Front USB 3.0 headers vs PCI

[jsaces]

I am planning to buy a front panel hub with 4x USB 3.0 slots that uses a USB 3 motherboard header. I read somewhere that the USB 3 header only supports 2 USB 3.0 connection, so basically the other two USB 3.0 ports on the front panel will be useless? BUT the hub also has two USB 3.0 male cables which, I think, run through the case, out the back, and into 2 USB 3.0 motherboard slots. So you're pretty much just stealing two usb slots form the back and using them for the front.

A few questions:
Whenever I see a front panel hub with more than 2 USB 3.0 slots, the other slots are pretty much useless?
Do the SD card slots on the hub connect through USB 3.0 speeds since its using the USB 3.0 motherboard header?
If I get a front panel hub with 4x USB 3.0 that uses a PCI E connector instead of a USB 3 header, will I be limited in speed if I was, for example, using two of the USB 3 slots. I read somewhere that the maximum TOTAL bandwidth is 133 MB/s on the PCI E, whereas the USB 3 header supports both USB slots for their whole 640 MB/s?

Sorry in advance if I messed up any connection concepts. Thanks

 

[Multipack]

Depends which PCIE slot you use, but PCIE 3.0 has 1gbps per lane, and some slots have 16 lanes (some have 4 lanes, some are PCIE 2.0 500mbps per lane), so that's potentially 16gbps, exceeding the speed of USB 3.0 (5gbps). It also depends on the hub as to how it uses the USB 3.0 header. Some are powered by extra molex, and some will just share bandwidth equally, making it less effective, or like you say, some will get additional power from USB ports. Unfortunately the link to the first hub doesn't work.

What board do you have? Does it have any USB 3.1 type a or type c ports?

 

[jsaces]

MSI Z170-A PRO mobo

I see that it has PCI E 3.0 so that hub from eBay with the PCI E connector might be a better choice?
How can you tell how many lanes a motherboard's PCIE 3.0 slot has?
I'll be using multiple usb 3 ports on the front panel simultaneously (external HDD, flash drives, large .mp4 files, copying folders of multiple files) so whichever connector will bottleneck less per port is the one I'll go with. I dont think either hub is powered by molex. The first hub is called IO Crest USB 3.0 Interface 3.5" or 5.25" Multi I/O Front Panel Components Other (SY-HUB50046) on amazon. Appreciate the quick reply.

edit: my mistake, the PCI E hub on ebay does have the option to power by molex

 

[Multipack]

Your board has

• 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (one runs at x16 (16gbps)/ one at x4 (4gbps))
• 4 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots

Unless you dont want to use a graphics card, which would go in the main x16 slot, you could only use the x4 or x1 slots. Most USB cards use a PCIE x1 slot which are physically smaller.

The first card sure does need two USB 3.0 ports as well as a header, and the 2nd one is for a PCIE x1 slot but the additional power comes from molex so would be ok.

Do you need a card reader? Or USB 2 ports? There are a lot of variations out there and it would depend on your needs (and what else you have attached to your board) and budget as to what to suggest.

 

[Natsukage]

The Z170-A PRO has 8 USB3.1 ports. 4 rear and 4 front using the header. Your motherboard has two PCIE x16 lanes.
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Z170-A-PRO.html#hero-specification

For the less issues with bottleneck, I suggest using your internal USB3 header with something like this:
http://www.sybausa.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=662 (ignore this item if you actually need the card readers)
This will allow you to use all your available front slots, and your 4 rear USB3.1 ports without any change to bandwidth. It also is powered through either a molex or a sata plug. Ideally, find a similar product that works with USB3.1.

Your first product (SY-HUB50046) is an okay choice, but will need you to sacrifice two rear USB ports for the card reader or power. The second product is a no go (PCIE int). Using a PCIE x1 port to drive your 4 usb ports WILL slowdown your transfer speed. PCIEx1 is only capable of 1Gbps transfer. You need to use ~20gbps of transfer capacity. Only your four-port internal header can allow this. I have not seen yet a PCIE to USB card that uses x4 or x16 and connects to the front panel.

 

[jsaces]

I have a GPU in there now and will probably use the x4 slot for something else in the near future. That leaves only the x1 slot free. I think I might go with the one with the header then.
Yeah I use multiple devices that use micro SD and SD cards. No usb 2 devices, all usb 3. So when I see front panels with usb 3.0 slots in the front, all of them only have 2 working at one time?

 

[Multipack]

Click on detailed spec Natsukage (next to "Product Specification"). One x16 slot runs at x4. That hub you recommended is molex/sata powered, the same as the pcie slot version.

 

[Multipack]

I have a GPU in there now and will probably use the x4 slot for something else in the near future. That leaves only the x1 slot free. I think I might go with the one with the header then.
Yeah I use multiple devices that use micro SD and SD cards. No usb 2 devices, all usb 3. So when I see front panels with usb 3.0 slots in the front, all of them only have 2 working at one time?

No they are provided extra power via molex/sata or plugged into more than one header/internal port. I will look for a good model for you, but the first one seems absolutely fine.

EDIT -Use the first one is my advice. It looks very good.

 

[Natsukage]

Click on detailed spec Natsukage (next to "Product Specification"). One x16 slot runs at x4. That hub you recommended is molex/sata powered, the same as the pcie slot version.

I meant a PCIE card that connects to the front panel (3.5 or 5.5). The motherboard supports x4, x8, and x16. The issue is that very few PCIE USB cards use 4 or more PCIE lanes. They are mostly x1, thus not capable of using the full bandwidth.

The SY-HUB50046 does NOT have ANY molex or sata connector. Check the manual, it is powered through the rear USB ports: http://www.sybausa.com/index.php?route=product/product/download&download_id=892

The SY-HUB50046 uses two rear slots, but it might be the best choice for your use though, jsaces.

 

[Multipack]

Oh yeah sorry my bad. Yeah get one with sata/molex connectors, not powered from additional ports. That really defeats the object lol.

And yeah x1 slot is slower than USB 3.0 but I did say that to be fair lol.

 

[jsaces]

Thank you for your replies. Why couldn't they just get that hub to be powered by molex or sata? It looks so ugly coming out the back like that lol. Not to mention losing 2 usb 3 ports in the back. The Atech Flash Technology PRO-77U looks like it could do the job but its twice as much just for having a different power source and an extra usb port.
And yes katsukage, I do need the card readers. Also thanks for clarifying the PCI E to usb limitations, I guess those are off the table.