[SOLVED] Does it matter how many usb ports a motherboard has if you have a hub

[raknarius]

im going to be building a gaming pc in the next month and im looking at motherboards.

I notice there can be a wide variety in the number of usb ports, some have only a few some can have like ten.

Now i do have a lot of usb devices.

usb Mouse, usb Keyboard, usb Lighted mousepad, usb Nostromo game pad, Usb powered jbl speakers, usb wireless dongle for my headset, usb charger for my headset, usb connection to my printer, usb camera.

So im at 9 right now, and they are all directly connected to the pc, i have no external hub.

I have never used a usb hub before, but my question is, should i be concerned with the number of usb ports on my motherboard, is having say an 8 port usb hub just as good as having everything directly plugged into the pc.

Does this apply to data, power, connectivity for my devices or is there some drawback to a hub verses being plugged in directly.

Thanks in advance for all your input and advice.!

 

[ConanLock]

A USB hub will provide the same amount of power to all ports as the single port it is connected to. Is this a problem? Typically no. In my opinion, the jbl speaker and the headset charger should have their own plugs, as they require more power. As for the rest, it doesn't matter. If you were to get a motherboard with 4 ports, the above should have their own ports. As for the rest, they will be fine in a port. Sure, there is a limit to the amount of data, but these will not hit it. For USB 2, the limit is 60MB/s and 500mA, while the USB 3 limit is 640MB/s and 900mA. You will not hit the limits of either with your mouse, keyboard, mousepad, gamepad, headset wireless dongle, camera and printer in a single port, you might (probably will) do if you were to add the speaker and headset charger to the single port.

 

[raknarius]

Will you ever have a problem, plugging a older say 2.0 usb device in say a 3.1 port?

 

[USAFRet]

For ancillary devices like mouse/keyboard/speakers...USB 2.0 vs 3.0/3.1 does not matter. Hub those things up.
For storage devices, it can make a difference.

USB is backwards and forwards compatible, mostly. If it fits, it works.

 

[jsmithepa]

Unless u have USB mass storage, high bandwidth required, one hub for all your low bandwidth devices is fine.

The different versions of USB supposed to be backward compatible, but real life sometimes say otherwise, there is no way to know for sure until u plug in things.

 

[AllanGH]

My instinctive approach to loading USB ports has been pretty straightforward...

If it handles image (rasterized) data, or high-speed data streams, it goes on it's own USB 3.x port.

(Scanners, Printers, video cameras, data comm, mass storage, etc.)​

Simultaneous use devices go on ports that are on separate controllers.​

If it's a low-speed data device (keyboard, mouse, digitizer, etc.), it can hang off of it's own USB 2.x port.
If I'm forced into using a hub (active hub only), I restrict that to low-speed data devices.
If it needs power, but doesn't need data transfer, it goes on a 5VDC power supply with USB outputs.
Non-active hubs aren't worth the price charged for them.

Just my 2¢.