Usb 3

[MacGruber]

Useful? Is this even going to be something that will be noticeable if absent over the next 2 years?

I'm considering buying a USB3 port for my PC and getting a laptop with it but, if I have esata (to use with external drives) is it even worth bothering with right now?

[Hack&Lube]

USB 3.0 is still 3rd party in most systems. Intel chipsets with USB 3.0 controllers will be out in a year or two. eSata is still faster than USB 3.0 right now.

I'd wait a year if you don't have it already. Most new computers and laptops do have USB 3.0 though and USB is easier to use and more widely available than eSata. It's also easier with hot-plugging, especially if you are dealing with systems without ACHI.

USB 3.0 with good controllers be faster than mechanical drives can keep up with anyway so it's better to use with an SSD/flash drive with USB 3.0

[CaramonLS]

Hack, you offer great advice, but I can't freaking understand it.

[MacGruber]

So ... buy or no buy?

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Hack, you offer great advice, but I can't freaking understand it.

USB 3.0 is blue. That makes it awesome.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by MacGruber

So ... buy or no buy?

If you are fine with eSata, there is no reason to get USB 3.0 right now unless you have a lot of USB 3.0 devices or flash drives if speed is your main concern.

If you do buy a new laptop, many come with USB 3.0 and eSata anyway so really, the issue is if you need a new laptop right now.

Right now eSata is still as fast or faster than USB 3.0. The problem with eSata is that it is not as plug and play friendly as USB 3.0 and it does not provide power in the interface so eSata devices need external power while USB does not and is much more convenient.

If your OS is not installed in AHCI mode (instead of IDE), you cannot hot swap SATA devices so you can't plug and play eSata devices like you can with USB without a reboot.

I have USB 3.0 in my laptop but I haven't bought any flash drives or HDD enclosures that support 3.0 yet so it's a bit useless for me.

[J Diddy]

And just to confuse things even more...Thunderbolt is going to make USB 3.0 obsolete...err...it already has.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by J Diddy

And just to confuse things even more...Thunderbolt is going to make USB 3.0 obsolete...err...it already has.

Thunderbolt is technically superior to USB 3.0. The problem is that it could end up like Firewire and be something few people use and fewer devices support because USB 3.0 has backwards compatibility with all the other millions of older USB products and people and manufacturers will still naturally gravitate toward that.

[Crazy Bacon Legs]

I really loved USB 1, but I thought they kind of jumped the shark with USB 2. I just couldn't get into it.

I think I will skip USB 3 unless the reviews are really good.

[Bill Bumface]

With USB 2 they tried too hard to appeal to the mainstream. I understood it, but it wasn't my thing.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

USB 3.0 is still 3rd party in most systems. Intel chipsets with USB 3.0 controllers will be out in a year or two. eSata is still faster than USB 3.0 right now.

I'd wait a year if you don't have it already. Most new computers and laptops do have USB 3.0 though and USB is easier to use and more widely available than eSata. It's also easier with hot-plugging, especially if you are dealing with systems without ACHI.

USB 3.0 with good controllers be faster than mechanical drives can keep up with anyway so it's better to use with an SSD/flash drive with USB 3.0

Translation:
USB 3.0 is just an add on right now.

Wait, don't buy a USB 3.0 card.



Expanded translation (i.e. filling in the gaps that were lost in translation):

The benefit to come with USB 3.0 is that it will be faster.

But for computers that don't already have USB 3.0 they won't be much (if any) quicker. Current computers just can't handle USB any faster. New computers built to handle USB 3.0 will be faster, but existing ones will not.

External hard drives that have spinning platters (the ones that start to whirr when you turn them on) have a maximum speed they can read the data, and USB 3.0 can handle the data even faster than that. However, if you are using an external hard drive that is a solid state drive (SSD - there is another thread about them) or a little flash/thumb drive (which is essentially a mini-SSD) then you may see benefit from USB 3.0.


My own addendum: The primary purpose of USB 3.0 cards will be to allow people with older computers to use newer gear that may require USB 3.0. Think of the USB 3.0 cards as a type of adapter to let old computers still use new equipment. It won't be as fast as 3.0 can be, but at least it will work.