The standard USB has been offering a myriad of features that includes establishing the connection between the peripherals and computer system and the ability to draw power without any separate AC connection. The standard USB became popular with the USB 1.1 and the USB 2.0 versions that came with “High-Speed” connectivity features. However, with the launch of the latest USB 3.0 version, there has been no looking back. If you are not aware of the USB 3.0, this is because you are still using the primitive version of USB 2.0 in your computer system. USB 3.0 is also dubbed as “SuperSpeed USB” and it promises multifold leaps towards offering excellent transfer speed and overall improved capabilities. Most of the modern computers have at least one USB 3.0 ports. However, if you are using the older version of desktops with USB 2.0 in it, you would not get the desired performance parameters. USB 3.0 is everywhere and it feels very bad when you can’t use the maximum speed of USB 3.0 drives in your desktop with USB 2.0 connector. Do not get disheartened! Instead of buying a completely new drive for your desktop, you can try upgrading from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 version. All that you would need is a new driver enclosure. By placing the new USB 3.0 drive in the enclosure, you can experience faster file transfers along with additional features. We will unveil the steps to upgrade your desktop from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 with much through this article. Note: This article is only for the desktop computers, and in case, if you wanted to upgrade your laptop’s USB, then click on this link about » How to Upgrade Laptop USB 2.0 to USB 3.0?
So, What All do You Need?
Now that you know it is pretty simple to upgrade your current desktop from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0, you also need to know about the prerequisites for achieving the same. There aren’t a plethora of expensive electrical items that you would need for the purpose. Indeed, all of your upgrading work can be achieved easily with the help of one big boon: the USB 3.0 PCI Card and a free PCI /PCIe Slot on the motherboard of your desktop system. Using this excellent PCI/PCIe slot, you can mount the USB 3.0 port on your PC. The USB 3.0 Card and the Expansion Slot lets you enjoy amazing transfer speeds while still providing compatibility to the older USB 2.0 version. The PCI Express slot is improved with UASP support that performs up to 70% faster than the conventional USB 3.0 ports as it is paired with UASP. With excellent features that could leave you spellbound, this PCI Express Slot is a must-have for your desktop to upgrade from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0. And mainly, USB 3.0 Expansion Card comes in three variations so you can take out most from your desktop machine.
Here’s the list of those Expansion Cards:
Old PCI: This type of card mainly used in OLD Conventional PCI Slot. PCI Express X1: Some PCI Express X1 models offer a transfer speed of as much as 5 Gbps and also range across 1.5 Mbps to 480 Mbps depending on your needs & preference. This one actually the most common cards used by all the people around the world, cuz most of the latest motherboard has at least have one PCIe x16 slot and the best thing is, x1 USB 3.0 Card is cheap as free and can also be easily to use on any higher Version PCIe Slot, like x4, x8, and x16. PCI Express X4: These models USB Card comes 20% faster than the standard USB 3.0 PCIe x1 Card, along with the exceptional UASP transfer protocol. The PCI Express X4 models accelerate the performance by transferring data on different channels to the desktop and that’s the reason why all the latest USB 3.1 Gen 2 PCIe Cards only comes in the PCIe x4 variant.
So, now it’s all up on your desktop’s motherboard to support which one of these cards; And in case, if you still having some confusion about these different Expansion slots, then these two suggested articles will help you out:
What is a PCI Slot & for What It is Used for? PCI Express (PCIe) –Everything You Need to Know
How To Install A USB 3.0 Port On Your Desktop?
Now that you know the advantages of the latest USB 3.0 ports for your desktop performance, you can upgrade your desktop from the conventional USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 with much ease. You would just need to follow a series of simple steps as mentioned below: Step 1: You would, first of all, need to turn off your PC. Then you can open the cabinet that encloses the old USB 2.0 port. Step 2: Once you have opened the cabinet successfully, now you must keep this consideration in mind that you have bought the new USB 3.0 port that would exactly fit the dimensions of the available PCI or PCIe slot in your desktop. Step 3: You can also unscrew the old enclosure by removing whatever screws are holding. Once this is done, you can now plug in the new USB 3.0 Card into the desired free slot. Step 4: Now you can screw up the new USB 3.0 Card. Close the cabinet properly and then switch on your PC. You can install the drivers of the new USB 3.0 ports if the drivers have come with the USB 3.0 card.
Through proper installation, you would be availing the exciting range of features offered by the new USB 3.0 card. This would include greater transfer speeds and overall enhanced performance. So, it was pretty simple to upgrade your desktop from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0. Once you have achieved the same, you can experience the SuperSpeed technology offered by the new USB 3.0 card. It would be all worth the time and expense to upgrade from the USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 on your PC. “And that’s all for now, thanks for sticking with the article, and you know it will always good to let me know about the article, in the comments down below.” 🙂
Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.
