USB 3.0

[nojob]

In a small sample of mobos and cases, most offer two 3.0 ports and six or more 2.0 ports.
Since the 3.0 ports are backward compatible, why bother with 2.0 ports ?
Is it because of the existing case specs?

 

[AdrianPerry]

I presume its just to do with cost. I think USB 3.0 also draws more power?

I've been using the "super-fast AI-Charger" for my iPhone using USB 3.0 ports but ive also ran into some reliability issues that i'm blaming on USB 3.0.....The last 2 software updates for iPhone, I downloaded and applied while plugged into USB 3.0 and both time my phone crashed, failed and froze with the first time actually needing a trip to the apple shop to get it working again (hard reset worked the second time). I haven't had these issues using USB 2.0.

 

[farrengottu]

usb 3.0 requires a full integration into the system. you cant just add a few more wires here and there and wala. either the chipset needs to be designed to have it or you need a 3rd party chip to talk to your chipset. its fully backwards compatible but the first releases of something tend to be buggy. still neither amd nor Intel have bothered to add it to their chipsets. but ivy bridge will have it, in fact that's why Intel is delaying ive bridge. or so they say.

 

[boiler1990]

Also, USB 2.0 uses less bandwidth, so you can simply upgrade the existing types of USB controllers to support several more 2.0 ports, rather than designing a new 3.0 controller system.

 

[nojob]

usb 3.0 requires a full integration into the system. you cant just add a few more wires here and there and wala. either the chipset needs to be designed to have it or you need a 3rd party chip to talk to your chipset. its fully backwards compatible but the first releases of something tend to be buggy. still neither amd nor Intel have bothered to add it to their chipsets. but ivy bridge will have it, in fact that's why Intel is delaying ive bridge. or so they say.

Thanks for your reply.
I bought a pci e card which gave me 2 external USB 3.0 ports. I figured that if the problem can be solved with a PCI E card it ain't exactly rocket science. And, at $30 for the card, it is not too expensive.
All of the mobo and case manufacturers knew that USB 3.0 was a reality and, they had plenty of time to do it right the first time. Anyone thinking of a new build and a high end mobo because they are getting USB 3.0 might be better off buying last years' best at closeout prices, buy a 3.0 PCI E card and using the savings to upgrade something else.

 

[k1114]

The main issue is that usb 3.0 is an add on to the motherboard until intel or amd natively integrate it. So it isn't "on" til windows boots to load the drivers. If someone wanted to boot from a usb (like me because I have no dvd drive) then there'd be no way unless I had a usb 2.0 which is natively supported. You will also note that anything plugged into the usb 3.0 ports is similar and does not turn "on." Which brings up the issue of keyboards and mice too, how would you be able to go through bios/uefi or install windows with no mouse or keyboard.

I have also had issues with it wanting to reinstall the driver every time I turn my computer on if the device is plugged in before booting.

Usb 3.0 is still pretty new, how many people are actually even using a usb 3.0 device? Not many, so until it's more mainstream all ports won't make the 3.0 switch. It's just a bit of future proofing right now.