USB 3.0 on Mac Pro Intel 2010

[GregBall]

I have a MacPro5,1 2.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon with 16GB of memory. I edit on FCP

Since USB3.0 seems like one of the newest ways of editing and using G-raid drives, I'm wondering how I can go about adding USB 3.0 to this mac.

I understand that I can install a USB 3.0 card into the mac, but I already have a ESATA card installed.
I believe I can add a second card (USB3.0) to the computer. Is that so? Will that cause conflicts with the ESATA card?

Should that create good read/write speeds to a USB 3.0 7200rmp external drive?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[harryb2448]

G'day and welcome to the forums.

Why go to an external drive?

Whatever you connect with will never be as fast as the internal SATA connections. You have four hard drive bays on your Mac Pro, are they all full? If not slap a drive in Bay 2. USB3 PCI-e cards are very problematical.

 

[GregBall]

Hi Harry,

I've always used external esata drives. They work great with multiple streams of HD video But now drives are either thunderbolt or USB 3.0. I still need access to my esata drives for older shows, but I like Graids that now seem to be USB 3.0

 

[harryb2448]

As you wish it is your machine.

 

[GregBall]

Thanks for your replies, but apparently you don't have the answer to my question. I was asking if it's possible to add another card to my mac with USB 3.0 ports since I already have an esata card. There are lots of reason not to add an internal drive. I need an external.

Hopefully someone else will answer this question?

 

[gsahli]

If the point of your question is "can a USB 3 card coexist with an esata card," then, yes, they don't interfere with each other in theory.

But like Harry says, it seems to be hit or miss. Read about this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFNR0OA/?tag=macforums0e4-20

This one is cheaper and has better Mac reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B6ZCNGM/?tag=macforums0e4-20

Some reviews:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1501482