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News Asus announces TUF Sabertooth Z97 Mark 2 with USB 3.1 Gen 2

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Gareth Halfacree, 13 Aug 2015.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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  2. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    That seems a bit silly to bring to Z97 rather than Z170.

    Z97 is still using DMI2.0, which is effectively a PCIe 2.0 4x link between the CPU and chipset. Which has a maximum bandwidth of 16gbps unidirectional. Which means that pair of USB 3.1 gen2 connectors will more than saturate the link between the CPU and chipset if you try and use the listed bandwidth. Throw in everything else that will ALSO be using that DMI link (i.e. all your SATA ports, gigabit Ethernet, etc) and you may already be lacking enough link bandwidth to hit 10gbps on ONE port in normal use!

    Z170 changes to DMI 3.0, which is effectively a PCIe 3.0 4x link (32gbps bandwidth available), so makes a lot more sense for USB 3.1 gen2.
     
  3. SchizoFrog

    SchizoFrog What's a Dremel?

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    Quote from article@
    'These high-speed ports, driven by a dedicated ASMedia USB 3.1 controller,'

    Does this not mean that these high speed connections do not run through the chipset and therefore are not affected by your argument?
     
  4. cdb

    cdb No comment

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    Right, so what's different that they're calling it 3.1 then? If I bought a motherboard with USB3.1 on it I'd expect 10Gb/s otherwise as far as I'm concerned it's only USB3.
     
  5. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    You can blame the USB Implementers Forum for that. Officially, USB 3.1 Gen 1 is absolutely identical to USB 3.0 - aside from allowing for the Type C connector. USB 3.1 Gen 2 is *real* USB 3.1, with 10Gb/s throughput.
     
  6. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    No, that controller connects to the chipset.
     
  7. D B

    D B What's a Dremel?

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    waiting for the Z170 Sabertooth Mk 2
     
  8. Redbeaver

    Redbeaver The Other Red Meat

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    Is 3.1 gen2 the one you can plug no matter the orientation?

    or is that type C?
     
  9. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    That's Type C, which can be USB 3.1 Gen 1 or Gen 2. USB 3.1 Gen 1 is 5Gb/s USB 3.0 plus the option (but not requirement) of having a Type C connector; USB 3.1 Gen 2 is 10Gb/s plus the same Type C option. Asus has chosen to implement USB 3.1 Gen 2, so you've got 10Gb/s throughput there, but without the Type C connector; it's using the same USB A connector as we've had since USB 1.0, but coloured a subtly different shade of blue to USB 3.0.
     
  10. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    Type C can also carry USB 2.0 (and technically USB 1.0 but there is literally no reason to do that). It can also carry arbitrary protocols like Thunderbolt through the Alternate Modes specification.

    Not quite the same: From USB 3.0 onwards, the Type A gained an extra row of contacts inside the connector (in front of the existing row). USB 3.0 Type A looks mostly the same externally, but USB 3.0 Type B and Micro-B look visibly different from their USB 1.0/2.0 counterparts.
     
  11. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Yes, but USB 2.0 can never be Type-C; the presence of a Type-C connector means the device in question in USB 3.1, regardless of what it's actually sending down the wires.
    You're right, I was being vague; I was referring more to the backwards compatibility aspect (i.e. you can connect a USB 1.0 device to a USB 3.1 Type A port using its stock cable and expect it to work just fine.)
     

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