In a sea of upgrade cards, Adaptec has made an effort to distinguish its products. For instance, the digital-video capability of the Adaptec DVPics Plus FireWire kit is a standout. The Adaptec USB 2.0 Upgrade Kit includes a four-port hub, so you can really expand your peripheral collection.

The card works smoothly, though its two-port design is hardly an effective use of space. The Adaptec XHub 4 graciously adds four ports (with an additional "upstream" port to connect the XHub 4 to the card), and the kit even includes a 6-foot USB cable. Finally, the USBControl Utility is a smart way to monitor connected devices, though it works only with Adaptec boards.