[SOLVED] Looking to add a USB PCIE card

[coreytaylor881]

Hey guys I’m new here and new to computers. I recently purchased and HP Omen model 870-224. I’m a console streamer using my PC to stream. I’ve run into a minor issue that’s really more of a hassle than anything. I don’t have enough USB ports. If I decide I want to switch from console to just play fortnite on PC or anything else I have to unplug a couple things to plug in some other things. So basically I want to add a USB 3.0 card. I see I have an open slot that’s a PCIE X1. I know that I can fit in a new card but I noticed that some cards you buy will have a power cable. My only concern is where do I plug in the power cable and how do I know if the cable that comes with the card will have the same amount of pins on the connector? Has anyone added a USB card and if so which did you use? Thanks!!

 

[Paperdoc]

I do not have such a card so I cannot recommend any particular one. But I can help understand the power connector thing. The background to this is that the PCIe bus system was never designed to provide substantial power to external devices, whereas the USB3 system does provide power at 5 VDC up to 0.9 A per port. So to get that much power to the card, it needs a direct feed from the PSU. There are two VERY common types of power output connectors on the wires from any PSU: the older 4-pin Molex female (4 round holes in a straight line), and the newer SATA which looks more like a wider connector with 15 contacts in it. Each was designed for power HDD units, but gets used for many other things, too. Most PSU output wiring includes several such connectors along sets of wires, and usually you have not used up all of them. So, look inside your case and see which type (maybe both) are unused in your system. Now consider how you can route those cables from the PSU to where the new card would be mounted. You MIGHT need some kind of extension cable, maybe not. Once you have that info, you can decide whether you should buy a card that needs the Molex input, or the SATA input for power, and choose the card accordingly. Both exist. Without any recommendation, here as two example items.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124120&Description=PCIe%20X1%20USB3%20card&cm_re=PCIe_X1_USB3_card-_-15-124-120-_-Product

If you look at the detailed photos of that SYBA card you will see on its back edge a big white male (with 4 pins in a shroud) socket to accept a Melex input from a PSU, and a wide black male socket that is used to plug in a standard USB3 cable that leads to exterior-accessible USB3 ports. The latter item is the same as a USB3 header would be on a mobo to provide front-panel USB3 ports. In addition to those USB3 ports that can plug into that socket, the card provides two USB3 ports on its external bracket.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815287033&Description=PCIe%20X1%20USB3%20card&cm_re=PCIe_X1_USB3_card-_-15-287-033-_-Product

This Vantec unit uses a SATA power input connector on its back edge. On its bracket it provides two USB3 Type A ports plus a USB3 Type C port for external access, but no internal header for more sockets to be attached via a cable.