[SOLVED] USB 3.0 19 Pin Header Splitter, Performance question

[bmmojo]

Hello! Currently, my USB-C port on my front panel isn't connected to my motherboard because my mini-ITX board doesn't have a USB-C\Type-E header.
The chassis (NCase M1) has a 19 pin USB header for it's USB Type A front panel ports, and I was wondering if buying a USB 3.0 19PIN header splitter cable will effect performance if I connect them both to the splitter.

This is the splitter I'm looking at:
Amazon.com: RGEEK Motherboard USB 3.0 19PIN Header 1 to 2 Extension Splitter Cable, 12cm 19Pin Internal Extension Header Adapter Cable : Electronics

 

[CountMike]

Hello! Currently, my USB-C port on my front panel isn't connected to my motherboard because my mini-ITX board doesn't have a USB-C\Type-E header.
The chassis (NCase M1) has a 19 pin USB header for it's USB Type A front panel ports, and I was wondering if buying a USB 3.0 19PIN header splitter cable will effect performance if I connect them both to the splitter.

This is the splitter I'm looking at:
Amazon.com: RGEEK Motherboard USB 3.0 19PIN Header 1 to 2 Extension Splitter Cable, 12cm 19Pin Internal Extension Header Adapter Cable : Electronics

Each one will have only one USB channel but should work.

 

[Paperdoc]

CountMike is quite right. The mobo USB3.2 Gen1 header with 19 pins has two USB ports in it, so the Splitter will just make one of those available on each of its two outputs. But CHECK the connector on the cable leading up to that front panel USB Type C socket. If it is pre-wired to connect to a mobo Type E socket, you'll need a way to convert that to a 19-pin connector to fit onto one arm of the Splitter output.

 

[bmmojo]

CountMike is quite right. The mobo USB3.2 Gen1 header with 19 pins has two USB ports in it, so the Splitter will just make one of those available on each of its two outputs. But CHECK the connector on the cable leading up to that front panel USB Type C socket. If it is pre-wired to connect to a mobo Type E socket, you'll need a way to convert that to a 19-pin connector to fit onto one arm of the Splitter output.

It's a pre-wired Type E socket... 🙁

@Paperdoc @CountMike
If I stick this onto my USB 2.0 connector on my motherboard will it be able to power the two USB Type A front panel ports (the USB Type A front panel ports is pre-wired with a 19 pin header)?
Amazon.com: Duttek USB 3.0 Header to USB 2.0,USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 Motherboard Adapter Cable,19 Pin USB3.0 Male to 9 Pin USB2.0 Female Motherboard Cable Adapter Converter 6 inch/15cm (2-Pack) : Electronics

I was thinking of putting this type-C mount adapter to the 19 pin USB 3.2 Gen 1 connector on my motherboard?
Amazon.com: USB 3.0 (3.1 Gen 2) Internal Black IDC 20 Pin Motherboard Header to A-Key 20 Pin Female Header Active Converter for Type C Panel Mount Adapter : Electronics

 

[Paperdoc]

So, the cable coming down from your case's front panel Type C USB socket is pre-wired with the Type E connector for a mobo Type E header socket you do not have, right? Then what you want is the SECOND adapter you linked to above. It will "convert" a standard mobo USB 3.2 Gen 1 header into a mobo type E header, and you CAN plug the cable from your Type C socket into that. You will NOT get the full features of a USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection - mainly, the max data rate still will be the 5 Gb/s of a Gen1 port, but there are also some power limit differences - but you certainly can use that front socket at the 5 Gb/s max data rate. This may have NO obvious limit for you because there are VERY few USB 3.2 devices that can actually use the full 5 Gb/s data rate anyway, never mind the higher 10 Gb/s for a true Gen 2 port.

NOTE: you can buy the same thing, but shipped by Amazon from a USA site, from this link

https://www.amazon.com/LINKUP-Inter...eywords=USB+3.2+adapter&qid=1629860126&sr=8-4

 

[bmmojo]

@Paperdoc

Hey thanks for replying! I have one more question!
Would the USB 2.0 connector on my motherboard be able to power the two USB Type A front panel ports?
Chassis comes pre-wired with a USB 19 pin header for the USB 2.0 so I was thinking of using an converter from usb 3.0 to usb 2.0

I should've mentioned earlier in the thread but my motherboard is a X570-I Asus. Chassis is NCase M1

Amazon.com: Duttek USB 3.0 Header to USB 2.0,USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 Motherboard Adapter Cable,19 Pin USB3.0 Male to 9 Pin USB2.0 Female Motherboard Cable Adapter Converter 6 inch/15cm (2-Pack) : Electronics

 

[CountMike]

@Paperdoc

Hey thanks for replying! I have one more question!
Would the USB 2.0 connector on my motherboard be able to power the two USB Type A front panel ports?
Chassis comes pre-wired with a USB 19 pin header for the USB 2.0 so I was thinking of using an converter from usb 3.0 to usb 2.0

I should've mentioned earlier in the thread but my motherboard is a X570-I Asus. Chassis is NCase M1

Amazon.com: Duttek USB 3.0 Header to USB 2.0,USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 Motherboard Adapter Cable,19 Pin USB3.0 Male to 9 Pin USB2.0 Female Motherboard Cable Adapter Converter 6 inch/15cm (2-Pack) : Electronics

Yes but all will run at USB 2 speeds of course.

 

[bmmojo]

@CountMike

Awesome, thanks. Just needed to know if they would work

 

[Paperdoc]

I agree with CountMike. That way your two USB 3 Type A front ports will only operate as USB2 ports, at the slower speed AND at the lower power limit of 0.5 A max per port (vs 0.9 A for true USB 3.2 Gen1). That would "free up" your true USB 3.2 Gen 1 mobo header to run the front panel type C socket as that faster USB3 port, but still not as a Gen 2 port. In a way, you'd be "downgrading" all your front panel sockets to lower-grade USB's, but it WOULD give you ONE type C socket that's pretty fast. And you only have one mobo header of each type to work with. If you really need only one fast Type C USB3, and can work with slower USB2 sockets for the rest, this will work well.

On the other hand, IF you want several USB3.2 Gen1 sockets and don't have a lot of use for USB2, consider getting a USB 3.2 Gen1 HUB with its own power supply module. Connect that to the only mobo 19-pin USB 3.2 Gen 1 header and to the USB Type C front port via the adapter we discussed (for the Type E connector), and you'll have several USB3.2 Gen 1 ports sharing the higher data rate max of the one fast mobo port.

 

[bmmojo]

@Paperdoc You got any recommendations?

 

[Paperdoc]

After looking at lots, I found this one by StarTech

https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-4-Port-USB-Hub-USB/dp/B081HQLMH4/ref=sr_1_102?crid=2E31E1CZBYCLG&dchild=1&keywords=usb+3.1+hub+powered&qid=1630121657&sprefix=usb+3.1+hub,aps,215&sr=8-102&th=1

What I was looking for is a unit that has:

1. Power supply brick included capable of supplying 5W for each port. Watch out for the ratings and units! A standard USB 3.2 port should provide up to 0.9 A at 5 VDC, or 4.5 W max. But the power supply bricks often are at 12 VDC with certain Amps spec'd. This one has a supply of 12 VDC at 2 A max, or 24 W max, for four USB ports - more than sufficient in my view.
2. Prefer INPUT cable from the host computer to have a Type C plug on the end - that is what you, OP, will use from your front panel. USB recommends that you use Type C for either Gen1 (5 Gb/s) or Gen 2 (10 Gb/s) connections, although they concede that Type A might be good enough for Gen1, but NOT for Gen 2. Input cable length on this one is 1 metre, a good length.
3. USB 3.2 Gen 1 rated - that is what you, OP, would get using the mobo Gen 1 header fed via adapter to your front panel Type C socket. It happens this unit says it can do Gen 2, so for future you MIGHT find that useful.
4. OUTPUT ports: at least one Type C, and some Type A. This one has one C, three A.
5. Sold and shipped from a USA source, not from overseas - long delivery times and doubts about warranty service or returns.
6. NOT looking for "charging ports" - just data ports. IF charging ports are in the unit, that does not matter here because I assumed you do not want those.

Unfortunately, finding all those got to this rather expensive one. There are several others that meet most of my criteria, BUT lack any Type C output socket. If you don't need that - will use only Type A connectors, or an adapter from A to C - you may find something less expensive. Hint if you do more looking: many come with a power supply too low rated (less than 4.5W per port). BUT you may find you can get a similar model with more ports that you do not really need, but it comes with a larger power supply you DO need for the number of devices you plan to use. Also consider this in power supply ratings: most people do NOT use all ports at their max ratings simultaneously. That's why some consider it sufficient if the included power supply can deliver 70% of the max total. For example, if you have five ports (max total of 4.5 x 5 = 22.5 W), then a power supply able to give 15.8 W (that is, 12 VDC at 1.3 A or more) is enough.

 

[bmmojo]

@Paperdoc
Thank you

 

[Paperdoc]

You're welcome, and thanks for Best Solution

Good luck in selecting a USB 3.2 Hub. I did not comment on USB naming here, but FYI. USB3 has been through several rounds of re-naming. First there was just USB 3. Then USB 3.1 added a few things. Now they are ALL variations of USB 3.2. Within that there is Gen 1, which has a max data transfer rate of 5 Gb/s. Gen 2 can do up to 10 Gb/s. And Gen 2x2 can do up to 20. Among those, some offer possible higher max currents for charging devices that need that, but the standard for most USB 3 devices remains 0.9 A max per port. And by the way, those speeds are the max rates that MIGHT be used by a device - they are the rate limits imposed by the USB data communication systems themselves, and they are INTENDED to be MORE that any real current device can use, so they are NOT limits on device performance. For example, there are NO mechanical hard drives (with moving heads and rotating discs) that can exceed about 3 Gb/s transfers. But there may well be newer SSD units that could be mounted in external enclosures and exceed the 5 Gb/s data rate of Gen 1. I do not know of any device that can get up to 10 Gb/s now. BUT if you had a powered external HUB with several USB 3.2 devices connected capable of the Gen1 spec, then the overall data transfer rate between the Hub and the host computer's port might get up close to 10 Gb/s. I have yet to hear of any device on the market that can exceed that speed, but I expect that will happen in the future. The problem in selecting is that many Hubs were produced before all the latest USB 3.2 Gen ? standards were released, so their names are outdated a bit. In particular, "Gen 1" or even "USB 3.1" are often used for what we now call Usb 3.2 Gen 2. Look closely at the data rate spec.