We may be approaching a wireless future, but USB is still one the most convenient ways to connect your devices, which means adding more can never hurt.
Computers are extremely versatile machines that can take advantage of countless other devices. Even outside of external storage and charging cables, some of the most useful USB gadgets you can buy will improve your PC experience by simply plugging them in at your leisure. Unfortunately, your options aren’t unlimited, as many motherboards and PC cases lack a wider number of ports. You’re always going to be limited by what the manufacturers can offer unless you can find a way to add more USB ports to your PC.
Luckily, there are methods you can take advantage of to make your computer capable of connecting to more devices at once. Not every single method will work for you, with some requiring certain cases and others needing a compatible motherboard. But with a bit of effort, ingenuity, and the right accessories, you might be surprised how much further you can stretch the limit of available ports. Here are some things you can try.Use an external USB hub
An external hub should really be the first thing you consider when wondering how to add more USB ports to your computer. A four-port Acer hub is a prime example of something both capable and cheap at just around $15, turning one USB port into four with practically no further setup required. This top-selling USB accessory is made for laptop users, but it’s perfect for those with a full-sized PC as well. With the addition of a power source, you can even use it to charge your phone or transfer data from full-sized hard drives.
The biggest downside to USB hubs is how you might miss out on faster transfer speeds. Plugging a USB 3.0 hub into a faster port will limit you to whatever the hub itself can handle, making it much less useful for those performing lots of copying and pasting. If you try to add even more ports by just daisy-chaining a whole group of these devices, you’ll probably struggle to make use of any of them.Add a PCIe expansion card to your motherboard
For those with the right motherboard, a PCIe expansion card will let you add more USB ports without taking up the ones already available to you.
