Hi guys, I'm asking this question on this forum as it has the most learned PC geniuses I've encountered, and this is a noob question so I am sure someone on here will be able to answer it. I've just purchased a USB hub and wanted to ask: If I plug the USB hub into my PC using just the USB connection, obviously it will take the power it needs from the PSU, so if I also use the external power cord supplied to attach the hub to an external power source will it still drain and tax the PSU or will the hubs power default to receiving it from the external power source? Thank you.
It won't draw the power it needs as USB has a limit to the amount of power it can put out. You need to use the external power source. It will still "drain" to an extent as it still needs to establish a link. It's really nothing to even bother worrying about.
Be careful plugging it in when it's already got external power going to it, you can spike the USB and damage the mobo (mate killed an X58 Sabertooth doing the same thing).
