Adding Usb 3.0 & media card reader

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BrentMc

BrentMc

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Jun 15, 2015
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Hello, I have read the forums here many times. Today I decided to sign up and talk about computers.

My name is Brent I'm 36 and I took a lot of classes in computers years ago. I passed the CompTIA A+ tests, but that was the 1999 test objectives. I don't feel the need to have the latest and greatest electronics. I think it's fun to see what can be done with older, less expensive gadgets.

I did search the forum before asking this, but I didn't see anything that answered all my questions.

I just bought a used Dell Optiplex 780 mid tower, with and Intel core 2 quad 3.0 ghz with 4gb of ddr3 1333mhz a 1TB HDD Windows 7 Pro 64 bit .

It has a free 3 1/2 external bay. And two free PCI slots, 1-16x and 1-1x. It doesn't have usb 3.0, or a media card reader. I want a single front panel that has Two usb 3.0 ports and at least SD.

I plan to also get a PCI usb 3.0 card. It needs to have the correct internal ports for the front panel cables to plug into. I am having a hard time finding a pair that match. I like to read the amazon bad reviews to see what gave people problems.

One of the front panels said it has over-voltage protection. Others don't and people say they over-volted their motherboard.

As far as the media card reader goes I really only need SD. Many of the front panels with a lot of options have so many cables. I have also noticed some have the media card reader working over usb 2.0.

Does anyone have a suggestion on a front access usb 3.0 & SD (over usb 3.0) panel with over-voltage protection and a PCI usb 3.0 card with the correct internal ports to go with it?

I also noticed usb 3.1 is coming out, but the computer I bought is older and I doubt it could make use of 3.1 speeds, so I think I am fine with 3.0.

 
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I'm doubtful that you could use anything USB 3.0. The Core2 series is quite old and your cheap OEM motherboard likely didn't have a USB 3.0 header. You can't have front panel USB3 without a suitable internal header. To use a card reader, you're going to need a USB 2.0 header, and luckily, most of those have one or two USB 2.0 ports.

Your chipset likely won't support USB 3.1, but maybe it can support 3.0 via your PCIE x1 slot with a BIOS update. I'd have to double check.
 
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I do not have it yet, but I looked at the Dell specs manual and it only lists one 3.0ghz.
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q9650/3.00GHz, 12M, 1333FSB GSP
There seems to be some discrepancies in the manuals as to the number of DIMM slots, so I am not confident that this is right.

What would stop me from putting in a usb 3.0 pci card with an internal port and a front panel that plugs into it?

 
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You will need to get or use a Molex four-pin connector or a SATA power connector to power one. I haven't seen any cards that don't require an extra power connector. My concern is that with your cheapo OEM power supply, there won't be any spare connectors to power an add-on card.
 
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I am not good at soldering, but what would I need to solder?
If there is not a molex or sata power cable free don't they make a molex splitter that adds another plug?
This is just a cheap eBay buy, so if I can't do everything with it that I want that's OK.
 
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Yes, they do. But right now you need to manually find out where your PSU's connectors are. I haven't dissected a 780 Optiplex myself. There will be at least 1 or 2 SATA power connectors, as your optical drive probably uses one. Your hard drive definitely uses one. But they are on the opposite end of the computer and you might need an extension cable if your splitter is too short to connect to both the original drive and the new add-on card.
This is assuming that your chipset even supports USB 3.0, too.

And remember, you can just buy a USB 2.0 card reader. That's what I did to save PCIE lanes.
 
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as what hotter-than-Vishera said, check what ide\sata connectors you have as spares. you should be able to run usb3 as I'm running 2 dual core socket 775 boards in towers that I installed usb3 3+1 port cards in each. my cards came with drivers disk & power cable. I modified the front end of both cases to have a dedicated usb3 port. I cut in half a double ended usb-a cable so 1 end was soldered to the backend of the dedicated usb3 port & the male end plugs into the card's internal port.
 
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I don't have a free SATA power plug. The card I like that has a 20 pin connector also has a molex.

I am thinking of using this setup:

USB 3.0 PCI card:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007SJGGAE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2AXM8FJRY1OOY&coliid=I30N9JIDSD3GRF&psc=1

I do have one of those short slots free.

SATA splitter:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002N2EHVQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2AXM8FJRY1OOY&coliid=I22DSTCGKKIVMR&psc=1

I will probably split it off of the DVD-Rom as I do not use that much. I want one by itself for the HDD and there is an open one in the hard drive caddy below it I want for the SSD I will add.

A long SATA to molex adapter:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GK8SYCW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2AXM8FJRY1OOY&coliid=I3A0RYCAREKM74

Does that look right? I think I got all the male and female ends correct.

I also found this SATA cable for the SSD I want to add. I see an open port on the MB. I see two pairs of ports nest to each other. Does this mean if I plug the SSD in the one next to the port used by the HDD they will be on the same channel and it will go slower? I remember the two plugs on an IDE cable. If your CD-ROM and HDD were on the same cable it was really slow. I am not familiar with SATA, so I don't know if that is an issue.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GUXU52/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2AXM8FJRY1OOY&coliid=I3JMSDBAZWTRH2&psc=1


 
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The USB 3.0 card went in fine. The cable I chose worked like I planned. The front access panel went in, but I could not screw it in from the other side as the other side does not open and the drive bay is riveted in place. It works fine, but I wish I could screw it in from the other side.
 
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No my DVD-ROM and DVD-RW drives do not move when I push them. I don't know how to get a screw back there, but I would sure like to snug that side down.

 
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A Dell employee on the Dell support forums just said there is no way to get a screw on the other side. That seems stupid. I want to snug it down. I am thinking of finding a big screw that will fit tightly in the drive bay grove and put it in behind the front panel to push it forward.
 
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The front panel has two screw holes in each side and I have screws in both on the side I can get to. It doesn't push back, but the left side can wiggle up and down.
 
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