USB 3.0 board headers with USB 2.0 case ports?

extra-ordinary_ · 26-10-2011 12:34pm #1

Hi,
Thinking of building again...

If my new mobo has a USB 3.0 header to connect to the front USB ports of my case, do I need to make sure the case I'm using has USB 3.0 ports?

Tea_Bag · 26-10-2011 12:50pm

99% of cases with front USB3 ports are actually using a passthrough cable to take a slot from your back IO shield and not the boards USB3 header.

extra-ordinary_ · 26-10-2011 1:09pm

OK...so the ITX case I'm looking at has USB 2.0 ports. Will I have to try and mod the case with some USB 3.0 ports?

Tea_Bag · 26-10-2011 1:11pm

well you could... but why?
is the rear IO not enough? do you have USB3 devices?

dyer · 26-10-2011 1:23pm

you can plug a USB2 device into USB3 port but wont get USB3 transfer rates..

extra-ordinary_ · 26-10-2011 1:29pm

@ Tea_Bag

Yeh..it's a tiny case and i'd like to have USB 3.0 at the front...now it seems i'm gonna have to do a bit of modding and am wondering how difficult sourcing suitable parts will be. I don't want to have a USB 3.0 cable running externally from the back of the case.

Serephucus · 26-10-2011 2:06pm

You can run it internally behind the motherboard tray. That's what Tea Bag is talking about.

extra-ordinary_ · 26-10-2011 3:13pm

@ Serephucus

You're saying run a M/F USB 3.0 cable from the rear I/O port back in through the case and then to exit the case and front panel where exactly? This is the case.

I was thinking I'll have to try and source a twin port USB 3.0 block and see if I can hook it up to the board headers and front panel somehow

Serephucus · 26-10-2011 3:24pm

That's not what I was saying at all.

Tea Bag mentioned that 99% of cases with USB 3.0 headers actually just run a cable from the ports behind the motherboard tray out to the back panel where you plug it into a USB 3.0 port there.

I was simply making the point that it's not external; you don't see anything on the outside. The only thing you see is a cable coming out the back of the computer, next to the I/O shield, and plugging into a USB port.

With the case above, you'd have to pull out the USB ports and install new ones. I've no idea what's involved, but I don't think it would be too hard. Your best bet would be to get a 3.5" bay USB 3.0 hub and pull it apart. As long as you're ok with a screwdriver, a soldering iron, and perhaps a dremel, it shouldn't be too bad.

Edit: This is the sort of thing I was talking about, but upon further thought, something like this might be easier.

extra-ordinary_ · 26-10-2011 4:22pm

yeh...but what teabag is talking about are cases already with USB 3.0 front ports. This design was implemented because board headers were slow to appear on boards coming out so case manufacturers used the rear ports. No use to me though as I do have board headers AND rear I/O ports...my problem is with the case itself and the fact that the front ports are USB 2.0

yeh...that 2nd link looks promising...thanks..just have to have a good look at my front panel now...

USB 3.0 board headers with USB 2.0 case ports?

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