# question about USB



## ixiboneheadixi (Aug 22, 2011)

well i have been looking around at computer parts and such because i am building a desktop soon, but i see a lot of things have USB 3 now, whats the different between 3 and 2?


----------



## jonnyp11 (Aug 22, 2011)

3 is a crap load faster, and you can use a 2.0 in a 3.0, but not a 3.0 in a 2.0 slot, i think that's right but might be reversed.


----------



## ixiboneheadixi (Aug 22, 2011)

jonnyp11 said:


> 3 is a crap load faster, and you can use a 2.0 in a 3.0, but not a 3.0 in a 2.0 slot, i think that's right but might be reversed.



is the 3.0 smaller or something too?


----------



## jonnyp11 (Aug 22, 2011)

i don't think so, i mean 2.0 is small as crap if you think about it

http://blog.premiumusb.com/2010/09/usb-2-0-vs-usb-3-0/

http://www.usb3.com/images/usb2_vs_usb3_cable.jpg


----------



## ixiboneheadixi (Aug 22, 2011)

jonnyp11 said:


> i don't think so, i mean 2.0 is small as crap if you think about it



yeah thats true lol


----------



## jonnyp11 (Aug 22, 2011)

jonnyp11 said:


> i don't think so, i mean 2.0 is small as crap if you think about it
> 
> http://blog.premiumusb.com/2010/09/usb-2-0-vs-usb-3-0/
> 
> http://www.usb3.com/images/usb2_vs_usb3_cable.jpg



edited after you posted i think.


----------



## ixiboneheadixi (Aug 22, 2011)

jonnyp11 said:


> edited after you posted i think.



lol i see it now


----------



## ixiboneheadixi (Aug 22, 2011)

the usb 3.0 looks bigger?


----------



## jonnyp11 (Aug 22, 2011)

i noticed that too, but it's still supposed to work with usb 2.0 and 1.1 slots.


----------



## ixiboneheadixi (Aug 22, 2011)

jonnyp11 said:


> i noticed that too, but it's still supposed to work with usb 2.0 and 1.1 slots.



thats weird? lol


----------



## CrazyMike (Aug 22, 2011)

3.0 is much faster. 2.0 deffinately does fit in a 3.0 slot and works fine. no idea 1.1 though. I think it's the blue that makes it look bigger. lol jk.

Does anyone know exactly how the 3.0 is faster than the 2.0? Both look so close to the same set up, i have no idea how it is actually able to transfer at higher speeds. Different material?


----------



## jonnyp11 (Aug 22, 2011)

look at the links i posted, the 2 is supposed to be max 480mb/s and 3 is 4.8gb/s, and the 3 looks alot bigger/bulkier and you can see a difference in the connectors themselves onside the metal outer case thingy.


----------



## ixiboneheadixi (Aug 22, 2011)

jonnyp11 said:


> look at the links i posted, the 2 is supposed to be max 480mb/s and 3 is 4.8gb/s, and the 3 looks alot bigger/bulkier and you can see a difference in the connectors themselves onside the metal outer case thingy.



so in people not so smart with computers, does this mean my ipod will sync faster?


----------



## jonnyp11 (Aug 22, 2011)

nope, the ipod uses a usb 2.0 connector, which is incompatable with the usb 3.0 slot, you will have to wait untill they have a 3.0 cord, and then find out if the ipod's connector on it is fast enough, if you look at the page i linked, if the ipod and the comp both used usb3.0 standards, you would get approximately 10x the data transfer speeds, and 9x the charging speed.


----------



## StrangleHold (Aug 22, 2011)

They are the same size and interchangeable.





*It's backwards compatible.* Your existing USB 2.0 gear will work on version 3.0 ports and vice versa. You'll be able to maximize your bandwidth when using a USB 3.0 cable with USB 3.0 devices and ports, otherwise plugging a 3.0 device into a 2.0 port or a 2.0 device into 3.0 a port will get you standard USB 2.0 data rates.
http://www.techspot.com/guides/235-everything-about-usb-30/


----------



## CrazyMike (Aug 22, 2011)

StrangleHold said:


> They are the same size and interchangeable.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This is what i was seeing. They are the same size and look to be the same connection type (other than the contacts on the very inner of the USB 3.0, in which i didn't think were actual connections. Just thought they were the same 4 contacts as the bottom.) It's really hard to explain what i mean without pointing to it lol. But ya, stranglehold is right (as always, this is one smart cookie). Transfer speeds will not change unless using a 3.0 device with cable. There aren't too many 3.0 devices out there yet. Ipod/Iphone is deffinately not one (in which i really don't think that apple will ever use 3.0, they have something else called the thunderbolt connection).



Edit:

I'm such a dork!! lol Should have actually read about the 3.0 instead of sitting here wondering about it. Thanks for the link Stranglehold. lol


----------



## StrangleHold (Aug 22, 2011)

A case USB 3.0 cable connector and motherboard header are different then USB 2.0


----------



## ixiboneheadixi (Aug 22, 2011)

well hopefully all things start using usb 3.0 then


----------



## linkin (Aug 22, 2011)

A lot of cases and motherboards have the connections now, and we are starting to see USB3.0 devices and cards for your pc. It's just a matter of time until 2.0 is phased out.


----------



## Twinbird24 (Aug 22, 2011)

jonnyp11 said:


> 3 is a crap load faster, and you can use a 2.0 in a 3.0, but not a 3.0 in a 2.0 slot, i think that's right but might be reversed.



You can use a 3.0 device in a 2.0 port and vice versa. I've plugged a 3.0 USB HDD into a 1.1 slot of an older computer and it works, it just uses the slower USB 1.1 speed. "The device can either perform its function at the lower speed or inform the host that the device requires a USB 3.0 host. (The host can then inform the user.)" 

As for the difference in size, there shouldn't really be any. "A USB 3.0 Standard-A plug will fit a USB 2.0 Standard-A receptacle." I've read that the cable should also be about the same thickness (even though USB 3.0 contains 4 more wires than USB 2.0), but I've noticed that some USB 3.0 cables are a bit thicker than USB 2.0.

http://www.lvr.com/usb3faq.htm#co_usb2device

Here is a link that shows a diagram comparing the speeds of USB, Fire-wire, and the new (faster than USB 3.0 with a 10Gbps throughput) Thunderbolt.


----------



## jonnyp11 (Aug 22, 2011)

microsoft confirmed native 3.0 support for win8


----------

