PCI USB card for Win98/SE/ME \ VOGONS

PCI USB card for Win98/SE/ME

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First post, by Joni

Posted on 2025-03-25, 12:04

Joni Offline

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Are there any PCI usb cards that would work ootb in Win98/SE/ME? My motherboard is Asus P2B-VM if it matters.

I have a new case that has USB 3 ports and if possible it would be nice to get those working on old hardware.

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases … nt/black-solid/

On Ebay I saw these 2.0 cards that had internal USB port also so I thought I could use it and these adapters below to connect into modern case that has USB 3.

Akasa USB 3.0 -> USB 2.0 motherboard adapter
https://www.akasa.co.uk/search.php?seed=AK-CBUB19-10BK

Akasa External to internal USB adapter
https://akasa.co.uk/update.php?tpl=product/pr … odel=EXUSBIE-40

Reply 1 of 10, by PcBytes

Posted on 2025-03-25, 12:09

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The usual cards are:

- NEC USB2.0 PCI cards
- VIA (not really recommended as I've heard it impacts performance, however they're the most compatible out there - 98SE picks them up fairly easily than NEC, as far as I remember.)
- ALi (Acer) USB2.0 - have used these, they're good however I think some of them omit the internal USB port (at least mine does.)

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Reply 2 of 10, by Joni

Posted on 2025-03-25, 12:22

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PcBytes wrote on 2025-03-25, 12:09:
The usual cards are: […]
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The usual cards are:

- NEC USB2.0 PCI cards
- VIA (not really recommended as I've heard it impacts performance, however they're the most compatible out there - 98SE picks them up fairly easily than NEC, as far as I remember.)
- ALi (Acer) USB2.0 - have used these, they're good however I think some of them omit the internal USB port (at least mine does.)

Thanks I'll try to find NEC card.

Reply 3 of 10, by Joni

Posted on 2025-03-25, 12:25

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Does anyone know about the USB wiring?

AK-CBUB19-10BK is 9-pin and EXUSBIE-40 has 4 pins. I assumed that those 4 pins from EXUSBIE-40 go into the top row of the 9 pin where there are only space for 4 pins.

Reply 4 of 10, by Joni

Posted on 2025-03-25, 12:46

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Would those brand new cards work also or could it be that there are no drivers for some NEC chipsets?

https://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_nkw=usb+2.0+p … 0+pci&_osacat=0

Reply 5 of 10, by Joni

Posted on 2025-03-25, 13:27

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Also what are those 5 pins below the internal connector? Wondering if it is possible to connect AK-CBUB19-10BK 9 pin directly into that.

Reply 6 of 10, by OVERK|LL

Posted on 2025-03-25, 13:35

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Joni wrote on 2025-03-25, 13:27:
Also what are those 5 pins below the internal connector? Wondering if it is possible to connect AK-CBUB19-10BK 9 pin directly in […]
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Also what are those 5 pins below the internal connector? Wondering if it is possible to connect AK-CBUB19-10BK 9 pin directly into that.

Looks like half a USB header. Some of the older USB implementations used split header connectors where you just had two rows of 5 pins (I'm using one on my Pentium 233), one for each of the ports. I'm going to assume that's what this is, for connecting another USB port through one of those headers.

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Reply 7 of 10, by Joni

Posted on 2025-03-25, 13:52

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OVERK|LL wrote on 2025-03-25, 13:35:

Joni wrote on 2025-03-25, 13:27:
Also what are those 5 pins below the internal connector? Wondering if it is possible to connect AK-CBUB19-10BK 9 pin directly in […]
Show full quote

Also what are those 5 pins below the internal connector? Wondering if it is possible to connect AK-CBUB19-10BK 9 pin directly into that.

Looks like half a USB header. Some of the older USB implementations used split header connectors where you just had two rows of 5 pins (I'm using one on my Pentium 233), one for each of the ports. I'm going to assume that's what this is, for connecting another USB port through one of those headers.

There was similar pins on this Startech card but only 4 pins. No information about those in their manuals either. It's possible to connect 9 pin connector into this the word way I guess.

pci330usb2.main.jpg

Reply 8 of 10, by OVERK|LL

Posted on 2025-03-25, 13:59

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Joni wrote on 2025-03-25, 13:52:
There was similar pins on this Startech card but only 4 pins. No information about those in their manuals either. It's possible […]
Show full quote

OVERK|LL wrote on 2025-03-25, 13:35:

Joni wrote on 2025-03-25, 13:27:
Also what are those 5 pins below the internal connector? Wondering if it is possible to connect AK-CBUB19-10BK 9 pin directly in […]
Show full quote

Also what are those 5 pins below the internal connector? Wondering if it is possible to connect AK-CBUB19-10BK 9 pin directly into that.

Looks like half a USB header. Some of the older USB implementations used split header connectors where you just had two rows of 5 pins (I'm using one on my Pentium 233), one for each of the ports. I'm going to assume that's what this is, for connecting another USB port through one of those headers.

There was similar pins on this Startech card but only 4 pins. No information about those in their manuals either. It's possible to connect 9 pin connector into this the word way I guess.

Yep, likely.

Reply 9 of 10, by GohanX

Posted on 2025-03-25, 14:24

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I don't know about the adapters, but I got a card branded "Cardshark" off of Amazon that looks just like that Startech picture recently and can confirm it works just fine with Windows 98 SE. It shows up as a NEC card within Windows and there is already a built in driver.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S29C1S6?ref_=ppx … ed_asin_title_1

Reply 10 of 10, by Joni

Posted on 2025-03-25, 17:01

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GohanX wrote on 2025-03-25, 14:24:

I don't know about the adapters, but I got a card branded "Cardshark" off of Amazon that looks just like that Startech picture recently and can confirm it works just fine with Windows 98 SE. It shows up as a NEC card within Windows and there is already a built in driver.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S29C1S6?ref_=ppx … ed_asin_title_1

I bought Nec card from Ebay.de. Fortunately I asked here first.

I was afraid to order those new black cards from Chinese sellers on Ebay after I saw this. My options was then two used red cards and I bought one of those.

Trying desperately to buy a NEC usb-card, but failing miserably

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