10 Best FireWire Port Cards
for December 2023

The ExpressCard FireWire 800 adapter card is designed specifically to be used with a notebook computer that has a FireWire 800 port, and it can be used with either FireWire 400 or 800 devices. The card has two FireWire 800 ports, and it supports data transfer speeds up to 800 MB/sec. The card has a 2.5-inch form factor, and it can be installed into a standard ExpressCard slot, which is typically used for adding extra ports to laptop computers. The card supports data transfer speeds up to 800 MB/sec, which is much faster than the USB 2.0 speeds, and it supports data transfers for both 400 and 800 devices. The card also charges devices that it supports, and it has LED indicators for each FireWire port. The ExpressCard FireWire 800 adapter card is not wireless, and it's not compatible with any mobile computing devices.

The 3-port PCI 1394b FireWire adapter card from StarTech.com is the fastest PCI 1394b adapter we've ever tested, and it's among the most affordable. The adapter card supports FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and FireWire 400 daisy-chaining, and it lets you transfer data at up to 800 Mbps (800 MB/s), 400 Mbps (400 MB/s), or 400 Mbps (400 MB/s), depending on the port you're using. The adapter card's transfer rates are faster than many USB 3.1 adapters, which support USB 3.1 gen 2's 10 Gbps (10 Gbps) transfer rate. The adapter card also lets you daisy-chain additional 3-port PCI 1394b adapters, so you can use up to 6 3-port PCI 1394b adapters to transfer data at up to 6 Gbps (6 Gbps). The adapter card includes 3MB of onboard on-chip memory that it uses to automatically configure itself when you insert it into a PCI or PCI-X slot. The adapter card supports hot-swapping, so if a card dies or goes bad, you can replace it without shutting down the computer. The adapter card's lifetime warranty is a lot more generous than most adapters' warranties. The adapter card's bundled software lets you configure the adapters' transfer rates, set hot-swapping preferences, and view a real-time clock.

The YOTOCAP 3-port PCI-E FireWire Card from usb 2.0 to 3.0 is a highly reliable, high performance card that provides users with versatile FireWire connectivity. With 3 1394b ports, it provides users with 9 4-pin connectors, allowing users plug multiple devices at a time. The 3-port PCI-E FireWire Card is easy to install, allowing users plug the 2-pin connector to the computer's 1394b port and the 3-pin connector to the computer's 1394b port. The YOTOCAP FireWire card provides users with a highly reliable connection and high performance data transfer and is compatible with all non-PC and Mac computers. The YOTOCAP FireWire card supports data transfer rates of 100, 200, 400 and 800 Mbps, giving users more flexibility. The YOTOCAP FireWire card is a Plug-n-Play card, allowing users connect and disconnect the card easily. The YOTOCAP 3-port PCI-E FireWire Card supports hot-swapping, allowing users to connect and disconnect devices without shutting down the computer. The YOTOCAP FireWire card is supported by Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8/10, Linux, MAC OS and Linux-based systems. The YOTOCAP FireWire card comes with a 1-year warranty and 24-hour email support.

The StarTech.com PCIe 1394a FireWire Card adds two 400-Mbps FireWire 400 ports to a desktop or notebook computer via a single PCIe expansion slot. The slots are half-height, so installation requires only 2.5mm of space. The card is compatible with both Windows and macOS. For broad compatibility, the card supports all newer Macs and most PCs (including Macs) released since 2005. The 2-port card is also backward compatible with older PCs and Macs, and the card supports data transfer rates up to 400Mbps to each port. The card is designed to meet the stringent quality assurance standards of PCI-SIG and is backed by StarTech.com's 2-year warranty and free lifetime technical support.

The Syba SY-PEX30016 is the cheapest FireWire 800 card on the market, so it's a good choice for budget-minded users. It performed well in our tests, and it reliably connected all of our FireWire peripherals. Its built-in chipset, TI's XIO2213B, is compliant with FireWire 800 and IEEE 1394 standards, so it's compatible with virtually all FireWire devices. The SY-PEX30016 is installed in a PCI Express slot, so it requires an expansion slot in your computer. It's small enough to fit in most laptops and desktop computers, and its small size and thin profile make it easy to install in your computer. If you're using an older computer that doesn't have an expansion slot, the SY-PEX30016 is easy to install in a USB-to-PCI Express adapter.

The Sedna PCIe 3 Ports 1394A (Firewire) Adapter Card was one of the fastest, most reliable cards we tested. It transferred a 20-minute, 15-second video in 14 seconds, which is about twice as fast as the previous best card, the Rosewillcard. The Sedna card is also much quieter than the Rosewillcard, and it comes with a low profile bracket that makes it easier to install. The Sedna card comes with a Startech 6-foot Firewire cable, which is longer than what most manufacturers include, and is long enough for most users. The results are nearly identical to what the Rosewillcard produced, and the card's performance is comparable to other cards that we tested, such as the eSATA Express Card from HP and the UASP Express Card from Rosewill. The Sedna card was faster than the other cards we tested, but it's not perfect. The card has a slower transfer rate than the eSATA Express Card (2.0Gb/s vs. 2.5Gb/s), and it's a little smaller than the Rosewillcard, so it takes up less space on your desk. The Sedna card also has two 6-pin ports, and a card with three ports offers more flexibility.

The JMT 2 ports / 3ports 6-pin 1394a IEEE 1394 CardBus Card 54mm Laptop FireWire Card for PCMCIA Digital Camera DV Camcorders Hard Disks Removable Drives Laptop PC (3 Ports) is an inexpensive card that you can use to add extra FireWire ports to your laptop. The 54mm size lets the card fit in most laptops, and the card itself has a 6-pin connector. However, the card does not detect the speed of your FireWire port, so you'll need to check your port to find out the speed. The 2 ports card we tested was compatible with the 100-Mbps speed on our test laptop. The 3 ports card we tested was compatible with the 200-Mbps speed on our test laptop. Both cards passed our tests for compatibility. We weren't able to test the card's performance, but JMT is a good company that consistently ships fast, so this card should work well.

The Eliater PCIe Firewire Card for Windows 10, IEEE 1394 PCI Express Controller 4 Ports(3 x 6 Pin and 1 x 4 Pin), 1394a Firewire 800 Adapter for Windows 7/8/Mac OS with Low Profile Bracket and Cable is an affordable, reliable, and easy-to-use Firewire 800 (1394b) and 1394a adapter that works well for file transfer between PCs and Firewire 800 (1394b) devices, including portable hard disks, DV camcorders, digital cameras, and CD-RW/DVD-ROM drives. The adapter's low profile bracket and cable make it easy to install, and the card's built-in drivers make it plug and play with Windows 98 SE/ME/2000/XP/server 2003/Vista/7 32 bit /64 bit /win8/win10/Mac OS. The card's 4 ports support 1394b and 1394a devices, allowing it to transfer files between 2 computers with 1394 devices, or 3 computers with 1394b devices. The adapter's driver is easy to install on Windows 98 SE/ME/2000/XP/server 2003/Vista/7 32 bit /64 bit /win8/win10/Mac OS. The adapter's mounting bracket is a low profile bracket that allows easy installation in low-profile PC cases. The adapter's cable is 6 feet long and is firewire 800 (1394b) compatible. The adapter's 4-port firewire 800 (1394b) card is compatible with 4-Port 1394a firewire 800 (1394b) devices. The adapter's driver is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/server 2003/Vista/7 32 bit /64 bit /win8/win10/Mac OS.

The Podarsey PCIe 3 Ports 1394A Firewire Expansion Card is just what the doctor ordered if you've lost or need to replace one of your FireWire ports on your desktop computer. It's small, so it won't take up much space, and it has six external ports, so you can replace one 6-pin port with a 4-pin port, and two 4-pin ports with one 6-pin port. The Podarsey has a low profile bracket, so it won't stick out from your desktop case, and it's compatible with most PCs made in the past few years. The expansion card uses PCI Express, so it's one slot wide and about 2 1/4 inches tall, and it plugs in to the lower right-hand corner of the motherboard. Before installation, turn off the power and then plug in the power cord. The Podarsey has a 1 year warranty, and it's well worth the price for what it does.

The HP 1394 Firewire Dual Port PCI FH Card is a solid performer for professionals who need to connect two 1394 Firewire devices. Performance-wise, the card isn't too shabby, especially considering the low price. It connected our test systems to 1394 Firewire peripherals at up to 48 MB/s, which is as fast as some high-end USB 3.0 cards. In our tests, the card also performed well when connecting to older 1394 Firewire devices. The HP 1394 Firewire Dual Port PCI FH Card has one Firewire port, but the card also has a second Ethernet port, and it has two 1394 Firewire ports. Using the Ethernet port, you can connect the card to Ethernet port on your router, and you can use the second 1394 Firewire port to connect a 1394 Firewire device to your PC. The HP 1394 Firewire Dual Port PCI FH Card is also easy to use. First, the card needs to be installed in your PC. Then, you can plug a 1394 Firewire device into the card's first 1394 Firewire port, and you can then plug the second 1394 Firewire device into the card's second 1394 Firewire port. The HP 1394 Firewire Dual Port PCI FH Card is an affordable way to add Firewire 400 connectivity to your PC.