How do you confirm USB3 is operational

[whs]

The Atto benchmarks show that the disk drives the speed, not the port.

 

[Mike Connor]

Test it with this;

HD Tune website

Further info;

USB 3.0 and SATA 6G Performance Preview - HotHardware

USB 3.0 vs. USB 2.0 Speed Test at GIGABYTE HQ with new P55A-UD6 mobo :: TweakTown USA Edition

Also, eSATA is invariably faster than USB 3.0 right now;

http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/02/05/esata-is-faster-than-usb-3-0-at-least-right-now/

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[Reggie49]

You are going to forgive my lack of knowledge Ponmayilal, but does it mean if you have an entry under the heading of "UMBUS Root Bus Enumerator", for the drive in the Device Manager, that the drive is operating as a USB3 device?

When my WD Passport drive is plugged in, it showed up in the listing for hard drives - never noticed the other heading. I'll have to check it to see if it exists when the WD is plugged in.

BTW thanks for the info, it appears a USB2 device function slightly better on a USB3 port. But I'm not convinced that my USB3 drive is operating as a USB3 device. It would be nice to know where to look to confirm that yes the drive is connecting at USB3 standards. I'd then be satisfied that either the drive isn't performing at my expectations as a USB 3 device, or I could then investigate what needs to happen to get it to connect as a USB3 device.

 

[Reggie49]

Okay I know some of you are going to think I'm a thick head, but when I just checked out the laptop to see if there was an entry under "UMBUS Enumerator" and there isn't. But I checked the disk drive section again and checked the driver details for the WD Passport USB3 drive.

While it doesn't state that the USB driver is USB3 it does provide a date, which is 2006!!! So I think I can confidently say that the drive is connecting as a USB2 device.

So the 6 million dollar question is, what do you have to do to get it to update the driver to a USB3 version. I've tried the option Update Driver but it tells me that the latest driver is installed. So some how I've got to it it to recognise the WD drive as a USB3 device, then we might be in business - but for me, easier said than done!

 

[Mike Connor]

All you can do right now is to contact the maker and ask for a USB.3.0 driver for the device you own. This is then installed as usual for any device driver.

The device must actually be a USB 3.0 Device , and you must have the proper cables etc.

Windows does not yet support USB 3.0 with "generic" drivers.

There are quite a few places which also have driver downloads for various devices. Like this one;

USB 3.0 driver download 2.0.4.0 for Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Vista running on Asus motherboards with NEC USB 3.0 controller chip

If you google your device you may be able to find a driver on-line for it.

Some "Passport" drivers here;

http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?level1=2&lang=en

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[essenbe]

In Device manager under USB Controllers there should be an entry for usb 3.0 host controller and another entry for USB 3.0 root hub controller. If USB is integrated in your Motherboard, you should find the latest driver on the MB site.

 

[Ponmayilal]

^ Yes, and that is what I have highligted in the first screen shot in my previous post.

And @ Reggie49, a pendrive will appear as shown in my second screenshot.

A USB HDD plugged into a USB3 port will appear like this



Since I only have the USB2 cable/adapter, I can expect only a marginally improved performance as in the screenshot 3 (USB2 into USB3) in my previous post.

But if and when I buy the USB3 cable and adapter from Seagate and use it to connect to my USB3 port I will without doubt get a vastly improved performance again as indicated in screenshot 3 (USB3).

If your WD USB device is truly a USB3 HDD that came with an USB 3 cable ( sorry, I do not know) and your View by connection shows like above, then you need not have any doubts . It will give you the improved performance. Whether it is upto your expectations is different.

As regards the driver, you only have to look for the latest USB 3 Host controller driver. As I understand most ASUS and Gigabyte MBs use NEC/Renesas UPD 72200/72200A chip.

If you can find out whether the driver is listed like in the screenshot below (Control Panel> Programs and Features), you only have to uninstall it from here and install the new driver.



You can download the latest driver from here. Gigabyte, ASUS NEC/RENESAS USB 3.0 Controller Driver 2.0.32.0 WHQL Available - Free device drivers Download

E. & O. E. (Errors and Omissions Excepted)

 

[essenbe]

If you have the Renasis drivers, there should be an entry in start - all programs. Under that it will tell you which driver is installed. At least that is the way mine is.

 

[Ponmayilal]

You are right. That is the USB 3 Host controller Utility for checking/unchecking the power management functions of the Controller (and not the driver itself)

Also see my posts in http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware-devices/134767-transend-usb-3-0-pci-card.html where a screenshot of it can be seen.

 

[Reggie49]

Ponmayilal, in the thought that I might have been on the right track over this USB3 driver I've posted two other threads regarding problems I've had trying to upgrade the driver. (http://www.sevenforums.com/drivers/135089-error-1605-a.html & http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware-devices/134683-cant-update-latest-usb-3-driver.html).

Following you last comment could it be that the reason for the Error 1605, is that you have to unistall the driver before you can install the new one? Mike (Hopalong X), suggested that I should do this but I was reluctant to do so, in case when I tried to reinstall the new driver the same error occurred and the original driver would now be removed!

 

[Ponmayilal]

While I cannot categorically state that it (installing the new driver over the existing one) is the cause for the error, I had always thought it prudent to uninstall the existing driver and then install the new driver and haven't experienced any problems. Your fear that something may happen if you uninstall the existing driver has no basis.

Even in case of other software, unless the software author categorically states that the new version can be installed over the existing version, I always scrub the old version clean with Revo uninstaller and then install the new version.

So try it and then report. If you still get the error message, it will then be for the best heads here to put on their cap. I have none.

 

[Reggie49]

Ok, I've tried the uninstall of the NEC USB3 drivers, rebooted and windows7 reinstalled them again.

Uninstalled them again, no reboot, tried the latest driver update and still getting the Error 1605.

Apart from a fresh install, which I'm not going to do as everything else is humming along nicely, does anyone have any clues?

 

[Mike Connor]

Don't know if it will help you, but it works on ASUS desktop motherboards ( I have not installed an ASUS laptop).

Make sure all cables are disconnected before you try to update as otherwise it wont work.

Download this new NEC driver for ASUS motherboards;

http://thesp.pcdriversheadqu.revenuewire.net/driver-detect/download?usb3

Install drivers. Reconnect cables.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[Ponmayilal]

^ that link downloads DriverDetective.exe and not any NEC driver. :huh:

@Reggie49, today I downloaded and installed the latest firmware 3.0.2.7.0.8 for uPD 72200. Check whether installing it helps. Download from SONY/NEC firmwares