StarTech.com 2 Port ExpressCard SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Card Adapter with UASP - USB 3.0 Controller - USB 3.0 ExpressCard - 5Gbps - USB 3.0 Adapter, TAA (ECUSB3S22)

This product works exactly as intended on my 2011 Dell Latitude E5420. It provides full USB 3.0 bandwidth on a laptop that was not originally configured with USB 3.0. I have read a number of the reviews here, both positive and negative. The negative reviewers note, among other things, that: 1) The card is a tight fit in some laptops; 2) The card ejects easily; 3) The card is temperamental and frequently shuts down or disengages without notice; 4) Drivers were difficult to install or did not work correctly; 5) The card provided only USB 2.0 bandwidth and not USB 3.0 bandwidth.With respect to each of these comments I will say this: The item I am reviewing is my second copy of this product. The first one I received had all of the issues listed above and more. After attempting to get it working correctly for about an hour, I requested an RMA from Amazon, received a return label, and sent it back that afternoon.This second one that I am reviewing, works flawlessly. I have none of the issues listed above with this copy and I have full USB 3.0 bandwidth. I have updated my laptop to Windows 10 64-bit. With this OS, and a properly working device, the install was seamless. I shut down the computer before installing the device, then booted it up. Within seconds, the OS recognized the device and installed the appropriate driver from the MS database. No disk or download from the StartTech website was required. If you do use the driver from the included disk or from the StarTech website, Windows 10 will still download and install the more current driver from the MS database, so there really is no point in taking the extra step of manually installing a driver if you are running Windows 10.I tested the device using a portable spinning hard drive, an external SSD, and a USB 3.0 thumb drive. Using a disk speed testing tool, I was able to achieve full USB 3.0 bandwidth for each device: 1) 106+ MB/s for the hard drive; 2) 500+ MB/s for the SSD; and 3) 75+ MB/s for the thumb drive. The spinning hard drive was the only storage device that required the use of the included USB power supply cable. Without it, an active spinning drive draws more current than the StarTech card is capable of delivering on its own, so the card will shut down in the middle of a data transfer if the supplemental power cord is not used.So my experience with this card, so far, has been absolutely excellent. Having built and maintained both desktop and laptop computers for more than 30 years, I know that sometimes when you purchase computer electronics, you end up with a dud. That appears to be what happened to me with the first card I received and perhaps to all of the reviewers who provided negative feedback. While getting a device that's DOA is always disappointing, and never particularly pleasant, Amazon goes out its way to make returning the dud as painless as possible. That's why, whenever possible, I order stuff like this from Amazon. StarTech is also a well-known company and generally produces quality products. I have purchased a number of StarTech products over the years, always with great results. That's why I picked the StarTech branded option over some of the lower cost alternatives that are offered here.Anyway, hopefully you find this feedback helpful. Enjoy!!!

Pros:-Fits in the ExpressCard slot well, no loose wiggly feeling.-Backwards compatible with ExpressCard Gen 1 slot, meaning it works in some older laptops at half speed (but still tons faster that USB2)-It really does sit flush. I don't even notice the card in my laptopCons:-You won't get max USB 3.0 speeds, just not gonna happen, but it will be tons faster than USB2. My tests say about 50% max "theoretical speed"-Does NOT provide ample power to higher power devices. It does have a little DC port for extra power and comes with a USB to DC power cable for a power boost, but it just doesn't cut it. I'm sure you can get an AC adapter that fits, but then you become tethered to a wall plug and no guarantee it will work.I bought this for my older HP Pavilion DV7-3162NR laptop from 2009. The laptop is a 17.3" widescreen, upgraded to 240GB SSD, upgraded to 8GB RAM, with AMD 2.6Ghz Dual Core CPU, Radeon HD 4200 graphics adapter, an oversized extended life battery, and case mods to open up the CPU fan intake and exhaust. By no means is this a gaming or high-end laptop, but with upgraded specs and a big screen it's definitely still perfectly adequate for moderate usage. One thing that's missing, however, is any USB3 ports. That's where this StarTech USB3.0 ExpressCard comes into play. I have two USB 3.0 thumb drives and one USB 3.0 Monitor (ASUS MB168B+) that I'd love to run at full spec. The ExpressCard is finicky and sometimes has to be removed and reinserted for the USB sticks to read properly, but they do run ok at about 150MB/s, which is good enough. Now the USB Monitor works on the USB 2.0 slots, but NOT this USB 3.0 card. The monitor uses DisplayLink, which means it uses CPU and pumps the result over USB, so anything high-motion is too much for USB 2.0 and requires USB 3.0. This card simply cannot provide enough power to make the monitor even come on. I honestly attribute the speed and finicky-ness of the card to my laptop with aging components, but the monitor thing is most definitely a limitation of the card.I have not tried any powered or portable hard drives, so I cannot attest to those working or not, but any device that requires HIGH POWER from USB will unfortunately not work with this card. The card is still a good device and a worthwhile purchase, but since part of the reason that I purchased this card was for that monitor, I am somewhat disappointed.