Does external HDD need a powered USB Hub???

[donline]

Hi folks,

I've got a new laptop and I'm looking to buy an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers and 1TB HDD. I was thinking about getting a USB 3.0 Hub to plug these items into, but I was wondering if the keyboard, mouse and HDD have USB 2.0 connections/plugs would they still be able to connect via the USB 3.0 Hub (i.e. backward compatible)? (This is the hub I was looking at getting: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker%C2%AE-PowerIQ-Charging-Samsung-Motorola/dp/B00VE4UJD4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1470421254&sr=8-5&keywords=anker+usb+hub)

Also, is it fine to have the external HDD (1TB) just plugged directly into the laptop and running with power from there, or would it be better to have the external USB Hub and plug the HDD into that? And if so, should the USB Hub have its own power supply?

Any advice on how best to connect and manage these peripherals would be much appreciated!

 

[dexxterlab97]

Don't get a hub. Plug it directly.

 

[boosted1g]

3.5" external drives have external power source
2.5" external drives are powered via USB.
If you have multiple devices plugged into the hub you will likely need a powered hub in order to power USB external drives.

All usb 2.0 devices will work in usb 3.0 port after windows is booted.
If you have Win7 or older then your OS will not allow usage of any of the devices plugged into USB3.0 port until it is booted (which is a big problem if you need to use the keyboard/mouse that is dependent upon that port).

 

[donline]

3.5" external drives have external power source
2.5" external drives are powered via USB.
If you have multiple devices plugged into the hub you will likely need a powered hub in order to power USB external drives.

All usb 2.0 devices will work in usb 3.0 port after windows is booted.
If you have Win7 or older then your OS will not allow usage of any of the devices plugged into USB3.0 port until it is booted (which is a big problem if you need to use the keyboard/mouse that is dependent upon that port).

Thanks boosted1g

The external HDD is 2.5", so will that be fine just plugged directly into the laptop via USB? Or will this drain too much power from the laptop (and better to have an external USB hub with it's own power supply)?

When you say that USB 2.0 devices will work in USB 3.0 ports after Windows is booted, what do you mean by booted? Is that just once the laptop is turned on and Windows is loaded up and running? Sorry, I wasn't sure with this.

I have Windows 10 so hopefully the issue with USB 2.0 and booting should be fine.

Thanks again!

 

[boosted1g]

With windows 10, it is not an issue. In windows 7 the USB 3.0 port could not be used by Windows until it has logged in due to separate USB 3.0 drivers being needed.

Powering anything with your laptop will reduce battery life. On newer computers with healthy batteries this is not immediately noticeable (maybe decrease battery run-time by 7-12%). Now if you are cloning the drive or running it non-stop for extended length of time then you could see a much more noticeable drop in battery life.

 

[donline]

With windows 10, it is not an issue. In windows 7 the USB 3.0 port could not be used by Windows until it has logged in due to separate USB 3.0 drivers being needed.

Powering anything with your laptop will reduce battery life. On newer computers with healthy batteries this is not immediately noticeable (maybe decrease battery run-time by 7-12%). Now if you are cloning the drive or running it non-stop for extended length of time then you could see a much more noticeable drop in battery life.

Thanks boosted1g

That's good to know with the battery life, I hadn't thought about that!

Do peripherals still drain/reduce battery life even when the laptop is always plugged in (to the mains power)? Otherwise, instead would it be best to always have an external USB hub with its own power supply to connect the peripherals? (The USB hub I'm looking to buy has it's own 60W power supply, and I'd like to connect my external HDD, keyboard, mouse, and possibly printer and memory sticks).

Also, as a general question on battery life... I have a new laptop which I've always run plugged into the mains power (i.e. not on battery) - is this good or will this reduce battery life? I was wondering what's the best way to maintain battery life (and whether I should run the laptop on battery every now and again, and if so, how often and how much)? (My laptop has '4Cells 44 mAh').

Thanks again!

 

[boosted1g]

Battery life is a measurement of how long the battery has until it is empty, with it being plugged in to the mains it is pulling power from the mains not the battery.

You should unplug your laptop from time to time to let the battery at least get bellow 30%. Think of your battery like the muscles in your body, if you don't put a load on them and keep them "in shape" then over time they get weaker.

 

[donline]

Battery life is a measurement of how long the battery has until it is empty, with it being plugged in to the mains it is pulling power from the mains not the battery.

You should unplug your laptop from time to time to let the battery at least get bellow 30%. Think of your battery like the muscles in your body, if you don't put a load on them and keep them "in shape" then over time they get weaker.

Ah I see, I understand with battery life now!

That makes sense with unplugging from the mains from time to time... would once a month be enough?

Thanks!

 

[boosted1g]

2-4 times a month.

To much does not hurt anything (as long as you don't keep trying to power it on after it has reached critical), but too little while start diminishing battery performance.

Now keep in mind every battery eventually will degrade, that is the nature of a battery.

 

[donline]

2-4 times a month.

To much does not hurt anything (as long as you don't keep trying to power it on after it has reached critical), but too little while start diminishing battery performance.

Now keep in mind every battery eventually will degrade, that is the nature of a battery.

Thanks boosted1g!

Great, I'll use the battery once per week so I can remember easily.

What did you mean when you said about 'trying to power it on after is has reached critical'? I'd like to understand this more so I can avoid doing this.

Thank you again

 

[boosted1g]

When laptop batteries got down to 2-3% they will auto turn off.

Some ignorant users will keep trying to turn the laptops back on; the system will start to boot and then in 20-30 seconds the laptop powers off again, and the user will try again and again until the battery is at 0% and wont turn on at all.
At this point the battery, if it even takes a charge, will have a significantly degraded battery capacity. Depending on the quality and age of the cells it could degrade anywhere from 25-75%, making your 2.5 hour battery now only last 40 minutes.

 

[donline]

When laptop batteries got down to 2-3% they will auto turn off.

Some ignorant users will keep trying to turn the laptops back on; the system will start to boot and then in 20-30 seconds the laptop powers off again, and the user will try again and again until the battery is at 0% and wont turn on at all.
At this point the battery, if it even takes a charge, will have a significantly degraded battery capacity. Depending on the quality and age of the cells it could degrade anywhere from 25-75%, making your 2.5 hour battery now only last 40 minutes.

Thanks boosted1g, that all makes sense and I'll follow your advice. Appreciate your guidance!