In this video we break down USB3.0 (the interface) and USB3.0 (the protocol). There have been updates to the USB3 protocol to support more efficient signaling and to more closely align the size of data packets with the size of data packets found, for example, on PCI express.
So wit that new front pannel connector is there an adapter to make it work with older cases? (dont plan on getting any intel stuff but figure it will cross over down the road.)
What's crazy is that if I uderstand the docs correctly, USB 3.0 doesn't exist anymore. It's all USB 3.1, with 3.0 functionality mode called USB 3.1 gen1. They un-spec'd it, ala 1984.
well kinda, they unspec'd it BUT usb 3.0 8/10 bit signalling still exists. technically thats usb3.0 Your USB3.0 flash drive isn't magically going to understand USB3.1 gen1
I don't trust 3.0 for installing OS's. Probably a bunch of folks like me that got burned doing installs from 3.0 USBs and still do them off 2.0 devices.
You can patch Win7 installer media to work on a USB3 port. I think 8.x and 10 work fine without it. I think that more of a caveat is the requirement of FAT32 for the install media when in a secure boot environment.
You got your USB stick. It says its USB 3.0. You have to assume that sucker is the crap 8/10 bit protocol. The host controller can maybe be updated a little easier but that USB3 stick might be 8/10 bit protocol (Bleh) or 128 bit protocol. Now the distinction is clear.
When you think about it from the perspective of a USB stick its easier to understand. Then the whole renaming thing is that USB 3.0 on Z170 which probably does support USB 3.1 gen 1 (I never got confirm on that) can support it via software update. However that lowly USB3 stick will never work with that 128 bit protocol because theres no way to update it.
Asmedia addin controllers have done 128 bit since day one pretty much so those are usb3.1 gen1 and gen2 if you have 10 gigabit.
So where does thunderbolt fit into all of this? USB 3.1 type C ports are being labelled as thunderbolt, meaning they can work as a USB3.1 or a PCIE port, depending what's plugged in and how the controller handles it? Or is all the PCIE stuff passed through a USB3.1 type c port, packed up in the USB 3.1 protocol?
This USB 3x thing is pretty confusing. Since your explanation, it is interesting to see how poorly it is generally understood on the internets. IF apple ran the show, I guess they would have ditched everything below the USB 3.1 gen 2 type C connector, because they are so courageous.
Thunderbolt is Intel Alpine ridge. In passthrough it is USB 3.1 gen1 otherwise it is literally pcie3 @x4. It's a physical switch that toggles between the two. So that's 32 gigabit vs 5
Incidentally the packet size on tb3 is nearly identical to usb3 gen1:and beyond. Now you know why :)
Type c can even be usb2 as we've seen on some type c phones.
Yeah it's confusing, but this way if you have a USB 3.1 gen 1 device it will work with the reduced overhead, which I am assuming will improve performance (probably not noticeably though).
The confusing part is I always thought that the major version number in USB was the generation number.
Still confusing..... I think a longer more in depth video would help.
The question I can't find an answer to is. Are there any physical differences between a usb 3.0 cable and a 3.1 gen 2 cable. I read somewhere that gen 2 is only supported over a usb type c connection but that doesn't sound correct. I understand that USB Power Delivery (USB PD) would require a different cable. I'm assuming usb 3.0 and usb 3.1 gen 1 use the same cable and connection and the protocol differences wouldn't be effected by the cable as long as it's a 3.0 cable. Instead relying on the devices to support the newer protocol.