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Green circuit board with four blue USB ports and a low-profile bracket

STARTECH

STARTECH PCIUSB3S4 4-Port PCI USB 3.0 Expansion Card

SKU CH-G2GV-B2NAH MPN PCIUSB3S4

Adds four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports via a PCI slot with optional SATA or SP4 power for high-power devices and includes a low-profile bracket

  • External USB ports4x USB Ports
  • External connectors4 - USB 3.0 A (9 pin; SuperSpeed) Female
  • Internal ports1 - SATA Power (15 pin) Plug 1 - SP4 (4 pin; Small Drive Pow
  • Transfer speed1.3 Gbit/s (PCI Bus)
  • Supported operating systemsWindows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 Windows Server 2003, 2008 R
  • Product typePCI to USB Card
  • Add four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports via a PCI slot
  • PCI bus bandwidth up to 1.3 Gbps for USB 3.0 devices
  • Optional SATA power connector supports high-power peripherals
  • Includes low-profile bracket for small form factor systems
  • Compatible with Dell OptiPlex 7010 and HP Compaq dc7800

Add Four USB 3.0 Ports via PCI Slot

This StarTech.com PCIUSB3S4 card adds four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Type-A ports to a desktop computer through a standard PCI expansion slot. It includes both a full-height and a low-profile bracket for installation in standard or small form factor chassis. The adapter draws supplementary power from an internal SATA 15-pin or SP4 4-pin connector to support bus-powered USB 3.0 devices such as external hard drives. Driver support covers Windows XP through Windows 10 and Windows Server 2003 through 2016.

Suits Legacy Desktops Needing USB 3.0

The card is aimed at owners of older PCs that lack native USB 3.0 but have a free PCI slot, including models like the Dell OptiPlex 7010 or HP Compaq dc7800. It provides a practical upgrade path for connecting modern USB 3.0 peripherals to those systems. Builders whose motherboards only offer PCI Express slots cannot use this adapter because it requires a conventional 32-bit PCI interface. Users needing internal USB 3.0 headers or more than four external ports should consider a different solution.

PCI Bus Limits Transfer Rate to 1.3 Gbps

The single specification that determines suitability is the maximum data transfer rate of 1.3 Gbps imposed by the PCI bus itself. This ceiling is well below the 5 Gbps theoretical speed of USB 3.0, so connected devices will operate at reduced throughput. If your workload demands full USB 3.0 bandwidth, a PCI Express based controller is required instead.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in PCIe Expansion Cards, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $71.99
Pricier than about 80% of the 891 comparable items (median $30.99).

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Specifications

Product
Brand nameStarTech.com
Model namePCIUSB3S4
Product typePCI to USB Card
Performance
Transfer speed1.3 Gbit/s (PCI Bus)
Ports & slots
External USB ports4x USB Ports
External connectors4 - USB 3.0 A (9 pin; SuperSpeed) Female
Internal ports1 - SATA Power (15 pin) Plug
1 - SP4 (4 pin; Small Drive Power) Plug
Size & build
Product dimensions5.2 in × 2.6 in × 0.8 in
Product weight2.8 oz [80 g]
Shipping weight0.16 kg
Package size173 × 140 × 33 mm
Compatibility
Supported operating systemsWindows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10
Windows Server 2003, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016
In the box
In the box1 - PCI USB 3.0 Card
1 - Low Profile Bracket
1 - Driver CD
1 - Instruction Manual

Questions about this item

How many external USB 3.0 ports does the PCIUSB3S4 provide?

The card adds four USB 3.0 Type-A ports, each running at SuperSpeed over a 9-pin connector.

What real-world throughput can I expect from the card in a PCI slot?

The PCI bus limits total bandwidth to 1.3 Gbps, so all four ports share that ceiling rather than reaching full USB 3.0 speed.

Does the card need a SATA power connection to work?

It includes both a 15-pin SATA power plug and a 4-pin SP4 plug; the extra power is optional but recommended for bus-powered external hard drives.

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