Solved PCIe USB Cards

MrPig · Jul 6, 2024

Found the source of my problems with Win 11 sporadically locking up at boot .
I fitted this card for extra ports & Win11 has a built-in driver that appears to work. My case has front panel USB ports but the cable has a type-E plug on the end.
Fitted with a Fresco 1100 chip I tried their driver & still the same problems, random lock-ups.
Anybody recommend another card with minimum 2 type-A & 2 type-C ports?

spapakons · Jul 6, 2024

When I cannot find a driver directly from manufacturer or it doesn't work properly, I use a tool like Snappy Driver Installer to automatically find and install it. Of course I avoid updating working drivers (blue text on results), I only install missing drivers (green text on results). As already said, I use Snappy as last resort when Windows Update cannot install a driver and I cannot find it on manufacturer's support site.

MrPig · Jul 7, 2024

That Snappy Driver installer is a very good program, thanks for that. I have done some research on the interwebs & the Fresco chip has a poor reputation with a few folk claiming their PC locked up with this device. It is quite an old chip so potential timing issues with PCI 4.0. mobo's.

spapakons · Jul 7, 2024

As I said, avoid updating existing drivers (blue text), especially chipset drivers as you may cause incompatibility. Use it only to install missing drivers (green text). Also NEVER use it on tablets because you will lose the touch, rotation or other features. The only way to restore these features is to download and install the official drivers from manufacturer and this would have to be done using external mouse and keyboard as the touch would not work until the proper driver is installed. NEVER use driver tools on tablets and be VERY careful when you use them elsewhere. They are last resort, not first choice.

bobkn · Jul 7, 2024

I'm mildly shocked that the Gigabyte MW83-RP0 has no USB headers of any kind. (It has some USB ports.)

Guess I'm ignorant about server boards.

MrPig · Jul 7, 2024

It does have some, 3 x USB-A & 1 x USB-C on the rear. On the board is a header for the case giving 2 more USB-A. The case has USB-C on a flying lead with a type-e plug.
The card I bought has a type-e socket this gave me more expansion off the case. For a workstation board it is quite poor in comparison to a ASUS W790.
The rear sockets will cover mouse/keyboard/spacemouse & the USB-C connects to the monitor, the case connectors will just cover my ARM development board & my FPGA dev board.

MrPig · Jul 10, 2024

Bought another USB card with Renesas chipset & this also locks the PC up at boot!
Does PCI 4.0/5.0 require particular cards to work!

MrPig · Jul 10, 2024

Well after some fiddling I got it all working!
Lets hope it boots up after a shutdown.

MrPig · Jul 10, 2024

Spoke too soon, turn off then on again & it locks up!
Take card out & its fine.

spapakons · Jul 10, 2024

Maybe the card is trying to use more power than the port can provide. Ot should be something relevant to the power supply of the port.

SIW2 · Jul 10, 2024

have you considered something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SZBWGGN/

or this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GRAUGEAR-USB3-2-inches-Type-C®-G-MP01/dp/B09QXF1TDS/

MrPig · Jul 10, 2024

spapakons said:
Maybe the card is trying to use more power than the port can provide. Ot should be something relevant to the power supply of the port.

Nothing plugged in the card on boot.

SIW2 said:
have you considered something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SZBWGGN/

That's just a front panel with sockets, its the PCI cards locking Windows at boot.

If I press F10 at boot & select the Windows Boot Manager it runs fine?? Any ideas.

SIW2 · Jul 10, 2024

are you already using the

Internal I/O

1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
2 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connectors
1 x CPU fan header
6 x System fan headers
1 x Front audio header
1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 x2 header
2 x M.2 slots
2 x SlimSAS connectors
1 x VROC connector
1 x Front panel header
1 x Backplane board header
1 x PMBus header
1 x IPMB header
1 x TPM header

MW83-RP0 (rev. 1.x/3.x) | Workstation Motherboard - GIGABYTE Global

Single Intel® Xeon® W-3500/3400 ProcessorsSingle Intel® Xeon® W-2500/2400 Processors* 8-Channel DDR5 RDIMM, 8 x DIMMsIntel® W790 chipset2 x 10Gb/s LAN ports...

www.gigabyte.com

My case has front panel USB ports but the cable has a type-E plug on the end.

If you have a spare front bay then could use one of those things for the 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 x2

dont need any 3rd party drivers for that

MrPig · Jul 10, 2024

Yes hence the expansion card.

SIW2 · Jul 10, 2024

here is one that will bring that 20 pin usb3 mobo connector to the front

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JQ0HAWQ/

View attachment 101106

spapakons · Jul 11, 2024

If it stuck at boot because it has some kind of boot ROM, maybe you can exclude it from boot list, so it doesn't look for connected bootable devices and doesn't get stuck.

MrPig · Jul 11, 2024

I have no spare connectors on the mobo they are already in use. Its the expansion cards I have problems with.
Turned the PC on this morning & it locks up, go through Windows boot manager & it runs!!

MrPig · Jul 11, 2024

spapakons said:
If it stuck at boot because it has some kind of boot ROM, maybe you can exclude it from boot list, so it doesn't look for connected bootable devices and doesn't get stuck.

No boot ROM.

spapakons · Jul 11, 2024

Probably your PCIe slot doesn't provide enough power for your card or it takes time at boot to adjust the appropriate power settings and hence the delay. Any chance you can manually set the appropriate voltage values in BIOS so it doesn't lag?

MrPig · Jul 11, 2024

spapakons said:
Probably your PCIe slot doesn't provide enough power for your card or it takes time at boot to adjust the appropriate power settings and hence the delay. Any chance you can manually set the appropriate voltage values in BIOS so it doesn't lag?

I've never seen that on a motherboard. Why does it boot ok from the boot manager?