![usb 2 vs usb 3 difference usb 2 vs usb 3 difference](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5dAndWiZ8YI/maxresdefault.jpg)
Those who don’t spend their days perusing the latest tech news or shopping for top-of-the-line swag and gadgets like custom branded USB ports, for example, might find themselves wondering about all the hype around the latest USB standards.įirstly, let’s talk about the difference between USB standards and USB ports, which tends to be a major source of confusion for anybody trying to figure out where to start when it comes to stocking up on the hottest promotional tech goodies and trends. So, with all that in mind, what exactly is the difference between USB 3.0 vs 3.1 ? Well, let’s get into it and break it down!īreaking Down the Difference Between Standards and Ports That said, despite the very subtle nuances in naming convention, there are indeed some very notable differences between the USB 3.1 Gen 1 and the USB 3.1 Gen 2, and thus we are just going to stick with the terms USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 to keep it simple in the context of this informative article.
![usb 2 vs usb 3 difference usb 2 vs usb 3 difference](https://techsmartest.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Difference-USB-2.0-and-USB-3.0-how-to-recognize-ports.jpg)
However, it also bears noting that the version of USB 3.1 that we are referring to here is technically called USB 3.1 Gen 2, which means that the official names of the two models that we will be comparing are actually only separated by one letter. What’s In a Name?īefore we begin our comparison o f USB 3.0 and 3.1, there is one important detail that we should probably cover first, and that is that picking up on the difference between USB 3.0 and 3.1 can be especially confusing given that the official names of the two versions sound awfully similar.īasically, USB 3 has since been officially renamed USB 3.1 Gen 1 by the USB Implementers Forum, USB-IF, for short, who are essentially the not-for-profit group of big-tech representatives who came up with the original concept for the USB (which is now referred to as USB 1.0) back in the mid-90s and remain in charge of the implementation standards to this day. One for sending data and the other for receiving data.Are you scratching your head wondering what exactly is the difference between products that offer USB 3.0 vs 3.1 technology? While the nuances might be hard to pick up on, there are actually some major differences betw een USB 3.0 and 3.1 -and we are here to help clear up the confusion. USB 2.0 is a one-way communication, this means that it uses two separate unidirectional data paths. Thus, USB 2.0 can only send data or receive data at a given time, but not both. USB 2.0 is a one-way communication, this means the data is sent and received over the same pathway. It can also conserve power by cutting off supply to idle devices. Also, USB 3.0 provides efficient power management and increases power delivery. Thus, USB 3.0 devices can be charged faster when connected to USB 3.0 ports. This results in an increase of total power delivery from 2.5 W to 4.5 W, at 5 V. USB 2.0 provides power up to 500 mA to its devices, whereas USB 3.0 provides up to 900 mA of power. However, when a USB 3.0 device is connected to a USB 2.0 port, the data transfer speeds will be limited to USB 2.0 speed, which is about 480 Mbps. Thus, a USB 2.0 device can be connected to a USB 3.0 port. Thus, USB 3.0 is 10 times faster than USB 2.0. USB 2.0 transfer speed is 480 Mbps, while USB 3.0 transfer speed is 4.8 Gbps. Thus, USB 3.0 connectors cannot be used with USB 2.0 ports. It is such, to accommodate the additional wires. Thus, USB 3.0 connectors are larger than the USB 2.0 connector. USB 2.0 has 4 connector wires, while USB 3.0 has 9 connector wires. USB 2.0 Connectors are black on the inside, while the USB 3.0 is blue on the inside. 1 Differences between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.