Computer help: Upgrading USB Card 1.1 to 2.0

Caper · January 3rd, 2007, 08:29 AM

I'm looking at upgrading my USB card, I've added a 200Gb external harddrive so it's time to upgrade the card. I'm trying to buy a card off the net since Staples and Radio Shack want about $60 Cdn for a new card. My computer is about 6 years old, Pentium 1.6. I'm also looking to add an additional port at the front of the tower for easier access. I would appreciate if someone could tell me what would be compatible with my machine, thanks.

TDPRI · January 3rd, 2007, 10:27 AM

I'd get a new computer if I were you. You're just adding bandages to a 6 year old computer. I did that once with an old PC that I was trying to get up to speed for recording. In the end I had an old computer that didn't work so well that cost more than a brand new "cheap' computer.

In general, any PCI based USB 2.0 card would work. But, because of your desire to add a port at the front of the computer I have no idea what could be compatible with "your machine."

Good Luck with that.

Here's a link to a CompUSA 6 port PCI USB card for $14. Two of the ports are internal so maybe they could be used to add some front ports. Don't forget to completely remove any existing USB driver, ports etc that you have:
http://www.compusa.com/products/prod...a=&cm_ite=feed

Spenceh · January 3rd, 2007, 11:19 AM

Hi Caper, using USB 2.0 is fairly dependant on the OS you are using - we had some Win 98 machines that just did not work and others that were not easy to use.

This site may help http://www.everythingusb.com/usb2/faq.htm

Hope this helps

Caper · January 3rd, 2007, 02:36 PM

Thanks for the info, btw I'm running XP and I could probably do without the hubs in the front I guess.

Mark Davis · January 3rd, 2007, 03:07 PM

You can get a whole new motherboard for $59 that has 2 USB ports on front and 4 on back. Thats what I would do if its not too much trrouble for you to do the swap.

Gary Lee · January 3rd, 2007, 03:24 PM

Caper, not knowing what brand of computer you have is strike one, I'm no computer geek, so that is strike 2. Strike 3 is if I even knew what brand your computer is, it wouldn't help. The good news is I upgraded my 5 year old Dell to a 2.0 USB port and it was just as easy as dealing with a third lead player in a band that couldn't or wouldn't shut up. Yep, he should have known some steel players carry extra wattage. Hope that never happens again....

The only precaution I recall is to avoid static electricity. Switch out the cards on a work bench that is located in a room that isn't carpeted. Then you have to do something to discharge static that may be on your body, like eat some raw broccoli and wash it down with a pint of chocolate milk...

Caper · January 3rd, 2007, 04:01 PM

Ok, right now I have an AOpen AX4BS P4 Socket 478 4X AGP ATX Motherboard, PC-133 SDRAM and Ultra DMA-33/66/100Bus Master Ide. 512MB Ram, 40G internal HD and 200G external HD. So I'm guessing if I do the motherboard swap, I'm looking at a ram upgrade as well? I have 512MB PC3200 Ram if that helps and a Celeron D 2.66GHZ/256/533/04A CPU and fan. I forgot about these parts. I had another computer fixed under warranty and these parts were given back to me. Would this work for my tower? Do I have to buy a board with the same socket number?

January 3rd, 2007, 08:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
Caper Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,169 7 Photos	Computer help: Upgrading USB Card 1.1 to 2.0 I'm looking at upgrading my USB card, I've added a 200Gb external harddrive so it's time to upgrade the card. I'm trying to buy a card off the net since Staples and Radio Shack want about $60 Cdn for a new card. My computer is about 6 years old, Pentium 1.6. I'm also looking to add an additional port at the front of the tower for easier access. I would appreciate if someone could tell me what would be compatible with my machine, thanks.

January 3rd, 2007, 03:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 58 Posts: 13,278	You can get a whole new motherboard for $59 that has 2 USB ports on front and 4 on back. Thats what I would do if its not too much trrouble for you to do the swap. __________________ I'm so blind my seeing eye dog needs glasses.

January 3rd, 2007, 04:01 PM	#7 (permalink)
Caper Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,169 7 Photos	Ok, right now I have an AOpen AX4BS P4 Socket 478 4X AGP ATX Motherboard, PC-133 SDRAM and Ultra DMA-33/66/100Bus Master Ide. 512MB Ram, 40G internal HD and 200G external HD. So I'm guessing if I do the motherboard swap, I'm looking at a ram upgrade as well? I have 512MB PC3200 Ram if that helps and a Celeron D 2.66GHZ/256/533/04A CPU and fan. I forgot about these parts. I had another computer fixed under warranty and these parts were given back to me. Would this work for my tower? Do I have to buy a board with the same socket number? Last edited by Caper; January 3rd, 2007 at 06:44 PM.

January 3rd, 2007, 10:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
TDPRI Administrator Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: TDPRILAND Posts: 5,727 36 Photos	I'd get a new computer if I were you. You're just adding bandages to a 6 year old computer. I did that once with an old PC that I was trying to get up to speed for recording. In the end I had an old computer that didn't work so well that cost more than a brand new "cheap' computer. In general, any PCI based USB 2.0 card would work. But, because of your desire to add a port at the front of the computer I have no idea what could be compatible with "your machine." Good Luck with that. Here's a link to a CompUSA 6 port PCI USB card for $14. Two of the ports are internal so maybe they could be used to add some front ports. Don't forget to completely remove any existing USB driver, ports etc that you have: http://www.compusa.com/products/prod...a=&cm_ite=feed

January 3rd, 2007, 11:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
Spenceh Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hertfordshire Age: 40 Posts: 108	Hi Caper, using USB 2.0 is fairly dependant on the OS you are using - we had some Win 98 machines that just did not work and others that were not easy to use. This site may help http://www.everythingusb.com/usb2/faq.htm Hope this helps

January 3rd, 2007, 02:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
Caper Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,169 7 Photos	Thanks for the info, btw I'm running XP and I could probably do without the hubs in the front I guess.

January 3rd, 2007, 03:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
Gary Lee TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In a House Posts: 58	Caper, not knowing what brand of computer you have is strike one, I'm no computer geek, so that is strike 2. Strike 3 is if I even knew what brand your computer is, it wouldn't help. The good news is I upgraded my 5 year old Dell to a 2.0 USB port and it was just as easy as dealing with a third lead player in a band that couldn't or wouldn't shut up. Yep, he should have known some steel players carry extra wattage. Hope that never happens again.... The only precaution I recall is to avoid static electricity. Switch out the cards on a work bench that is located in a room that isn't carpeted. Then you have to do something to discharge static that may be on your body, like eat some raw broccoli and wash it down with a pint of chocolate milk...