USB 2.0 to 3.0 adapater/converter?

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I don't know if this would be in the right section. I have a old desktop and laptop that only has USB 2.0. I've been considering buying a 3.0 enclosure for my spare hard drive.

What kind of device would I need exactly to use the 3.0 function for hard drive?

 
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Any other devices? How hard would it be to replace the guts of your pc that supports only usb 2.0?

Please provide input if you have the experience and knowledge.
 
62t said:
something like this

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?seq=1&format=2&p_id=8090&aid=cse&CA_6C15C=1565851638
Click to expand...
OP said he has a desktop, that's for a laptop and mini-PCs.

What J Rokk posted would give OP USB3 speeds... if OP had a USB3 compatible mobo (which he doesn't).

OP, you need to find out if you any have PCI slots open and then you'd need something like this (get the right size).

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=pci%20usb3&sprefix=pci+usb3%2Caps

There is a potential issue here is with power. USB3 is capable of delivering .9A, vs .1A for USB2. If you hook up multiple power hungry devices (such as USB3 powered HD enclosures, performance keyboards, etc.), then it's suspect if the PCI slot won't be able to deliver that power... it's very unlikely, but it's a possibility. Some of those PCI cards even require their own power connection. The worst thing that'll happen, if that's the case, is that something won't work and you'll need to unplug it. The other issue is, depending on how "old" your PC is, you might not be able to enjoy the full speed of USB3.

 
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OP, you can get a USB 3.0 enclosure and unless it's for a 2.5" HDD, it would come with an AC adapter for its power source.

Is there something on the drive that faster access would be needed?    Even if the drive is a USB 3.0 enclosure talking to a USB 3.0 port, the drive may be the bottleneck in this scenario.

You can use a USB 3.0 enclosure on a PC that has USB 2.0 ports, it just won't hit USB 3.0 speeds.  And it may not, again, depending on the drive.

 
shrike4242 said:
OP, you can get a USB 3.0 enclosure and unless it's for a 2.5" HDD, it would come with an AC adapter for its power source.

Is there something on the drive that faster access would be needed? Even if the drive is a USB 3.0 enclosure talking to a USB 3.0 port, the drive may be the bottleneck in this scenario.

You can use a USB 3.0 enclosure on a PC that has USB 2.0 ports, it just won't hit USB 3.0 speeds. And it may not, again, depending on the drive.
Click to expand...
I was thinking about doing this in case I buy a laptop for a future PC that has USB 3.0 functions.

I do have a few spare 2.5 hdd satas lying around. Also I thought not all sata usb 3.0 enclosures are backwards compatible?

I'm currently using Windows 7 for my laptop and PC that is.

 
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