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PC Spec:

  • Motherboard Model - ASRock H81M-HDS
  • 2 x SATA3
  • 2 x SATA2
  • 4 x USB 3.0 (2 Front, 2 Rear)
  • 8 x USB 2.0

I have a new PC with a micro-ATX motherboard which is naturally quite small. Problem is, my fat graphics card totally covers the other (and only) PCIe slot.

I want to connect an old firewire 400/800 audio interface to my PC.

I've tried to install a PCIe firewire card using a PCIe extension cable. I thought that might reach the vacant PCIe slot underneath the graphics card. but even that cable wont fit.

You guys have any other creative solutions that can help me get my audio interface connected? keep in mind that performance is important to me as this is an audio interface and low latency is crucial.

I thought of these options but i'm skeptical of they'd work or not:

  1. An internal hub connected through SATA cables - looks like the best option.
  2. An external hub like this one - i'n afraid that this one might be just a repeater and not a fire wire to usb solution
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No the options would not work and I doubt that there is any solution except a PCI(-E) card.

Those front panel thing (what you called internal hub) does not connect the FireWire port to a USB header, but a FireWire header, which would only exists if the board has a FireWire controller built in (and if that's the case, you'll likely have at least one FireWire port on the back panel and a front panel module comes with the board). For example, https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P5AD2_Premium/specifications/

Neither will there be such thing as "FireWire to SATA" (at least not in the sense of what you need) since SATA is not a general-purpose connector anyway.

The external hub pretty obviously takes a FireWire and a USB input (the Port 0s) RESPECTIVELY. And I doubt that there is such thing as "FireWire to USB" anyway, since the protocol is totally different and incompatible. I saw some people told that they can connected some of their FireWire devices to USB ports with an adapter, but I think that's only possible if the device itself explicitly support both protocols and is able to detect what's the type of the host and switch dynamically.

EDIT: I don't think your graphic card can block you from using the PCI-E x1 slot for a FireWire controller card? Since apparently the gap between them looks wide enough to accommodate thick card that occupies two slots? Or do you have one that occupies three slots:

enter image description here

Are there even such cards for mATX?

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  • yes, i have a three slot card. actually a 2.5. gtx 970. it blocks the other pcie slot. i am thinking of buying a pcie x16 extension cable (riser cable) that i could move the graphics card away so i could reach the covered, smaller pcie slot.
    – Itamar Gronich
    Commented Apr 6, 2016 at 17:06

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