Do _any_ USB 3.0 cards actually work?

[Warren Block]

On Mon, 26 May 2014, Ronald F. Guilmette wrote:

>
> In message <alpine.BSF.2.00.1405261636170.85609 at wonkity.com>,
> Warren Block <wblock at wonkity.com> wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 26 May 2014, Julian H. Stacey wrote:
>>
>>>> Does FreeBSD *ever* work with *any* USB 3.0 equipment?  Or is this
>>>
>>> Yes it works. Tue, 12 Jun 2012 I filed a success report:
>>> http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-usb/2012-June/011283.html
>>
>> Jeesh, two years ago.  I remember looking it up at the time, and this
>> appears to be the same card from Newegg:
>>
>> www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158297
>
> So are you guys telling me that I just shoulda bought that one?
>
> I can see right off the bat why I didn't.
>
> It looks like even now it still costs about twice as much as the ones
> that I did actually buy.

The Startech stuff is usually overpriced.  That card and others with the 
same chipset are all probably based on the same reference design. 
Vantec is more reasonable, and if you watch for sales, can be much less. 
Mine included a SATA power female to Molex adapter, a rare adapter that 
is handy for newer machines with only SATA cables and worth a bit on its 
own.