StarTech.com
PCI Express FireWire 800/400 Card - 3 Port (Full Profile)
Best connectivity upgrade for legacy audio and video equipment users.
Expand your computer's connectivity with this versatile adapter card. It adds two high-speed FireWire 800 ports and one FireWire 400 port, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices like camcorders and external drives. Featuring a native chipset for enhanced reliability and performance, it supports plug-and-play and hot-swapping for effortless integration. The included low-profile bracket allows for installation in various computer cases, making it an ideal solution for adding or upgrading FireWire capabilities.
$63.99
Owner Satisfaction
4.3
/ 5
Category Rank
776
/ 1289
#776 in Computer Interface Cards & Adapters
Price vs Category Average
-89%
Below average
Interface (Bus) Type
1
/ PCI Express x
Who it's for
- Audio engineers and videographers preserving expensive older equipment
- Legacy hardware users needing flexible connection speeds
- Creative professionals requiring stable, high-bandwidth data transfers
Who should skip it
- Modern peripheral users seeking current, high-speed standards
- Novice builders or owners of compact, slot-limited computers
- System integrators concerned about specific chipset driver stability
Performance breakdown
Data Throughput
Native chipset architecture ensures stable 800 Mbps speeds for demanding peripherals.
Hardware Compatibility
Seamlessly bridges legacy FireWire devices with modern PCIe-based computer systems.
Installation Versatility
Included low-profile bracket makes it a perfect fit for compact builds.
Power Delivery
Dedicated Molex connector provides reliable power for bus-hungry external drives.
Driver Stability
Plug-and-play support minimizes configuration headaches across major operating systems.
Port Configuration
Triple-port layout offers excellent flexibility for mixed-generation FireWire device setups.
Key Specs
Interface (Bus) Type
PCI Express x1
Ports Qty
2 x FireWire 800 (9-pin Female), 1 x FireWire 400 (6-pin Female)
Maximum Data Transfer Rate
800 Mbps
Form Factor
Plug-in card (Full Height, includes Low Profile Bracket)
Dimensions (WxDxH)
1.8 cm x 8.5 cm x 12 cm
Weight
48 g
Bus Voltage
3.3 V
Supported Operating Systems
Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10, Server versions, macOS X 10.6 - 10.15, Linux 3.5.x+
Know before you buy
Yes. The card comes with both a full-height bracket pre-installed and a low-profile bracket in the box, allowing it to fit into both standard desktop towers and slim-profile cases.
This card supports plug-and-play functionality on most modern operating systems, meaning it should be automatically detected without the need for manual driver installation.
Yes, it features a Molex power connector. This is necessary to provide sufficient power to high-draw devices like external hard drives or camcorders that rely on the FireWire bus for power.
Absolutely. The card is fully backward compatible with older FireWire standards and includes a dedicated 6-pin FireWire 400 port to accommodate legacy hardware.
This card is designed for a PCI Express x1 slot. It is also compatible with larger PCIe slots (x4, x8, or x16), so it will work as long as you have an available open PCIe slot on your motherboard.
The card has broad compatibility, supporting Windows versions from 2000 up to Windows 11, as well as macOS X 10.6 through 10.15 and various Linux distributions. It is a highly versatile option for legacy system support.
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