Possibility to add USB 3.0 support to a ASUS G73JH via Mini-PCIe?

I see more and more threads about users who add successfully USB 3.0 support to their notebooks by adding a Mini-PCIe card ( e.g here). Wouldn't that be also possible with the ASUS G73JH which has by default only USB 2.0 ports?

I investigated threads about the G73 and If I understood it correctly then the G73 has a full working Mini-PCIe slot which is by default in use of the WLAN card. Some models have even a socket to solder a 2nd Mini-PCIe slot which could be used for the WLAN card or something else, I couldn't find any informations though if that one is a full working Mini-PCIe slot.

Its sad that there is no thread about "G73JH mods" here, I saw for example a mod to add easily a eSATA connection to the G73JH or change the color of the keyboard backlight.

 

Can't you just buy an ExpressCard to USB 3.0???

 

The G73 has no ExpressCard slot so that wouldn't help me much. The only possibility seems to be the Mini-PCIe connection which is being used by the WLAN card at the moment.

 

I have no idea if there is a whitelist check in your laptop.

If it exists then you should try the way to resolve it which is in that link you posted.

If you for some reason can't use that way then you should ask someone to delete whitelist in BIOS.
Before that I suggest you to check the proper way to recover BIOS just in case.

 

Good question, is here maybe any G73 user who used a non-WLAN card in the Mini-PCIe slot already or who could try it?

 

The mini-PCI-e slot is just that, a mini slot. If you can find a USB3.0 mini card, then it should work.

 

Regarding the mini pci-e slots in the G73, there appear to be leads to solder another one. Do you know if they are indeed leads for a mini pci-e and if we could solder one? Or have it done by an authorized tech regardless of whether it voids the warranty or not.

 

Oh that would void the warranty!

 

Oh, i know that for certain , i just want to know if it can be done, to add a tv tuner for example, or a mini pci-e SSD to get one mean G73 with SSD for boot and 1.5 to 2TB of HDD space.

 

I found also this "unused" mini PCIe slot and it seems to be connected to the mainboard, I saw in another forum that at least the USB part is 100% working on this slot because someone soldered a BT stick to it. It would be nice if anyone could confirm that it is a full working mini PCIe slot, not only a "USB one". Click here if you want to see a picture, there is also another connection infront (Right side of the WLAN PCIe slot) which looks like a additional USB or even SATA port?

Anyway my primary target is to add 1 USB 3.0 port to the G73JH, it is not that important for me but it would help to backup my data faster to my USB 3.0 HDDs. I wouldn't have a problem to replace the WLAN card, I can simply use a WLAN stick instead OR use for example the USB part of the 2nd Mini-PCIe slot to connect it there.

Well Chastity my G73 visited sadly often ASUS in the last months, I won't send it again there so I don't care (much) about the 6 months of remaining warranty. I saw that you contribute a lot to the G73 community and I want to thank you for that, but sadly a lot of the people who work for ASUS in Germany seems to have way less experience and don't care that much about their customers.

Imagine you would replace also the ODD with a HDD Tijo, then you could put 3 HDDs and 1 SSD in your G73

 

So anyone tested a "non-WLAN" card in the slot already? Because then I will give it a try.

 

Nope, I had intended to last summer after probing the pads and things seemed good. Including the 2 working usb pins. But decided to wait in the event I may need to warranty in my last 6months of my 2year. I had 1 GPU failure which has led me hesitant for a definite warranty break.

Goodluck and hope to hear good news. Having 5-6 USB with 1 or 2 being 3.0 would be great.

 

why would you want usb3.0 ? faster usb transfer ?
i use usb stick very rarely and the 2.0 is just fine
i don't mind waiting 2 minutes more

waste your money for someting smart like SSD for example which will be useful

 

Cost is relatively low: $3 on digikey for the mini pci-e connector. And you can find USB 3.0 mini pci-e cards for $40-45 dollars

USB3.0 - 0.9A instead of 0.5A per 5v line. Much higher thoroughput which will still be bottlenecked off the card as its a pci-e 1x bus but still much greater than 480mb/s

My foremost reason for myself: Additional USB ports!!! Yes, I have hubs but native support beats a hub anyday!

Why not incorporate an existing hub to a current USB line and mod case to fit more USB 2.0, unless we tap additional power, I'd run into the case of powering certain devices off certain hubs - also I like the pros of USB 3.0

And why not! Unless you don't have ssd/xm/etc

 

That's a pretty tricky operation. I don't think I would attempt it. I do a lot of soldering with my microprocessor hobby and I could see that job going south easily. My G73JH is out on RMA right now. I believe the motherboard is failing. It keeps corrupting files on the hard drives and losing connection to one of them while booted up. Anyway, I wanted to buy a motherboard and just replace it myself instead of being without my machine for weeks and weeks. It turns out that the motherboard is about $400! I went ahead and sent it in. I hate being without it again, but good grief that's a lot of money!

I'm just saying there's a lot of risk in gaining a USB 3 connector in this scenario. There's absolutely no way to melt the solder on those pads without someone spotting it immediately when they open up the laptop.

 

Hey,i have question - how about use that mini PCIe ?
I think about replace my WiFi card and put in maybe mPCIe USB 3.0 card or ViDock / DIY GPU - does it will work?