Adaptor that allows me to use a PCI card via a USB connection [closed]

Of course, I have a cool card from a desktop I'm retiring, that I'd like to be able to use from the laptop I've replaced it with.

Laptop has no docking station. Best I can replace the card for is a LOT of money, it works hand in hand with an app I'd love to retain.

I want a device to give me access to PCI via PCMCIA or usb2.0 (laptop is a few years old and doesn't have the newer slot). Separate power is OK.

I would think it would be easy to find if such a device existed. All my searches turn up a million USB port cards that plug into a PCI slot - the opposite of what I want!

Does such a converter exist? I'm aware of difficulties to this, but am not interested in the why, only if you can drop a name, or say for sure it doesn't exist. thanks!

2 Answers

There's Magma 1-Slot Cardbus to Half-Length PCI Expansion Unit and Magma 1-Slot Cardbus to Full-Length PCI Expansion Unit that will connect cardbus to a PCI housing, but at about $1000 it is NOT cheap. You could get a new PC with a PCI slot for less. Magma also offers a fiber to PCI expansion chassis, but I doubt that would be much cheaper and you'd have the added cost of a PCMCIA Fiber nic

Haven't tried it myself, but perhaps you could use a pci to express card adapter, and then an express card to usb adapter. The below total approx $127 + shipping and support 2 full size card, compared to buying Magma's adapter which is $1159 + shipping, and only supports 1 card. Unfortunately the PCI adapter is not from a brand, it's just a generic adapter found on Ebay.

PCI To ExpressCard Adapter:

ExpressCard To USB Adapter: -pla--Laptop+Add-on+Cards-_-N82E16839158028CVF&gclid=CNzj9ZLI5MACFQiDfgod8QwACA