USB 3.0 speeds

Jock · 21 Sep 2011 at 08:45

What actually determines how fast you can get info moved onto say a USB 3.0 hardrive?

I bought one just the other day from ocuk to start using some backups on my computer and expected it to do it in a flash since it says it can go to speeds of up to 5gbps but its going no faster than my old hard drive at 50mbps.

Its deffinately plugged into a 3.0 usb port so what else could be causing the slow speeds?

Hotwired · 21 Sep 2011 at 08:46

The speed the HDD can write at.

Jock · 21 Sep 2011 at 08:51

Also, Ive checked in device manager and the drivers for 3.0 are in and up to date.

Hotwired · 21 Sep 2011 at 09:10

Basically you've allowed yourself to be conned by not understanding what was on the product blurb.

What you've read was the transfer speed of the USB3 specification. That means if you have a device which is fast enough there is the potential to transfer up to 5GBps.

That means jack **** if you want to know how fast you can transfer data.

What that portable HDD is, is a low power 2.5" hard drive. Its transfer speed is about 50MBps.

It doesn't care if you've connected it to a USB3 port which can carry 5GBps. The hard drive can't do any better than 50MBps thus your transfer speed is 50MBps.

Jock · 21 Sep 2011 at 09:38

I see.....

Oh well, you live and learn I suppose.

Cheers

alchemistkevin · 21 Sep 2011 at 11:16

should they be advertising that the drive can do 5GBps then?

PhillyDee · 21 Sep 2011 at 11:19

alchemistkevin said:
should they be advertising that the drive can do 5GBps then?

Without knowing what it actually says in the produt blurb, you cannot say what it is claiming!

Jock · 21 Sep 2011 at 15:22

It says under interface: USB 3.0 (Max 5Gbps)

FragnaticDeath · 21 Sep 2011 at 15:26

They are advertising it correctly. It's just the lack of knowledge by individuals that get it wrong. If he gets an SSD for storage then yeah it will be really fast

Jock · 21 Sep 2011 at 15:35

Ive got a SSD but just for the OS and a few programs.

Not to worry, and yeah as you say, it will be down to my lack of knowledge, I just assumed that because the computer had a USB3 port and it was a USB3 HDD I'd be sorted and able to back up in seconds.

alchemistkevin · 21 Sep 2011 at 15:53

Jock said:
It says under interface: USB 3.0 (Max 5Gbps)

Ah alrite, thanks.