Early 2011 MBP 17" ExpressCard/34 capabilities.

[BardsDirge]

i've tried using a SD card reader in my ExpressCard/34 slot but it's not hot-swapable and so much less convenient than a cheap USB adapter instead.

I'm looking into using my Express slot to get more USB ports. can anyone tell me how many amps the Express slot puts out. also i'd like to know if it is capable of USB3 speeds or if it's a waste.

can anyone offer suggestions on a card that's proven to work?

while the USB adapter only be usable for drive access, or will i be able to plug other things into it like a bluetooth dongle or a mouse/keyboard receiver?

i'd like any and all info i can get about what my express slot can and can't do really. it's always been rather mysterious to me.

thanks in advance for your time.

 

[ruslan120]

Apparently you can plug in graphics cards.

Back in the early 2000’s I used ExpressCard to add USB 2.0 ports (woah!) to a laptop.

eGPU on MacBook Pro 4,1 and up with PCIe ExpressCard slot

I found a way to a working solution for using eGPUs on old unsupported MacBook Pro machines! Currently, I have managed to connect a Zotax/Nvidia GTX650 and an AMD HD6450 to my MacBook Pro 4,1 machines (15" and 17") as external graphics cards (eGPUs) by using an ExpressCard 34mm adaptor, a PCIe...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[BardsDirge]

Apparently you can plug in graphics cards.

that is an interesting read, but personally, if i'm investing time and money into plunging half of a slightly newer computer into my computer... i'll save that money towards my next full computer.
i need USB ports much more than a 3rd monitor port.

though... if i can plug a GPU in that thing... why not a USB-C card?

 

[mightyjabba]

How do you mean it's not hot-swappable? My SanDisk FlashBack adapter seems to work fine in that regard, although I do find it a little inconvenient because you basically have to eject the entire adapter to get the card out, instead of just ejecting the card.

With my old first-gen MacBook Pro I recall having a drive that was designed to fit into the Expresscard slot that I used as a sort of secondary storage drive, so I guess that is also another possibility.

 

[BardsDirge]

How do you mean it's not hot-swappable? My SanDisk FlashBack adapter seems to work fine in that regard, although I do find it a little inconvenient because you basically have to eject the entire adapter to get the card out, instead of just ejecting the card.

mine is a Transcend XD. it doesn't do what you describe. i assume you mean you physical can't remove the SD? mine is typical push in to eject.

but when inserting/removing a card it's always a 50/50 chance it crashes me.

 

[mightyjabba]

Yeah, with the Sandisk it doesn't push in to eject, I think you are probably meant to just pinch the card with your fingers and take it out, but on the MBP it sits too far into the slot to do that. So I have to eject the entire card to get it out. But on the bright side I haven't had any crashes.

 

[BardsDirge]

Yeah, with the Sandisk [...] on the bright side I haven't had any crashes.

i'll need to keep an eye out for that one than. if i find it cheap it'll be nice to have one laying around that i'm not afraid to use.

still need a USB one that works though.

 

[mightyjabba]

I got it recently from eBay for $5.55 shipped