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I checked the manual for my Thinkpad T430, and it a 34mm ExpressCard slot on the right side. Is ExpressCard still a thing? I checked Newegg for such devices and they don't seem to have that many items for this. The SSD they do have in this format is way more expensive for it's size then a SATA3 2.5" drive or even a mSATA card would be.

I really don't see much use for this slot and would prefer a few USB ports instead.

It *was* a thing. However, support has waned and it was never a popular interface to begin with.

If you do want to use the slot you'd best think about your use case and purchase something as soon as you can.

Since it's essentially a PCIE slot, it can be used to connect to an external graphics card if you're really hard core. But no, it's not really a thing any more. A T430 is old by tech standards now, that's Ivy Bridge era IIRC, that's 4 years old. The T460 and T470 don't have express card slots.

Vhalidictes wrote:

It *was* a thing. However, support has waned and it was never a popular interface to begin with.

If you do want to use the slot you'd best think about your use case and purchase something as soon as you can.

I think the only ExpressCard I've seen in the wild was a mobile 4G modem on a couple of people's laptops I knew.

whm1974 wrote:

Vhalidictes wrote:

It *was* a thing. However, support has waned and it was never a popular interface to begin with.

If you do want to use the slot you'd best think about your use case and purchase something as soon as you can.

I think the only ExpressCard I've seen in the wild was a mobile 4G modem on a couple of people's laptops I knew.

I've seen them for an RS232 serial port. If you laugh at that, be happy you don't work in an industrial environment.

USB3.0 ExpressCard or 2 ports from China
***Check for compatibility in your device.

There's also a Sound Blaster X-Fi for that slot if your'e desperate to shove something in there.

http://www3.lenovo.com/gb/en/accessorie ... /p/45K1775

Lenovo is offering a serial port card for it.

derFunkenstein wrote:

There's also a Sound Blaster X-Fi for that slot if your'e desperate to shove something in there.

I use Linux and I don't think that device is supported. And besides, the on board audio is good enough for me anyway.

whm1974 wrote:

derFunkenstein wrote:

There's also a Sound Blaster X-Fi for that slot if your'e desperate to shove something in there.

I use Linux and I don't think that device is supported. And besides, the on board audio is good enough for me anyway.

Well if I have to read your mind and know what cards you're interested in and won't be interested in, I'm not going to participate.

Also this - the X-Fi series is really freakin' old.

whm1974 wrote:

I use Linux and I don't think that device is supported. And besides, the on board audio is good enough for me anyway.

Heh, Linux is even mentioned on the ThinkWiki page http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ExpressCard_slot

Also OP, StarTech.com has some options for you https://www.startech.com/Search?search_ ... resscard34

derFunkenstein wrote:

whm1974 wrote:

derFunkenstein wrote:

There's also a Sound Blaster X-Fi for that slot if your'e desperate to shove something in there.

I use Linux and I don't think that device is supported. And besides, the on board audio is good enough for me anyway.

Well if I have to read your mind and know what cards you're interested in and won't be interested in, I'm not going to participate.

Also this - the X-Fi series is really freakin' old.

OK maybe I was thinking of newer Creative Labs soundcards.

I was looking at an SSD ExpressCard at Newgg, but too small for my needs and way too expensive.

On my old beloved gaming laptop I had an Expresscard X-Fi --it was awesome. Swapped it out frequently for an Expresscard 54 to dual USB 3.0 port card. It's limited to 2.5gbps but still a huge boost over USB 2.0. I probably still have both floating around somewhere.

There used to be some SSDs available for that ExpressCard, I don't know if they are still available though.

Vhalidictes wrote:

There used to be some SSDs available for that ExpressCard, I don't know if they are still available though.

Newegg still has one in stock. But it's 48GB and $160.

My HP EliteBook has an ExpressCard slot, a VGA port, a FireWire port, and a dial-up modem port (!), none of which I ever use. Doesn't particularly bother me, since it has all the other ports I want (including DisplayPort and eSATA).

Just because a port exists doesn't mean you need to use it. Do you also feel compelled to use the COM header on your desktop motherboard? (Many motherboards still have the header, though having a COM port as part of the rear port cluster has been out of fashion for a decade or more.)

If you're hooking up a bunch of USB devices then presumably you're using it at a desk (not mobile), in which case an external USB hub would be a good solution. That way you can plug all your devices in just by plugging in one cable (the hub)... kind of a "poor man's docking station".

No I don't feel compelled to find a use case for the ExpressCard slot on my notebook. The only use case I will probably ever have for this is a modem card for mobile networks.

just brew it! wrote:

Just because a port exists doesn't mean you need to use it.

False. Every empty port is an excuse to raid eBay.

US Gov't Employee SmartCards (i.e. Common Access Cards) that plug in via ExpressCard? That was the only thing I heard of them being used for post 2000ish. though I think even for that, the trend was moving toward USB peripherals?

this guy's got a review from 2017, so I guess maybe they're still being used by somebody! https://www.amazon.com/SmartCard-Expres ... 000RDHAQ2/

One of our telecom techs has a serial port ExpressCard. I got it for him because he was unsatisfied with USB adapters.

bthylafh wrote:

I got it for him because he was unsatisfied with USB adapters.

Rightfully so, finding a decent USB one can F$#^@ing hard.

bthylafh wrote:

One of our telecom techs has a serial port ExpressCard. I got it for him because he was unsatisfied with USB adapters.

I recall having a similar issue (and solution) a couple of jobs back, though that was long enough ago that the card we ended up with was probably PCMCIA (not ExpressCard).

Glorious wrote:

Rightfully so, finding a decent USB one can F$#^@ing hard.

A lot of USB serial f*ckery can be fixed by making sure you use an adapter that has an FTDI chipset. The vast majority of the USB serial adapters on the market use a Prolific chipset, and it's garbage. You'll pay a little more for the FTDI-based ones, but it's worth it.

Well I learned something new today,if I ever need a USB to serial adapter I now know what to get. Thanks

Glorious wrote:

bthylafh wrote:

I got it for him because he was unsatisfied with USB adapters.

Rightfully so, finding a decent USB one can F$#^@ing hard.

Finding one that isn't fake and disabled by the newest Prolific driver is even harder!

Nuking counterfeit hardware via driver: Because the End User Always Knows What Fake ASIC The Manufacturer Used When Buying Something On Amazon. Pure genius.

(Internet Search "prolific driver code 10" if you're curious.)

FTDI has that problem with drivers and counterfeits also.

bthylafh wrote:

FTDI has that problem with drivers and counterfeits also.

I agree that it's a problem, but punishing the end user probably isn't going to help...

The T430 is over five years old, so looking for current add-in cards for an interface that were niche at the time is quite a fishing expedition. That said, a cursory search on Amazon and Newegg would answer your question without yet another thread.

Kretschmer wrote:

The T430 is over five years old, so looking for current add-in cards for an interface that were niche at the time is quite a fishing expedition. That said, a cursory search on Amazon and Newegg would answer your question without yet another thread.

That just tells me that they have ExpressCard devices for sale, could be new stuff or old inventory.

whm1974 wrote:

Kretschmer wrote:

The T430 is over five years old, so looking for current add-in cards for an interface that were niche at the time is quite a fishing expedition. That said, a cursory search on Amazon and Newegg would answer your question without yet another thread.

That just tells me that they have ExpressCard devices for sale, could be new stuff or old inventory.

Does the difference matter at this point?

just brew it! wrote:

whm1974 wrote:

Kretschmer wrote:

The T430 is over five years old, so looking for current add-in cards for an interface that were niche at the time is quite a fishing expedition. That said, a cursory search on Amazon and Newegg would answer your question without yet another thread.

That just tells me that they have ExpressCard devices for sale, could be new stuff or old inventory.

Does the difference matter at this point?

I would say yes it does even though chances are that I will never use it.