Running out of USB ports on an older desktop? This Belkin PCI expansion card sits in the brand’s no-nonsense connectivity range and competes with the generic VIA and NEC based USB add-in cards you’ll see for legacy PCs. It’s aimed at towers with a spare PCI slot (not PCIe), giving you extra USB 2.0 ports for keyboards, mice, printers, card readers and other everyday peripherals where USB 3 speeds are not essential.
Who is this PCI USB card actually for?
It makes most sense for older motherboards that only have a couple of rear USB sockets, or where front-panel headers are missing or awkward to reach. USB 2.0 is capped at 480Mbps, so it is fine for input devices and basic storage, but slow for large file transfers compared with modern USB 3 cards. Backward compatibility with USB 1.1 helps if you still use older kit.
- 5 USB 2.0 ports total (4 external, 1 internal for an internal cable or bracket)
- PCI interface, check your PC has a free PCI slot before buying