[SOLVED] Device can perform faster when connected to USB 3.0.

[Steamer2001]

I have an ASRockB550AM Gaming motherboard with every port on the board being USB 3.1+. Every USB 3.0 device that I plug into my USB ports gives me an error message in settings (the title of the post). Which port it is in does not matter. EXCEPT for USB 3.0 external hard drives which ALWAYS work. Only hard drives. They all report using USB 3.0. My USB 3.2 flash drive, USB 3.2 link cable, USB 3.0 SD card reader, and every other USB 3.0+ device that isn’t a hard drive has this issue. I have updated the BIOS, updated to the latest version of windows, reinstalled the chipset, did a total factory reset, and made sure every setting in BIOS was correct. I have done every single troubleshooting step on the internet. The USB ports worked about a month ago while I was at college, but now that I’m home and trying to play my Oculus Quest, it isn’t working anymore. Any device (except for hard drives) that I plug in uses USB 2.1 speeds no matter what I do. Please help!!

 

[InvalidError]

If all ports work with your external HDD but nothing else, then my guess would be that something happened to the chipset's 3.x-speed circuitry and your external HDD is the only device you have that can cope with the out-of-spec signals.

The only other thing I can think of that every USB port have in common would be the 5V rail. Excessive power supply noise could cause devices to fail to run at 5+Gbps.

 

[Steamer2001]

If all ports work with your external HDD but nothing else, then my guess would be that something happened to the chipset's 3.x-speed circuitry and your external HDD is the only device you have that can cope with the out-of-spec signals.

The only other thing I can think of that every USB port have in common would be the 5V rail. Excessive power supply noise could cause devices to fail to run at 5+Gbps.

By the circuitry do you mean the physical hardware? I’ve taken great care of this computer, I don’t know what could possibly be causing issues like that!
I’ll check the BIOS to ensure that there is a steady 5V going through, I haven’t had this computer for more than 6 months, I’d be shocked if the power supply was failing already.

 

[Steamer2001]

If all ports work with your external HDD but nothing else, then my guess would be that something happened to the chipset's 3.x-speed circuitry and your external HDD is the only device you have that can cope with the out-of-spec signals.

The only other thing I can think of that every USB port have in common would be the 5V rail. Excessive power supply noise could cause devices to fail to run at 5+Gbps.

Looking at my BIOS gives the following:
CPU Vcore Voltage: +1.456V
+12.00V: +11.932
+5.00V: +5.088V
+3.30V: +3.392V
Are these good readings for a power supply?

 

[Steamer2001]

If all ports work with your external HDD but nothing else, then my guess would be that something happened to the chipset's 3.x-speed circuitry and your external HDD is the only device you have that can cope with the out-of-spec signals.

The only other thing I can think of that every USB port have in common would be the 5V rail. Excessive power supply noise could cause devices to fail to run at 5+Gbps.

One more thing I forgot to mention, I plugged in 3 different external hard drives and all three reported USB 3.0. But nothing else would. It’s more than just one hard drive.

 

[InvalidError]

Seeing 5V in BIOS won't tell you how clean the 5V rail actually is. The BIOS could show 5.000V but there could be 500mVpp of ripple at 300kHz or some other junk on it that you can only see with an oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer or other suitable equipment.

Manufacturing defects happen. You may simply have been unlucky and gotten a PSU or motherboard that had something quit within months of purchase.

One more thing I forgot to mention, I plugged in 3 different external hard drives and all three reported USB 3.0. But nothing else would. It’s more than just one hard drive.

Are the external HDDs self-powered or bus-powered? If all the devices that have problems with 3.x are bus-powered while all the HDDs are self-powered (they have their own power source) then that adds more weight to the bad Vbus power hypothesis.

 

[Steamer2001]

Seeing 5V in BIOS won't tell you how clean the 5V rail actually is. The BIOS could show 5.000V but there could be 500mVpp of ripple at 300kHz or some other junk on it that you can only see with an oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer or other suitable equipment.

Manufacturing defects happen. You may simply have been unlucky and gotten a PSU or motherboard that had something quit within months of purchase.


Are the external HDDs self-powered or bus-powered? If all the devices that have problems with 3.x are bus-powered while all the HDDs are self-powered (they have their own power source) then that adds more weight to the bad Vbus power hypothesis.

They are all bus-powered. All power that they receive is through the USB ports.

 

[InvalidError]

Maybe try getting a $30-50 powered USB3.x hub and see if you get better luck with that. If you happen to have a spare decent quality PSU, you could give that a shot just in case. Otherwise, you may be looking at a motherboard replacement. USB shouldn't be particularly picky about what it connects to, especially if all of your USB3 devices are genuine devices from known brands.