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24 Posts

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November 8th, 2025 19:24

Adding USB 3.0 card to XPS 8300. Last try will be the optional 072YMW.

Greetings all. Counting my GF, we now have 5 different XPS machines. I really think the quality is hard to beat. My first XPS 8300 has an i5 processor and is running Windows 7. Yes, Windows 7. While I do have a set of recovery CD's back from a time when you were given such things, I want to clone my HDD to another HDD in an external enclosure by Sabrent to retain all that I'm running, and saving, presently.

I believe that the USB ports on my 8300 are all USB 2.0. This had it taking a very long time to clone the source HDD. And ultimately the clone failed due to some sort of bad sector, or?, on the barely used 2TB WD HDD. I want to try again after running check disk and  having some things repaired via same. But I'd love to know of my success or failure sooner rather than later, so the 3.0 should help. I have tried a Dell card, OFWGJ8 w/o it's back plate, but I couldn't find the right driver. I ordered one other that hasn't yet arrived, but it's basically the same as the OFWGJ8, but with the right, taller, back plate. I don't hold out hope for it though.

Bottom line: I now have a Dell 072YMW card on the way to me. I see that it was an optional upgrade for my machine so I'm thinking it has the best chance of working. I also see that I may need some sort of SATA power supply to power the card. And it looks like I'll need an adapter cable to go from the SATA to the back end USB(?) port on the card.

Do I have good odds of successfully installing this card and finding a driver? Many thanks. Sorry for my verbosity. Cheers.

9 Legend

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14.8K Posts

November 8th, 2025 23:00

Another way to preserve system is to create a system image on external USB hdd or external HDD in an enclosure connected to pc via usb.

the image can be much smaller in size than the hdd capacity depending on how much space has been used on the HDD.  If your 8300 HDD ever fails you can use the system image to restore an identical system on a new HDD.

8300 part list:

Card, Interface, USB 3.0, Ecs Inc. International

Add 2 USB 3.0 ports
6C37Y
Card, INTFC, USB 3.0, GB

Add 2 USB 3.0 ports
72YMW

(edited)

9 Legend

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14.8K Posts

November 8th, 2025 23:04

Gigabyte Dell 72YMW PCI Express x1 USB 3.0 Card

part list mentions GB for Gigabyte.

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