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Old June 10th 18, 08:18 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Yes[_2_]
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Default Upgrading USB 2 to USB 3 ports on a computer case

VanguardLH wrote:

Yes wrote:

I have an Antec 300 Illusion case. There are two USB 2.0 connector
ports on the front. I'm thinking that I may want to upgrade them to
USB 3.0.

Has anyone upgraded USB 2 ports on a chassis to USB 3? I'd like to
get some idea of what would need to be done. I could, of course,
add a USB 3.0 hub instead, but it'd be nice to keep down the amount
of clutter on my desk.


The problem is getting the case mounting ports that fit that case.
The USB port may not have its own bracket with tangs to snap into a
hole in the case. Rather it will be soldered onto a PCB that is
positioned behind the case.

http://i53.tinypic.com/2ik886t.jpg
My guess (since I couldn't find an inside view of that spot inside the
case) is there is one PCB that has the USB ports, audio jacks, and LED
soldered onto it and the wires run from the PCB.

Do you have any spare drive bays? If so, you can get a drive bay hub
that has one, or more, USB3 ports, like:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82E16820223120
That adds 2 USB3 ports, 4 USB2 ports, an eSATA connection, and a card
reader. This one only had an average rating so you might want to hunt
around for other choices. If you have no spare SATA ports on the mobo
then the eSATA connector in this drive hub would be dead. Same if you
don't have any spare USB2 headers on the mobo.

Sometimes there are USB2 headers on the mobo that are unused. You
could connect those to this drive bay hub along with the USB3 header
on the mobo. If your mobo only has USB2 headers then the mobo has no
USB3 support which means you'll have to add a USB3 daughtercard.
Some USB3 cards have an internal USB3 connector you could use to go
to the USB drive hub; however, often the internal USB connector is
shared with one of the external USB ports on that card.

You mention the case but not the motherboard, so no idea what you'll
have to do to add USB3 support. No mention of what USB headers are
already used on the mobo. If the mobo has it, run an unused USB3
header on the mobo to the USB drive hub. If not, you'll have to add
a USB3 daughtercard which will already give you USB3 external ports
on the backside. If you get one with a USB3 internal port then you
can move one of the backside (shared) USB3 ports to the front-facing
USB drive hub.


I have an ASUS M4A89GTD PRO USB3 mobo. It has two USB 3 ports and an
eSATA connector on the back side of the case plus USB and SATA
connectors on the mobo.

The reason for my question is that 1. it's difficult for me to reach
the USB 3 ports on the back of the case, 2. the USB 3 device I have has
a short cable (say 6 inches) which makes it awkward to plug in and use
given my pc's location and 3. I didn't know what upgrading the chassis'
existing USB 2 connectors to USB 3.0 might entail. If the upgrading of
a USB 2 port on the front to a USB 3 port were only a matter of getting
a new set of wiring suitable for USB 3, then that would be tempting to
do. On the other hand, I've seen external hubs that plug into the
external USB 3 connector and have an external AC/DC power brick to
provide the power for more USB 3 devices. I could accommodate that if
need be.

At the moment, I'm rather shell shocked and not particularly looking
forward to messing around the wiring inside my pc. As many of the
regulars here know, I had a severe problem in early May involving my
PSU when I tried to add on another HD to my pc. After all was said and
done, I lost two of my three hard drives (drive C:\ still works), lost
my DVD burner drive, lost the internal fan at the top of the case,
replaced the PSU and, after several weeks dealing with two DOA HD
drives, received one that works. All in all, I feel a bit down and
jinxed at the moment, particularly facing the task to reconstruct
several data files.

Other replies pointed out some alternatives such as an internal hub
fitting into a drive bay. That idea had not crossed my mind. Ditto,
the cable suggestion from Paul.

My mobo has PCI-e slots on it that are not usable due to the location
of the graphics card. When I moved the graphics card from its existing
position to the other same type slot on the mobo, I chickened out. The
graphics card was immediately above the PSU fan (the PSU is mounted at
the bottom of the chassis), and the distance between the card and the
PSU fan looked very narrow. I was worried about air circulation and
possible overheating of the graphics card.

John