• Hardware
  • Adding firewire port to my computer

Can you add it to any desktop computer? Is it easy to do? Any place that can do it on the go while I wait for it? Would it cost a lot?


I need it to plug my soundcard.
If I get you right, you want to add a firewire port to your desktop? If so, then yes, peace of cake. You just get a PCI firewire card, can install it yourself. No additional setup needed, just plug and you're set.
Does the soundcard have drivers that are supported in the OS you are using / going to use on your desktop computer?
yasamoka wroteDoes the soundcard have drivers that are supported in the OS you are using / going to use on your desktop computer?
Yes, it does. Using Windows 7 Ultimate, and my soundcard is an M-Audio Profire 610

Nabs wroteIf I get you right, you want to add a firewire port to your desktop? If so, then yes, peace of cake. You just get a PCI firewire card, can install it yourself. No additional setup needed, just plug and you're set.
Right. Any video tutorial or something? I'm not really that experienced in modding stuff in my computer myself.
Seems pretty simple. Any idea how much the cards cost? and what major shops have them?
A FireWire IEEE1394a+b COMBO Card (2X FireWire 800 +1X FireWire 400) costs about $50 on PCandParts
Last time I installed one, it cost like 18$, just plain firewire, nothing important. I think there are even cheaper stuff out there.
Yeah there are a lot of better and cheaper cards. But those are legacy PCI cards, which motherboards are slowly not supporting anymore. If DarkNe0441's motherboards supports it, he should get that instead. Most shops have them.

@DarkNe0441 open up your side panel and see if you can find something that looks like the white slot in the picture

AvoK95 wroteYeah there are a lot of better and cheaper cards. But those are legacy PCI cards, which motherboards are slowly not supporting anymore. If DarkNe0441's motherboards supports it, he should get that instead. Most shops have them.

@DarkNe0441 open up your side panel and see if you can find something that looks like the white slot in the picture

http://img.hexus.net/v2/processors/intel/lga775/platformlaunch/images/pcie1x_big.jpg
Yup. Got three of those
Awesome. If you're planning on just having the card for your current build, then get the cheaper PCI one.

If you plan on upgrading later, and find that new motherboards do not have FireWire built in, nor regular PCI, get PCI-E (that is, if your current motherboard supports PCI-E and has a spare slot).
Already ordered the card from pc and parts... I don't see myself changing my build anytime soon. And my motherboard does support PCI Express! :D
You ordered a PCI card or a PCI-E card?

Do tell us how it goes after you (hopefully) get the card up and running.
PCIexpress to FireWire IEEE1394a+b COMBO Card (2X FireWire 800 +1X FireWire 400 )

exactly what I bought
How do you expect to install a PCIE card if your PC doesn't have it ?
AvoK95 wroteHow do you expect to install a PCIE card if your PC doesn't have it ?
My motherboard does support PCI express..