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Asked by: Yilian Agrest
technology and computing data storage and warehousingWhat is the difference between a 2.0 and 3.0 USB port?
Last Updated: 1st April, 2020
What is the difference between USB 2.0 andUSB3.0? First the transfer rates: USB 2.0 offerstransferrates of 480 Mbps and USB 3.0 offers transfer ratesof 4.8Gbps - that's 10 times faster. Note that the transfer speedsalsodepend on the device in use in addition to thebustype and USB ports and cables.
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Simply so, how can I tell the difference between USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports?
USB 2.0 transfer speed is 480 megabits persecond(Mbps), while USB 3.0 transfer speed is 4,800 Mbps.Thismeans USB 3.0 is approximately 10 times faster thanUSB2.0. More recently, USB 3.1 has also been releasedandhas a data transfer rate of 10,000 Mbps.
Secondly, what is the difference between USB 2 and USB 3 cables? A USB 3.0 port can only use USB3.0cables to be effective, but USB 2.0 ports canuseboth USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 cables. However,theperformance will fall back to 2.0 rather than 3.0. The same istruefor your USB 3.0 port using a USB 2.0cable.One key difference between the two cablesis theirpinouts.
Similarly one may ask, how do I identify a USB 3.0 port?
Check the physical ports on your computer. Ifyousee a blue USB port, it's USB 3.0. It may alsobemarked on the outside of the port witheither“SS” or “3.0.” If you don'tsee anyblue ports or markings but you're still not sure,click theStart menu and openControl Panel.
What happens if you plug a USB 2.0 into a USB 3.0 port?
USB 3.0 is also backward-compatible withUSB2.0, so you can plug a USB 2.0 peripheral intoa USB3.0 port and it will function properly. USB3.0'sincreased power output of 900 milliamps is enough to powermultipledevices, and more than enough to power anysingledevice.