While SD and microSD slots are safe to use on pretty much any card reader, CompactFlash is of particular concern, since there are so many pins a CF card must match on the opposite end.

I have been using SD, microSD and CompactFlash cards and I have not had any issues with mounting any cards so far. Makes sense, since it is a 4x USB hub and those ports need power. AFT changed the internals and the design of the unit with the PRO-77U and it is no longer powered by the motherboard USB slot – now you have to attach a separate power source. I have not had any major issues with the unit and it has been operating just fine, unlike the previous generation PRO-57U, which sometimes disconnected and reconnected. The AFT PRO-77U is made in Taiwan and its build quality is pretty decent. These ports can be used for both charging and for mounting other external devices. In addition to the 4 memory card slots, there is also an integrated USB 3.0 hub, giving you four additional USB 3.0 slots on the top of the device, which is very nice. There are a total of 4 slots for different memory card types, including CF, MS / Duo, SD and microSD. It also means that you need to have a motherboard that can support USB 3.0 devices and has a special port to accommodate such a device, as pointed out under “Installation Considerations” section below. The AFT PRO-77U is a 5.25″ USB 3.0 device, which means that you can take advantage of the much faster bus capable of up to 5 Gbits/sec transfer speeds. For years I have been using the previous-generation PRO-57U model and I have recently moved up to the PRO-77U in my latest PC build and I have been happy with my decision. The Atech Flash Technology PRO-77U gives me exactly that. In addition, it allows me to choose an all-in-one memory card reader that can read pretty much any format out there and potentially offer additional USB slots that I can use for other devices.

Having a memory card reader always integrated into a PC means that I don’t have to fiddle with external devices and wires dangling off my PC, which helps in keeping my work area nice and clean. Since I have always been building my own PCs, picking the best components for the fastest performance, I am comfortable with installing internal devices without resorting to external help. We are continuing our coverage of memory card readers this week and this time I want to talk about my personal preference for internal memory card readers, or the ones one would have to install in an empty / available bay in a computer.

Internal card reader for desktop pc