USB 3.0 devices into a USB 2.0 port

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astay79

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Oct 24, 2013
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Does a USB 3.0 Device work when plugged into a USB 2.0 port?
I ask since I plan to buy a harddisc With USB 3.0 and I have a comnputer With only USB 2.0 ports.
 
Solution


^This. The transfer speed will always be the speed of the slowest item. ie, if you have a 3.0 USB Drive in a 2.0 Port, it will run at "2.0 Speed" and a 2.0 USB Drive in a 3.0 Port will run at "2.0 Speed" so you won't get the benefit of that 3.0 Drive you are buying.


^This. The transfer speed will always be the speed of the slowest item. ie, if you have a 3.0 USB Drive in a 2.0 Port, it will run at "2.0 Speed" and a 2.0 USB Drive in a 3.0 Port will run at "2.0 Speed" so you won't get the benefit of that 3.0 Drive you are buying.
 
Solution
Yes. Unless your USB 3.0 device draws more than 500mA that USB 2.0 specified. But I haven't encounter such 2.5" USB 3.0 portable HDD yet. And if you really do run into trouble powering up the device, you can use a Y split cable and draw current from another USB port.
 


i thought it would be slower cause i was transfering photos onto my nans laptop and it was a USB 3.0 port and i was using a USB 2.0 USB and it took ages compared to normal USB 2.0 transfer speeds

 


Pretty sure it will only go as fast as the slowest device will allow for, so it might be that her laptop has a slow HDD. (Or it has fragmented data etc...)
 
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