StarTech.com 4 Port PCI Express PCIe SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Controller Card Adapter with UASP - SATA Power

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

StarTech’s 4‑port USB 3.0 PCIe card is the sort of “fix it properly” add‑on you buy when your desktop is stuck on USB 2.0, or you just want extra reliable high‑speed ports without fighting cheap hubs. In day‑to‑day use in a small office—connecting external SSDs for backups, attaching multiple USB storage devices for quick transfers, or running card readers—it does the job cleanly. The fact it supports UASP is the real win for anyone moving bigger files to/from modern storage drives; you’ll feel it with SSDs compared to older USB mass‑storage behavior.

That said, at ~£36.85 ex‑VAT you should only buy it if you actually need four extra USB 3 ports. If your goal is “more connectivity” for keyboards/printers/scanners, a powered hub is usually better value because PCIe cards take up a slot and can be overkill. Also, make sure your machine has an appropriate PCIe lane and the SATA power feed is something you’re comfortable wiring/using—missteps there are where these cards lose time. Overall: good practical value for workstation/mini‑server upgrades and media/storage workflows; not the best choice if you only need one or two ports or you’re powering a pile of low‑power peripherals.