If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Front USB ports don't work (Chenming case) | Hackworth | Homebuilt PC's | 5 | July 5th 05 07:41 AM |
Connecting front case ports | Vincent Vega | Homebuilt PC's | 2 | March 8th 05 11:49 PM |
bringing usb ports to the front of the case | william kossack | Asus Motherboards | 4 | September 23rd 04 09:00 AM |
How to add USB ports inside a PC case | Bennett Price | General | 1 | March 21st 04 07:03 PM |
Front USB ports on P4800-VM in a Apex ATX PC-115 case | Mike | Asus Motherboards | 0 | January 22nd 04 09:04 PM |