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Green PCIe card with two blue USB 3.0 ports and a SATA power connector

STARTECH

STARTECH PEXUSB3S2EI 4-port PCIe USB 3.0 expansion card 2 external 2 internal SATA power

SKU CH-2MEF-AD1PF MPN PEXUSB3S2EI

Adds four USB 3.0 ports — two external and two internal — via a PCIe card powered by SATA, supporting UASP and 5.0 Gbps transfer

  • External USB ports2-port USB 3.0
  • Internal USB ports2x USB Ports
  • External connectors2 - USB 3.0 A (9 pin; SuperSpeed) Female
  • Internal ports1 - SATA Power (15 pin) Plug 2 - IDC (20 pin; USB 3.0; Mothe
  • Supported standardsUSB 3.0
  • Transfer speedUp to 5.0 Gbit/s
  • Add two front or rear USB 3.0 ports using motherboard headers
  • Four USB 3.0 ports total with two external and two internal connectors
  • SATA power connector supplies stable energy to attached devices
  • UASP support reduces overhead for faster external drive transfers
  • Native driver support in Windows 8 and 8.1 plus Linux kernel 2.6.31 or later

Four-port USB 3.0 expansion card

This PCI Express add-in card delivers four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports using a Renesas µPD720201 controller. Two ports face the rear bracket and two connect to internal motherboard headers. The board fits a standard-profile slot and includes a low-profile bracket for compact chassis. It is aimed at builders who need extra external ports and front-panel headers without occupying drive bays.

Passive cooling with SATA power input

The card draws auxiliary power from a single 15-pin SATA connector, so no external power brick is required. With no onboard fan, operation is silent and thermal output is negligible inside the case. Power consumption stays within the PCI Express 2.0 slot and SATA supply limits. No driver is needed for Windows 8, 8.1 or Linux kernel 2.6.31 and later.

Requires PCIe slot and SATA power lead

Installation needs one free PCI Express slot (x1 or wider) and a spare SATA power cable from the power supply. Internal headers use a 20-pin IDC connector compatible with common front-panel USB 3.0 cables. The low-profile bracket frees full-height slots for larger cards. Builders without an internal SATA power connector or a compatible front-panel header cannot use the internal ports.

How it compares

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

Price $34.99
Pricier than about 57% of the 891 comparable items (median $30.99).

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Specifications

Product
Brand nameStarTech.com
Model namePEXUSB3S2EI
Product typePCI to 1394 / USB Card
Performance
Transfer speedUp to 5.0 Gbit/s
Connectivity
Supported standardsUSB 3.0
Ports & slots
External USB ports2-port USB 3.0
Internal USB ports2x USB Ports
External connectors2 - USB 3.0 A (9 pin; SuperSpeed) Female
Internal ports1 - SATA Power (15 pin) Plug
2 - IDC (20 pin; USB 3.0; Motherboard Header) Receptacle
Size & build
Product dimensions4.7 in × 0.7 in × 3.6 in
Product weight0.12 lb (0.05 kg)
Shipping weight0.45 kg
Package size254 × 216 × 178 mm
Compatibility
Supported operating systemsWindows® 8 / 8.1 (32/64bit), 7 (32/64), Vista (32/64), XP (32/64)
Windows Server® 2012, 2008 R2
Linux 2.6.31 and up (Tested up to 3.5)
In the box
In the box1–4 Port PCI Express USB 3.0 Card - 2 Ext 2 Int
1 - Low-Profile Bracket
1 - Driver CD
1 - Instruction Manual

Questions about this item

How do I install the PEXUSB3S2EI card and connect the SATA power plug?

Insert the card into a free PCI Express slot, secure it with the bracket, then plug a 15 pin SATA power connector from your PSU into the card’s onboard power socket before turning the system on.

What ongoing maintenance or part replacement does this USB 3.0 card require?

No scheduled maintenance is needed; the card has no moving parts or batteries, so only replace it if a port fails or you upgrade to a newer interface standard.

Which throughput limit appears first when all four ports run sustained transfers?

The PCI Express 2.0 single-lane link caps total bandwidth at 5.0 Gbps, so combined traffic from the two external and two internal ports cannot exceed that ceiling.

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