USB 3.0 Card for a Z400?

[jweaver100]

Cheers all... My problem is that I have no specific use for USB3.. Its only a home PC and if I have to do my transfers over USB2, its no big deal.

Most of my transfers are over Ethernet (To my NAS) which is Gigabit, so USB3 isn't going to help me day to day.

I am just going to keep my eyes open on Ebay UK for a suitable card.. And if one comes along, I will snap it up... That said, I am still tempted to try a cheap VIA card, just to see what happens.

Did anyone have any thoguhts on this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-663213-001-USB-3-0-Controller-PCIe-x1-FH-661320-001/124147603091?hash=...

The part number is right, but the photo shows the wrong (NEC) card.. Do you know if the part number is shared between the Ti and NEC card? Or do they have different part numbers, in which case this could be the right item, with the wrong photo?

[jweaver100]

Sorry to keep on about this.. The eBay seller has confirmed his cards are P/N 661320-001 and say they came from a Z800...

This would make them a pretty safe bet wouldnt' they?

[SDH]

Yes.  The UK seller is using an old wrong picture.... that is the NEC/Renasus card they are showing.  Review my link in my prior post above for correct pictures of both (I took my pictures of both).  This is what HP knows that TI chipset based  "Spares Part Number" looks like, HERE.

http://partsurfer.hp.com/ShowPhoto.aspx?partnumber=663213-001

I personally would buy that based on HP's knowledge of their products... the one in the HP PartSurfer picture is the one you want.  Or, wait 'till they are all gone and then have non-buyer's remorse.  

[jweaver100]

I know which card I need.. I based that on your posted here:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-PCs-Workstations-and-Point-of-Sale-Systems/Add-HP-USB-3-0-car...

But my problem is that the item in question has the part number you recommend, but the photo is of the card you don't..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-663213-001-USB-3-0-Controller-PCIe-x1-FH-661320-001/124147603091?ssPag...

So I don't know whether to trust the part number or the photo.

The seller has come back today and confirmed the part number is correct and said they came from Z800s, so I tend to think this is the version you recommend with the Ti chipset.

[SDH]

Well, you're just going to have to find out.  Or, not. 

Best of luck to you on your project.

[jweaver100]

Agreed.. And this brings me back to the very question i was asking originally, based on your experiences with the HP card, do you know if the Ti and NEC versions share the same Part Number?

The seller is 100% sure that they have part number 661320-001... So does this mean that its the Ti version? Or do the 2 cards have the same part number?

I have ordered it, so I will find out in a few days.. But I am still curious whether the NEC card has a different part number...

[SDH]

The answer to your question is no.

I can certainly understand your concern.  This has been a source of confusion for years now.  HP called the first NEC/Renasus chipset card their "Superspeed" card, which really is too generic, and it only had the two backplane USB3 ports.  It was shorter and looks different from the later TI based chipset version HP called their "2 x 2" card because there were two ports on the backplane and two added ones available via the "motherboard" type header.  I have seen HP literature get the pictures wrong, both ways, also.  Plus, HP has both an Assembly part number and a Spares part number for the exact same thing for most of their parts.  Below is a picture of both the front and the back of the card you don't want, and its AS P/N is 607782-001, and its SP P/N is 608151-001.  HP gave up on the earlier card in favor of the TI based card, which has later part numbers and is the same chipset they used on the motherboards of their subsequent Z420/Z620/Z820 workstations.  That fact gets you automatic driver support for the newer card for years to come.

You will be able to see these two pictures when a moderator releases them:

[jweaver100]

Excellent news.. The seller has stated that the card is part number 663213-001, so this is clearly different from the "bad" (NEC) card..

So fingers crossed its the right one.. And if it is, other might benifit as they are only £15 and he has 10 available.

I will post back when I get it... Thanks again to you and everyone for their help

Cheers

Jon

[jweaver100]

Card arrived today and its the "correct" 2+2 Texas Instruments based version...

So if anyone is looking for a card in the UK, you can buy this one with confidence

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-663213-001-USB-3-0-Controller-PCIe-x1-FH-661320-001/124147603091?ssPag...

I hope this helps someone.

[jweaver100]

Back again.. last question..

I finally got around to building the PC and the USB 3.0 seems to work just fine (even without drivers).. But its slow, even on a USB2 device and I assume that this is because I need the drivers..

I have read the old posts and am not clear on whta I need... And many of the links are broken.. Could someone point me in the right direction?

Jon