can clearly see VIA on the chip, no? This link below is a clearer view of the chip for future reference.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-2-0-4-1...CI-Controller-Card-Cards-Adapter/130724297630

Your other link looks like an NEC chip. The picture isn't very clear, however.

 

[poiihy]

You can clearly see VIA on the chip, no? This link below is a clearer view of the chip for future reference.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-2-0-4-1...CI-Controller-Card-Cards-Adapter/130724297630

Your other link looks like an NEC chip. The picture isn't very clear, however.

The title says NEC and I see NEC printed on the chip.

What is the difference between a VIA and NEC chip? What happens if you put a VIA USB PCI card in a Powermac?

 

[orestes1984]

The title says NEC and I see NEC printed on the chip.

What is the difference between a VIA and NEC chip? What happens if you put a VIA USB PCI card in a Powermac?

The NEC chipset will be recognised by a Mac particularly under OS 8.5 and above where you will have a hard time finding drivers otherwise.

 

[weckart]

The title says NEC and I see NEC printed on the chip.

What is the difference between a VIA and NEC chip? What happens if you put a VIA USB PCI card in a Powermac?

From my experience, going back yonks with various OSes, VIA cuts corners with its chipsets to hit a price point. Sometimes things work fine, sometimes with a bit of latency and sometimes they don't. For instance, the VIA Firewire chip 6306, often found with combi cards, will not work with Mac whereas the 6307 does.

I prefer to give VIA a wide berth and fork out the little extra for NEC, TI or even Agere. Steer well clear of anything with ALi on it.