StarTech.com 16-Port Low-Profile Serial Card - RS232 - PCI Express

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

StarTech’s 16‑port low‑profile RS232 card is the kind of “no drama” infrastructure purchase you buy once and then forget about. If you’ve got industrial kit, legacy PLCs, barcode scanners, or any equipment that still expects classic RS‑232, this is a sensible way to add a lot of serial connectivity to a modern PC without going hunting for flaky USB‑to‑serial dongles for each device. The low‑profile form factor also matters in proper UK office/industrial PCs where space is tight—this is the sort of card that fits the reality of racks and small chassis.

That said, I wouldn’t buy it just because it’s available. First, make sure your devices truly need RS‑232 (not RS‑485, not Ethernet/USB gateways), and check your software/BIOS expectations—serial is picky and some environments need the right driver setup and stable COM port handling. At ~£305 ex‑VAT, it’s good value if you’re consolidating many serial devices, but if you only need a couple of ports, you’ll usually be better off with simpler/cheaper adapters. If you’re a reseller supporting customers with recurring legacy requirements, this is a solid “standard option” to keep in the toolkit; if you’re one-off or you’re mostly dealing with newer equipment, it’s probably more cost than you need.