Difference in performance on USB-C from an USB-hub; connection via adapter USB3.1-to-USB-C or direct connection


Recommended Posts

I'm having an Anker 4-port USB 3.0 Ultra Slim Data Hub (USB 3.1) (causing interference with my mouse).

 

I can connect the USB-hub to an adapter USB3.1 to USB-C (see pic with the 'B') and plug it in my computer, and have the USB-dongle for my mouse be in the generic USB 3.1 port.

 

My question performance wise (and maybe even also 'power wise'): is it better to have a "native" USB-C type usb-hub? Or can I also use an adapter from USB-C to USB 3.1 and have the same performance?

I would like to have this USB-hub powerless/no power supply.

 

In case of a direct connection a new USB-hub has to be bought by me (like e.g. this Satechi as attached)

USBC.jpg

USBC1.jpg

The difference is negligible as long as the adapter is the same speed/usb version as what is plugging into it. 
 

 

  On 30/07/2021 at 14:52, adrynalyne said:

The difference is negligible as long as the adapter is the same speed/usb version as what is plugging into it. 
 

 

Expand  

OK. So USB3.1 device/hub into this adapter still brings it (down) to USB3.1. I get that ;)

So, technically it's better to have a 100% USB-C usb-hub, like e.g. the Satechi I posted here).

The devices connected to, determine the actual speed/throughput. But USB-C has a higher bandwidth, so technically my connected HDD and running device (when connected) can operate on full speed.... 

USB-C doesn’t have a higher bandwidth if it’s backed by the same tech as the USB-A ports. It’s just a different connector at that point. 

  On 30/07/2021 at 14:58, adrynalyne said:

USB-C doesn’t have a higher bandwidth if it’s backed by the same tech as the USB-A ports. It’s just a different connector at that point. 

Expand  

I see that "A USB-C port equipped with Thunderbolt 3 can push data speeds to a theoretical limit of 40Gbps. To show how far we've come, that's four times faster than USB 3.1"

 

So, maybe even when connecting USB3.1 (10Gbps) the 'internals' of the USB-hub are I guess "more equipped" to handle these speeds.

("simplified": 4 USB 3.1 devices of 10Gbps = 40 Gbps; instead of a USB3.1 USB-hub which gives more or less 2.5 Gbps (maybe maxed out to 5Gbps) if not all are on full load per port (10Gbps/4 ports is this 2.5Gbps)

 

Or does this kinda tech in usb-hubs work differently?

  On 30/07/2021 at 15:17, kiddingguy said:

I see that "A USB-C port equipped with Thunderbolt 3 can push data speeds to a theoretical limit of 40Gbps. To show how far we've come, that's four times faster than USB 3.1"

 

So, maybe even when connecting USB3.1 (10Gbps) the 'internals' of the USB-hub are I guess "more equipped" to handle these speeds.

("simplified": 4 USB 3.1 devices of 10Gbps = 40 Gbps; instead of a USB3.1 USB-hub which gives more or less 2.5 Gbps (maybe maxed out to 5Gbps) if not all are on full load per port (10Gbps/4 ports is this 2.5Gbps)

 

Or does this kinda tech in usb-hubs work differently?

Expand  

Nah.

 

The controller is what matters here. If all of your controllers are USB 3.1, you get the same bandwidth regardless of connector type. If your USB-C is Thunderbolt, then thats different.

  On 30/07/2021 at 15:34, adrynalyne said:

Nah.

 

The controller is what matters here. If all of your controllers are USB 3.1, you get the same bandwidth regardless of connector type. If your USB-C is Thunderbolt, then thats different.

Expand  

The specs on Satechi's site lists: "CONNECTOR TYPE Type-C, Thunderbolt 3 Compatible"
Than the question... is my notebook Thunderbolt 3 Compatible?! Have to look that one up ;)

  On 30/07/2021 at 15:40, kiddingguy said:

The specs on Satechi's site lists: "CONNECTOR TYPE Type-C, Thunderbolt 3 Compatible"
Than the question... is my notebook Thunderbolt 3 Compatible?! Have to look that one up ;)

Expand  

Not from what I saw.

  On 30/07/2021 at 15:42, adrynalyne said:

Not from what I saw.

Expand  

You're right on that one. The manual states: USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, transfer rate up to 10 Gbps.

So... I can just use this adapter than?! And safe myself almost a 100 bucks.

  On 30/07/2021 at 15:46, kiddingguy said:

You're right on that one. The manual states: USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, transfer rate up to 10 Gbps.

So... I can just use this adapter than?! And safe me almost a 100 bucks.

Expand  

You can; but if you run out of power for the devices or see malfunctions due to lower power, you will know why.

  On 30/07/2021 at 15:47, adrynalyne said:

You can; but if you run out of power for the devices or see malfunctions due to lower power, you will know why.

Expand  

Yeah I know (mouse issues). But this one is not on the same USB-ports input on my mobo.

So, (hopefully) the internal power relay to these USB ports (type A & type C) are different... and therefore causing -probably- less issues.

Regarding your mouse interference ... nothing to do with the power on the A or C ports. 5 and 10 Gbps USB speeds  generate a lot of RF energy in the 2.4GHz spectrum. Poor shielding on devices or having these 5/10Gbps devices operating very close to a 2.4GHz receiver will cause issues. Physically separate them.

 

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/white-papers/usb3-frequency-interference-papers.pdf

  On 30/07/2021 at 16:01, jasondefaoite said:
Expand  

Thx.

So, my assumption could be correct as the 2.4Ghz dongle is place next to the USB-port of the USB-hub, and hence the interference.

And... using a completely different (USB-C) port on another side of the notebook making the distance larger and, therefore, causing less interference due to the distance between the plugged in 2.4Ghz receiver and the via USB-connected usb-hub.

 

Image taken from page 9 of this white paper. 

USBC2.jpg

  • Like 1

When I had my Logitech unifier wireless dongle, it never worked correctly in the back port, so what I did is I got a 6ft USB extension cable, plugged it in the same port and then ran the wire and taped it to the back of my screen, mouse and keyboard worked great after that.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1

I looked up an overview of this Asus GL731V notebook, and came across this video.

The image a still from it.

 

Looks like the connectors are wired to a different part of/on the motherboard, so with the usb-hub plugged into the USB-C port (above in picture), and the mouse-dongle in the 'regular' USB (part of the port-of-3) (right-side op picture)  I think I'm better off...

ASUS-GL731.jpg

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • No, this is what Powertoys Run is aiming to be but is still only about a quarter of the way there. Tho with Raycast having a thriving third-party extensions store, don't think Powertoys Run will ever be able to catch up.
    • If you look at all RAID implementations that exist, you're going to find exceptions. However, all the modern consumer varieties tend to have some things in common (by default). I'll stick to describing those. When you add a disk to a RAID array, metadata is stored at the end of the disk. It records the array the disk is part of, which other disks are in the array, etc. This is called the RAID superblock. If you create a RAID 1 array, your operating system will see them all as a single disk that is very slightly smaller than a single disk (due to the superblock). Everything you write to the RAID disk gets written identically to each of its member disks by the storage controller. Technically, disks are read/written in blocks (each block is multiple sectors in size), but this is all transparent to the user. Every file you create or change or delete is created/changed/deleted on every member disk simultaneously. This is true whether you have 2 disks in the array or more than 2.  If one disk completely fails, you can still operate just fine off the remaining disk(s) (but see the caution below). If you remove one disk and attach it to another PC, it should work fine. The partition information and everything is all at the front of the disk, just as expected. The superblock will just appear as some extra junk at the very end of the disk, outside any partition. In some scenarios, where it is recognized as a RAID member disk from another PC, there might be an extra step before it will let you use it, but it's all very doable. Caution:  Blocks are read from the disks in a staggered fashion. For example, with 2 disks, all the odd blocks are read from one disk and all the even blocks are read from the other. By working together like this, read speeds can be practically doubled. But this comes with a huge drawback. If a disk doesn't fail completely, but instead develops bad sectors, you may not realize it. The bad sectors may happen to be in blocks that are never read on that disk. In some cases, people have had bad sectors develop on one disk, then had the other disk fail, and only then realized that the remaining disk has bad sectors and corrupt data. Every backup method has its pros and cons. Never trust just RAID, or just an external HDD, or just the cloud. Use multiple methods to backup important data.
    • Evidence that it affects "most" people negatively? Based on what? The fact that their are millions of users in fact show me the opposite, that "most" are quite happy.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      Kavin25 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • One Month Later
      Leonard grant earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      pcdoctorsnet earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Rising Star
      Phillip0web went up a rank
      Rising Star
    • One Month Later
      Epaminombas earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      537
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      205
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      167
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      151
    5. 5
      Som
      127
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!