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fhturner

macrumors 6502a
Nov 7, 2007
631
413
Birmingham, AL & Atlanta, GA
Hey Folks—

Can anyone update on what, if any, options are available for use in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard NOW? I have some servers that I prefer to have that OS on and would like to add USB3, preferably w/o spending $120+ on the OWC/NewerTech eSATA + USB3 adapter. So, uh, obviously, I know about THAT option...just wondering if there are any basic options out there currently that will work with, say, CalDigit's or Sonnet's or LaCie's older drivers on 10.6. Or if there a good source for the older, discontinued USB3 cards from some of those vendors.

If there's another post earlier in that I've missed, feel free to point me to that as well.

Thx,
Fred
 

VAGDesign

macrumors 6502
Feb 1, 2014
344
189
Greece
I use Inateck's KT4004 but I haven't tried running 10.6 on my cMP.
The card works on Mavericks up to El Capitan (at least I've tested those 4 OS X versions).

It's cheap and no driver needed at all to work OOTB.

I hope this kinda helps...
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
8,587
Hong Kong
I use Inateck's KT4004 but I haven't tried running 10.6 on my cMP.
The card works on Mavericks up to El Capitan (at least I've tested those 4 OS X versions).

It's cheap and no driver needed at all to work OOTB.

I hope this kinda helps...

It won't work in 10.6. FL1100 wasn't in any Mac back in 10.6. So, no driver in the OS. In fact, I am quite sure no USB 3.0 card can work natively in 10.6.
 
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Synchro3

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2014
1,987
850
Hey Folks—

Can anyone update on what, if any, options are available for use in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard NOW? I have some servers that I prefer to have that OS on and would like to add USB3, preferably w/o spending $120+ on the OWC/NewerTech eSATA + USB3 adapter. So, uh, obviously, I know about THAT option...just wondering if there are any basic options out there currently that will work with, say, CalDigit's or Sonnet's or LaCie's older drivers on 10.6. Or if there a good source for the older, discontinued USB3 cards from some of those vendors.

It could be possible there is no USB 3.0 Card working with 10.6 Snow Leopard (no drivers), because USB 3 was introduced with OS X 10.8.3 with Mac Models from 2012.

But maybe I'm wrong, it could be the old Caldigit FASTA 6GU3 (NON-Pro) has drivers for OS X 10.6.
 
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fhturner

macrumors 6502a
Nov 7, 2007
631
413
Birmingham, AL & Atlanta, GA
It could be possible there is no USB 3.0 Card working with 10.6 Snow Leopard (no drivers), because USB 3 was introduced with OS X 10.8.3 with Mac Models from 2012.

But maybe I'm wrong, it could be the old Caldigit FASTA 6GU3 (NON-Pro) has drivers for OS X 10.6.

The NewerTech "Legacy" version works in 10.6 w/ drivers, as would the "non-Pro" Caldigit card. Would be interested to try the Caldigit, but don't know where to find any. Did not see any eBay listings, or retail listings on a Google search. But I didn't dig very deep just yet...
 

Synchro3

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2014
1,987
850
The NewerTech "Legacy" version works in 10.6 w/ drivers, as would the "non-Pro" Caldigit card. Would be interested to try the Caldigit, but don't know where to find any. Did not see any eBay listings, or retail listings on a Google search. But I didn't dig very deep just yet...

I've got that old Caldigit Non-Pro card, but I checked now the software, has only separate drivers for OS X 10.7 and Windows 7. For OS X 10.8 and beyond no drivers needed.
 

840quadra

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 1, 2005
9,481
6,380
Twin Cities Minnesota
Anyone had Any luck with the KT4004 in Sierra? I wish I had checked this thread further before ordering one. Saw one on Amazon, referenced the wiki and assumed it would work. Sadly, I didn't do my research beforehand!
 

fhturner

macrumors 6502a
Nov 7, 2007
631
413
Birmingham, AL & Atlanta, GA
Anyone had Any luck with the KT4004 in Sierra? I wish I had checked this thread further before ordering one. Saw one on Amazon, referenced the wiki and assumed it would work. Sadly, I didn't do my research beforehand!

EDIT: Since I was asking about 10.6 support, my eyes skipped over your "in Sierra" part! Sorry for the confusion. Here is my experience w/ trying the KT4004 in Snow Leopard:

[IN 10.6 SNOW LEOPARD] I've tried it, using various drivers, and never got it to work completely. I could get disks to mount once, and sometimes transfer data, but after that, they'd go "deaf" and not come back until a restart. Not nearly stable enough for consistent use. The one I came closest w/ I believe was a Hackintosh driver (mentioned in a thread here), but it just didn't work well enough to be useful...
 
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h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
8,587
Hong Kong
Anyone had Any luck with the KT4004 in Sierra? I wish I had checked this thread further before ordering one. Saw one on Amazon, referenced the wiki and assumed it would work. Sadly, I didn't do my research beforehand!

My KT4004 works with Sierra flawlessly (native driver). The only issue I have with this card is nothing to do with the OS version, but it didn't work well with my cables. Once I fix that, everything works perfect.
 

840quadra

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 1, 2005
9,481
6,380
Twin Cities Minnesota
I've tried it, using various drivers, and never got it to work completely. I could get disks to mount once, and sometimes transfer data, but after that, they'd go "deaf" and not come back until a restart. Not nearly stable enough for consistent use. The one I came closest w/ I believe was a Hackintosh driver (mentioned in a thread here), but it just didn't work well enough to be useful...

My KT4004 works with Sierra flawlessly (native driver). The only issue I have with this card is nothing to do with the OS version, but it didn't work well with my cables. Once I fix that, everything works perfect.

My experience. More closely matches that of @fhturner sadly. I have not been able to mount any disks on it, despite various attempts at changing slots, zapping the P-Ram and other various troubleshooting steps. I can charge my iPhone from it though o_O .
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,656
8,587
Hong Kong
My experience. More closely matches that of @fhturner sadly. I have not been able to mount any disks on it, despite various attempts at changing slots, zapping the P-Ram and other various troubleshooting steps. I can charge my iPhone from it though o_O .

Try plug the cable in, and then slowly pull it out a little bit (feels like no more then 3mm). If the ext HDD respond at some stage, stop at there, and the disk will mount.

My card doesn't work with my HDD enclosure when I just install it (in El Capitan). However, it work with other USB 2.0 device and another USB 3.0 HDD. So I can almost narrow down to the cable's problem.

I found that if I didn't fully plug the cable in, my HDD enclosure works. However, thats not a good way to run the hardware. So, I now put a USB 3.0 hub as a bridge. Since then, everything works flawlessly. My cable works with the hub, and the hub works with the KT4004.
 

fhturner

macrumors 6502a
Nov 7, 2007
631
413
Birmingham, AL & Atlanta, GA
My experience. More closely matches that of @fhturner sadly. I have not been able to mount any disks on it, despite various attempts at changing slots, zapping the P-Ram and other various troubleshooting steps. I can charge my iPhone from it though o_O .

Just to point out...I mistakenly replied about 10.6 Snow Leopard in my next-newest post above, missing that you'd said Sierra. I've had good luck w/ the KT4004 in 10.10 and later so far. The only gripe being the oft-cited "Disk has been improperly ejected" sleep behavior. I wonder if you have a bad card, perhaps. Do you have access to another one to try?
 

flowrider

macrumors 604
Nov 23, 2012
7,321
3,003
Just to throw this out, I got rid of my Inateck KT4004 over a year ago. My HighPoint RocketU 1144C is still working flawlessly. So much so that I forgot it was even there, until I re-stumbled upon this thread morning. I'm running a cMP 5,1 with Sierra 10.12.1.

Lou
 

FireWire2

macrumors 6502
Oct 12, 2008
363
6
If you are running 10.12.x. You should use DATOptic USB3.1 card, it has UASP, which moves data lot more efficent
 

840quadra

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 1, 2005
9,481
6,380
Twin Cities Minnesota
Try plug the cable in, and then slowly pull it out a little bit (feels like no more then 3mm). If the ext HDD respond at some stage, stop at there, and the disk will mount.

My card doesn't work with my HDD enclosure when I just install it (in El Capitan). However, it work with other USB 2.0 device and another USB 3.0 HDD. So I can almost narrow down to the cable's problem.

I found that if I didn't fully plug the cable in, my HDD enclosure works. However, thats not a good way to run the hardware. So, I now put a USB 3.0 hub as a bridge. Since then, everything works flawlessly. My cable works with the hub, and the hub works with the KT4004.

Just to point out...I mistakenly replied about 10.6 Snow Leopard in my next-newest post above, missing that you'd said Sierra. I've had good luck w/ the KT4004 in 10.10 and later so far. The only gripe being the oft-cited "Disk has been improperly ejected" sleep behavior. I wonder if you have a bad card, perhaps. Do you have access to another one to try?

Zero luck with different slots and such. I will give another option a try in my PC gaming system.

Sadly my luck (and attentiveness) has let me down again, as I purchased an PCIE SATA adapter and 950 pro NVMe SSD that this system doesn't support either. Looks like I have purchased some tasty upgrades for my PC gaming system! :oops:
 

crjackson2134

macrumors 601
Mar 6, 2013
4,847
1,957
Charlotte, NC
If you are running 10.12.x. You should use DATOptic USB3.1 card, it has UASP, which moves data lot more efficent

All the cards I mentioned in my reply support UASP. I should & will stick to my current cards. The DATOptic does not outperform my RocketU or my Sonnet Allegro Pro cards. My KT4004 card sleeps with the old GPUs in the bottom drawer.
 

outonmybike

macrumors newbie
Aug 27, 2013
7
0
I've been reading over this thread looking to see if anybody has already answered a question i have about USB 3.0 and PCIe slots, but I am not seeing it, so I'll ask away.
I have a 2008 3,1 (2x4 3.0ghz) Mac Pro. I just installed an Inatek PCIe to USB 3.0 card in one of the x16 PCIe slots (the graphics card occupies the first x16 slot). Does the USB 3 card need to be in a x16 slot to reach full speed, or will the data transfer (w/r speed to an external hard drive connected via USB 3.0) suffer if the card is installed in one of the x4 slots?
 
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VAGDesign

macrumors 6502
Feb 1, 2014
344
189
Greece
You can install it on any port. I have it on the 3rd one. I think it uses 1X speed the PCI Card itself, so it doesn't matter.
 
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