The USB 3.0 (commonly known as 3.1 Gen 1), has been out for over ten years. However, some people don’t exactly know what the big deal is between the different versions. Someone could say that USB 3.0 is better than the others, which is true but doesn’t tell you why.
USB 2.0 Is Old
When we say old, the USB 2.0 was released in April of 2000. That is well over two decades ago. This doesn’t mean you won’t find them in stores, but they will be cheaper than the USB 3.0. However, 3.0 is over ten years old, so you won’t be searching hard for one.
How Fast Is A USB 3.0?
Because of the asynchronous mechanism, the USB 3.0 sends and receives data at the same time. This is different than the predecessors, which only did one or the other.
Transfer speeds are also ten times faster than the USB 2.0 versions. This means instead of Megabits per second, the transfers are measured in gigabits.
With these speeds, certain aspects can affect things including your computer’s speed. If your computer is bogged down with viruses or bloatware, things may go slower overall.
Other aspects that will hurt the speed are the port itself and the device you are connected with. If your computer contains a 3.0 port, but the hard drive you connect to is 2.0, the speed will match 2.0. The same can be said if the port is 2.0 and the device is 3.0, everything will downgrade.
Physical Aspects of USB 3.0
Beyond the packaging of the USB 3.0 labeling it as such, there are other key differences. Inside the connector are different color tones. Look inside your USB connector, and you’ll see a blue color if it’s a 3.0. If it’s any other color, it’s is more likely to be a 2.0 USB. This helps when attempting to figure out if someone is selling fake products. Or see if any of your current devices are USB 3.0 as well.
With the introduction of Type-C, color differentiation may not always be accurate. If you’re still unsure of the type, you can select the USB in Device Manager to determine which it is.
Pricing Differences Between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0
While the saying goes “You get what you paid for” usually means something inexpensive will be poor quality, it also relates to high quality. The USB 3.0 is priced higher than the 2.0 variant, but as seen above, you’re getting much higher quality. From faster speeds to more power, the USB 3.0 is overall a better product.
If you want to know more about the USB 3.0 or you’re interested in purchasing a 3.0 Flash Drive, visit KVS Computers. Our specialized team of computer technicians is here to help you with any computer needs. Or you can visit our shop where we are selling USB 3.0 flash drives to anyone in the US.