What does one need to take advantage of usb 3.0>

I assume that older motherboards do not support it by default. Is it possible to install something on the motherboard to enable it to become 3.0 or does someone need to have a newer motherboard with usb 3.0 already in the motherboard by default?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...306028&cm_re=usb3_card-_-15-306-028-_-Product
Basically atm USB3 is handled on all chipsets that I know of via a seperate controller which uses a PCIE link to communicate with the motherboard's southbridge or PCH. There are numerous controllers from numerous mfgs like NEC and Asmedia. There's not much difference between having the controller on the mobo or having the controller on a card like this. Except that it'd be cheaper if it came on the mobo.
This would give you rear USB 3 ports. You could either run cables internally from your front USB3 ports out the back to these, or you could get a card like this that has the new breakout connector and get a front bay USB 3 unit. Or both.

Theocnoob said:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...306028&cm_re=usb3_card-_-15-306-028-_-Product
Basically atm USB3 is handled on all chipsets that I know of via a seperate controller which uses a PCIE link to communicate with the motherboard's southbridge or PCH. There are numerous controllers from numerous mfgs like NEC and Asmedia. There's not much difference between having the controller on the mobo or having the controller on a card like this. Except that it'd be cheaper if it came on the mobo.
This would give you rear USB 3 ports. You could either run cables internally from your front USB3 ports out the back to these, or you could get a card like this that has the new breakout connector and get a front bay USB 3 unit. Or both.

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awesome! i will look into this. wouldnt it also depend on the hard drive for transfer rates?

marketpantry said:

awesome! i will look into this. wouldnt it also depend on the hard drive for transfer rates?

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Depends on what your doing, but if you are transferring from/to a HDD yes it will.

TOCN has it. A PCIe device will do it.

USB3 has WAY more bandwdth available than a mechnical hard drive can put through it so transfer speeds will vary on the unit attached to it, yes.

EarthDog said:

TOCN has it. A PCIe device will do it.

USB3 has WAY more bandwdth available than a mechnical hard drive can put through it so transfer speeds will vary on the unit attached to it, yes.

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thank you.

WD makes one that doesnt require Additional power connections, if it was only for seperate self powered storage it might be usefull. it would probably not be great for trying to suck power off of it via some unpowered thing, or by trying to use the port itself for power. probably not be smart for USB powered storage drives.
In other words you wouldnt try and run one of them usb toys off of it like the coffee warmer
it uses the primo poly caps, instead of the lesser ones.

they are powering the boards, because the usb3 spec aparentally goes up to 1amp from .5amp? most of them want a molex , or a floppy power connect.

there is a china junk board being sold in quantity and rebranded, gets very bad reviews, and high return. avoid! i stupidly tried it. It is nec chip, poorly implemented.

there is a multi purpose board in existance that does SATAIII and provides USB3 also, 2 of each, and i think it actually uses Lanes (the bigger slot , with bandwidth)
it was about $75

that is all i know till i test the WD.
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Ok, tested the WD, it worked for the disk.
but the board was VERY pickey about my overclock.
it set the card to USB2 and i had PCI-e lane issues , until i moved my overclock down
a few other people on the web reported a similar experience, with different USB3 boards.

MB asusP5B
WD usb3 card in Pci-e mini slot
next to it is a RR64 wanting lanes too , it has not had any real issue with the OC
the HD controller was a USB3 Segate dock thing.

when OCed the computer would start beeping, (but still working) and CPUz showed only 1 lane on the PCI-e
when in USB2 compatability it ran at about 33MB/s max. so that is how it worked with my normal overclock

after I set the clock back to normal :-( way normal , way to freaking normal
everything worked fine and i get speeds that are around 80MB/s, so it worked ok

It is just one more time that i wish i would have replace the motheboard instead of messing with the new stuff put into the old thing.
hey it worked, i think some of the problem might be how the pci-E itself works with the overclock? but other things have not had THIS much problem with it.
I had to turn the FSB itself down, how low can you go

Uggg, for me this was to do some transfers to loose drive items, at fair speed, not for my normal storage.
I could have conneted a drive (dangling out the side) to the internal sata, i just thought that would be convienient
unless i can figure out how to get all this stuff to work together, i think i prefer a high overclock, and usb2, and the old dangle it out the side method :-(
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You're just transferring data to hold internal hard drives for archiving/storage? Might want to look at a SATA Hotswap bay.

Knufire said:

You're just transferring data to hold internal hard drives for archiving/storage? Might want to look at a SATA Hotswap bay.

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I filled all the bays, long ago, there isnt enough of them ever, i even releaced one that a power controller was in, and in minutes i had taken that space up too. there is only 3 5.25s in my case, even though it is mid-tower size. i thought about 3to4 adapter, but i like space between the drives, and the dvd is a full size.

what other cool things can a USB3 be used for that needs all that speed? and will actually use all that speed?

on the WD
So far i have tried most of the buttons in the bios to try and change stuff, alter the PCI-E in different ways, only gets worse. I am basically done, the card is comming out .
workes great for a STOCK settings, so it isnt going to work in this setup

now that you mention it
What am i REALLY doing anyway, i could pipe a Internal sata, and a sata power out of the case and have the same thing better with less junk Hmmmmm.

what was really so convient about doing the 3.0 dock thing:
had to have add on card
the Drive/dock has to be powered with seperate crap power thng.
still takes 2 wires to connect.
ohh it was external , sure and a dremmel will make the internal external
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