USB3 slow transfer speeds

[mojito_619]

Hi,

I have an HP laptop with two USB3 ports with Seagate Momentus 7200rpm 750Gb harddrive. I swapped out the original HP HDD to an external box with S-ATA interface and a Y cable USB3 + USB2 external interface. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817256070

I wanted to backup My Documents (64GB) but my speeds were very slow, around 11.5MB/s.

I plugged both USB2 and USB3 into the laptop ports, shouldn't I be expecting more decent speeds?

Mojito

 

[blazorthon]

USB 2.0 adapter means that you're limited to USB 2.0 speed and 11.5MB/s looks to actually be high for USB 2.0. If you plug the USB3 dongle of that cable into the USB3 port and have a proper driver stack for it, then it should transfer significantly faster over USB3. However, that does not seem to be what you're doing if you're getting that speed.

 

[unksol]

USB 2.0 adapter means that you're limited to USB 2.0 speed and 11.5MB/s looks to actually be high for USB 2.0. If you plug the USB3 dongle of that cable into the USB3 port and have a proper driver stack for it, then it should transfer significantly faster over USB3. However, that does not seem to be what you're doing if you're getting that speed.

he's not using a usb2.0 adapter. is there even such a thing? usb3.0 cables work in 2.0 plugs so I can't imagine why there would be. the Y is just to provide power just like all USB powered 2.5 externals. you need them both plugged in.

Are you sure you didn't.plug it In a USB2.0 port? are the ends marked at all?

 

[sl4y3r]

On the Y cable, you have the connector with the Blue plastic going into the USB 3 slot of you PC right ?

 

[blazorthon]

he's not using a usb2.0 adapter. is there even such a thing? usb3.0 cables work in 2.0 plugs so I can't imagine why there would be. the Y is just to provide power just like all USB powered 2.5 externals. you need them both plugged in.

Are you sure you didn't.plug it In a USB2.0 port? are the ends marked at all?

Most USB devices and USB adapters are USB2. Most by a very large margin. So, yes, there is such thing as them.

 

[unksol]

Most USB devices and USB adapters are USB2. Most by a very large margin. So, yes, there is such thing as them.

I guess when you say USB2 adapter and he's using a USB3 device with the USB3 cable that came with it it sounds like your talking about some sort of USB3 to USB2 adapter cable. which would be silly. but i'm exhausted and not getting where there being an adapter even entered the picture, or why one would be involved. maybe im just reading it wrong.

 

[blazorthon]

I guess when you say USB2 adapter and he's using a USB3 device with the USB3 cable that came with it it sounds like your talking about some sort of USB3 to USB2 adapter cable. which would be silly. but i'm exhausted and not getting where there being an adapter even entered the picture, or why one would be involved. maybe im just reading it wrong.

Well...

I swapped out the original HP HDD to an external box with S-ATA interface and a Y cable USB3 + USB2 external interface.

OP stated this, so I mentioned the possibility that OP was using the wrong USB plug on the Y cable.

 

[mojito_619]

The cable given from Silverstone looks like this. (ignor the dots)
Wierd flat looking USB3-------_---USB3
...........................................\--USB2

Both USB male ports are connected to USB3 ports on my laptop

The reason why they gave USB2 and USB3 is that sometimes HDD need to be powered by 2 USB port. I'm in that situation beacause it's a latop HDD.

Update: My peak speed became 17.5MB/s.

 

[blazorthon]

It might be running the USB3 cable in USB2 mode for some reason. You might want to investigate your driver.

 

[unksol]

Well...

I swapped out the original HP HDD to an external box with S-ATA interface and a Y cable USB3 + USB2 external interface.

OP stated this, so I mentioned the possibility that OP was using the wrong USB plug on the Y cable.

Right, but the usb2.0 is just power wires. almost all external 2.5 drives use a Y to get enough power, they both have to be connected. data only comes across one though, in this case the USB3.0, which would work in both a 3.0 and 2.0 port. I guess that's why the adapter bit threw me, sorry. your probably saying the same basic thing. my brains just wore out.

if they are both in 3.0 ports though its weird. but yea. check the driver like blaze said. Google enabling it on that model. may be a driver setting. seen somethings about enabling USB 3.0 mode in the BIOS on some boards too. maybe its a compatibility thing you need to "turn on"

 

[mojito_619]

I reinstalled my drivers. And I managed to get the speed to 34MB/s. Is that more reasonable?

 

[blazorthon]

I reinstalled my drivers. And I managed to get the speed to 34MB/s. Is that more reasonable?

That seems to be much more reasonable. I'd think that it should be a little higher, but that is well beyond the capabilities of USB2 and must be running as USB3. ~34MB/s is ~272Mb/s and that's fairly proper for an external hard drive, although I'd think that it could go a little higher. Tom's has released some articles about USB3 and how to make the most of it recently, so you could read the last two such articles and see if there's anything that you might be interested in trying.