dbminter Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 I came across some rather inspiring information on USB 3 speeds. Every day, I use the latest version of Macrium Reflect to backup 53 GB of partitions data to a USB 3 HDD on a USB 3 cable. However, I don't have USB 3 ports on this PC. So, I'm still stuck in the USB 2 speed past as this PC was bought new in summer 2011. I read on a post on Macrium's forums that someone backs up 60 GB in 8 minutes! I can only dream of getting those kinds of speeds. I don't think I can add a USB 3 card into this PC. The expansion slot is taken up by the graphics card! There's some smaller PCI slots, I think, but I don't know if a card can be added to them for USB 3. Actually, I think a Dell representative told me in chat that they could add one when I chatted with them to ask them if there were USB 3 ports on this Dell XPS 8300. So, who knows?
cornholio7 Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043035/how-to-add-usb-3-0-to-your-desktop-pc.html
dbminter Posted January 28, 2014 Author Posted January 28, 2014 That card looks like it might work. I believe it's the size of my slot not taken up by the graphics card, in a most idiotic design! However, I had wanted to use that slot to install a serial ports card so I can use my old DexDrive again. Inferring it would work on such a setup. It's so old and the software probably doesn't work. I've already tried serial to USB for this device and it doesn't work.
cornholio7 Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 the pcie to usb3 will work as the drivers will be supported by win7/8, i'm not sure the drivers for your dexdrive will even if you can find an adapter. normally there are more than one pcie1 slots on mobo's? unless yours is micro atx
dbminter Posted January 28, 2014 Author Posted January 28, 2014 Actually, you know what? The DexDrive is so old there are no drivers! It's all entirely in the software interface. The DexDrive goes back to like 1997; it's used to read Playstation 1 saved game files from memory cards to PC files and back. It's one of the reasons why the serial to USB doesn't work. The software looks specifically for serial COM ports only. I haven't really looked at the PCI slots since I opened the PC to put in the extra SATA cables and optical drives into the PC back in summer of 2011. Plus, I'm not sure about the power cable situation mentioned in the PC World article.
cornholio7 Posted January 28, 2014 Posted January 28, 2014 looks like you will have to look in your case and see which available power plug you have and then choose a card from f.ex. those linked to on new egg, or get a molex to sata / sata to molex adapter cable, either way it's max 10 mins and that will be up and running http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2C50V95534, wouldn't this work?
dbminter Posted January 28, 2014 Author Posted January 28, 2014 What exactly is molex? The old style power cable that used to connection to PATA type old drives? Edit: I did a search for molex on NewEgg. Looks like molex is what I was thinking of.
dbminter Posted January 28, 2014 Author Posted January 28, 2014 Don't see why that card wouldn't be like what I have bookmarked to try someday: http://www.eio.com/p-16998-bytecc-bt-pe2s-2-ports-pci-e-serial-card-model-retail.aspx
dbminter Posted January 28, 2014 Author Posted January 28, 2014 You are right. I would have done some price comparisons when I got around to actually getting it. I had just bookmarked the first thing I found in a search. And, even if this project doesn't work, I'm not out much to begin with. I haven't played a PS 1 game for any considerable length of time since before 2006. So, even if I can no longer restore my saved PS 1 games, it's nothing big. What I would try to do, though, is see if the PS 2 can copy PS 1 saves to PS 2 memory cards for temporary storage. Then, I can use CodeBreaker's USB game save method.
dbminter Posted January 29, 2014 Author Posted January 29, 2014 I'd need to check the power cable situation in my PC. I think there's at least 1 free kind of supply that goes to SATA optical drives/hard drives. However, I think I'd need some kind of extension cable to reach it. Unless there are some cables located more the PCI slots. I put a USB 2 card in my 2000 PC for use with USB HD's. I don't think it needed a power cable. But, that was 13 years ago. I guess the USB 3 card needs one to power devices and probably for device charging?
dbminter Posted February 2, 2014 Author Posted February 2, 2014 BTW, what happens when you have a mix of USB 2 and USB 3 devices connected at the same time to a USB 3 bridge? Does it affect the speed of the USB 3 device so it only reads/writes at USB 2 because of the connected USB 2 device.
dbminter Posted February 3, 2014 Author Posted February 3, 2014 BTW, part deux, is USB 3 still slower than SATA? Is eSATA faster than USB 3?
cornholio7 Posted February 4, 2014 Posted February 4, 2014 http://www.itworld.com/hardware/98987/usb-30-vs-esata-is-faster-better
dbminter Posted February 4, 2014 Author Posted February 4, 2014 That article is almost 4 years old, though. It says that as devices and drivers mature, the speeds should improve. By now, that article's information is probably obsolete.
LIGHTNING UK! Posted February 4, 2014 Posted February 4, 2014 Whilst it would depend on the SATA -> USB 3.0 adapter being used, in real world tests, you'll never get anywhere near SATA 2 speeds on USB 3.0... or at least I didn't. I did a few about a year or so ago, pairing an SSD (OCZ Vertex 3 MI 120GB) with a USB 3.0 docking station (ThermalTake BlacX 5G) and an adapter (Akasa Flexstor Disklink). Neither of them managed to even reach 200MB/s. The drive would happily do 500MB/s on an Intel Z68 chipset SATA3 controller though.
Altercuno Posted February 17, 2014 Posted February 17, 2014 My transfer speeds on usb3 max at about 130 MB/s. Had to buy the SATA to usb3 adapter seperate as 1 didn't come with the motherboard. And it keeps falling out the socket,,,
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