Recommend USB 3 adapter card with USB 2 compatibility, internal USB

(sorry if this is a repost)

I need a USB 3 card with 3-4 external ports that are known to work with USB 2 devices, unlike the USB 3 ports on my ASUS motherboard. This card also needs to have 1 internal USB port. I don't need the 2x20 header connector that supports a cable for 2 external USB 3 ports.

Also appreciated would be recommendations for USB 3 chipset drivers that are known to support USB 2 devices. That would help me identify good cards.

x509

Go ask Fernando over at the Win-RAID.com forums (you'll need to join). He knows more about Windows and USB than anybody else I know. Ask him what he would buy for his PC if he needed to add USB ports. He won't steer you wrong.
HTH,
--Ed--

PS: He's the owner/operator of those forums, in case you didn't know.

EdTittel said:

Go ask Fernando over at the Win-RAID.com forums (you'll need to join). He knows more about Windows and USB than anybody else I know. Ask him what he would buy for his PC if he needed to add USB ports. He won't steer you wrong.
HTH,
--Ed--

PS: He's the owner/operator of those forums, in case you didn't know.

Ed,

I just went to the Win-RAID forum. They are really hardcore. For everyone who has never been there, these guys don't just tweak windows. They tweak BIOSes.

USB 2 and 3 are totally compatible but some devices like printers and scanners may object if plugged in wrong USB. For USB3 it's important for add-in card to be PCIe to get full USB3/3.1 speed. For now, add-in cards with Asmedia chips are best. Most also include Molex or SATA connectors for more power so type of that power connector should also be taken into account depending if and which one you have available free from PSU.

CountMike said:

USB 2 and 3 are totally compatible but some devices like printers and scanners may object if plugged in wrong USB. For USB3 it's important for add-in card to be PCIe to get full USB3/3.1 speed. For now, add-in cards with Asmedia chips are best. Most also include Molex or SATA connectors for more power so type of that power connector should also be taken into account depending if and which one you have available free from PSU.

CountMike,

Thanks for the reply. However, my ASUS P9X79 Pro motherboard uses ASMedia drivers. Not sure about the chips. This whole thread is motivated by the fact that the ASUS motherboard has USB 3 ports that don't work with USB 2 devices.

x509

Have you checked for BIOS update, I have 2 Asus MBs with ASMedia chips and drivers and on both USB 2 and 3 are fully interchangeable except for a printer which complains but works anyway and a scanner that flatly refuses to work on USB3.

CountMike said:

Have you checked for BIOS update, I have 2 Asus MBs with ASMedia chips and drivers and on both USB 2 and 3 are fully interchangeable except for a printer which complains but works anyway and a scanner that flatly refuses to work on USB3.

CountMike,

Coincidentally I did check recently on the ASUS website. Since this is an old board, they haven't updated the BIOS in several years now. I'm running 4801, same as on the board.

I have a USB 3 port in a drive bay multi-format card reader, and that port works fine with USB 2 devices that don't work with the motherboard ports.