Looking to buy USB 2.0/Firewire PCI card

[69mako]

Hello all,
The subject says it all. I would like to buy a USB 2.0/Firewire PCI card. I really don't know what makes one card better than others. What should I be looking for? Any brands better than others?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[redwudz]

No real suggestions on manufacturers, but cost wise, should run from about $25 - $50US. Probably a lot cheaper ones out there by now, they are getting pretty common. Try to get one built from a company you have at least heard of. IOgear is one. Do a search for Firewire cards on Google and you should find some combo cards listed. They all work basically the same, just the quality differs.

[rallynavvie]

Adaptec is usually a safe bet. Try to find one with a Texas Instruments 1394 chipset otherwise. I think Adaptec also makes one with USB 2.0, FireWire, and ethernet all on the same card so if you don't have onboard LAN you could free up another PCI slot with that. Depending on the front panel options on your case you may also want to look into some that have front panels that come off the controller. You can find them in 5.25" and 3.5" bay varieties.