Thread

USB PCI Cards

68kMLA PowerPC 5 posts Feb 12, 2008 to Feb 12, 2008

#1 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 - 12:53 68kMLA

Hello all.

I want to add more USB ports to my Sawtooth. Do I have to get a Mac-specific card, is there a specific chipset to watch out for, or will any one work?

I run OS 9.2.2 exclusively.

Thanks.

nn

#2 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 - 14:21 68kMLA

So far I have tried Ali and NEC chipset-based cards in my B/W G3 and Sawtooth. Both of these appear to work just fine.

Stay away from VIA chipsets. While they work in PCs, it's rather iffy.

#3 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 - 14:37 68kMLA

Look for OHCI compliant cards. They're widely known to play with macs nicely. UHCI cards are temperamental in macs.

#4 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 - 14:48 68kMLA

Best idea is to look for a PCI card that says it is compatible with Macs in it's specification. 4-port USB 2.0 cards are available very inexpensively these days.

#5 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 - 16:57 68kMLA

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/usb/add-ons-and-hubs/pci-pcmcia-cards

Down at the bottom there's an area for PCI USB cards for the towers. OWC has always treated me right.

I have the IOGEAR 5 port PCI card for my G4, and it's great. Although I'm running 10.4.