Cases and USB 3.0 question.

[Drayken]

I am looking at cases right now, and use external HD for photography. I will be slowly switching to USB 3 externals. I want to have plugs in front on the case, but don't really want to lose the back ones from the mobo. Do all cases just have a USB 3 plug, that runs to the back of the case and into the mobo, for the case's front USB 3 plugs? I can't really tell. Am I correct, in thinking that many mobo will have for example, 2 USB 3.0 plugs along with the video and audio plugs, but ALSO have a plug on the mobo itself, for additional USB 3.0. So, for example, here are two cases. I watched the vid on the first case, and it looks like it just has a USB cable, that uses the back plug on the mobo. So it wouldn't actually give me 2 more USB 3.0 ports, it would just move them from the back to the front. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119213 (Also, do you recommend the 932 or 942?)

 

[CurseTheSky]

Some cases simply have a pass-through cable designed to plug into USB 3.0 ports on the back of the motherboard. Some (often newer) cases have USB 3.0 ports that are designed for an internal header on the motherboard. You want the second version (so long as your motherboard has an internal USB 3.0 header).

Luckily there are adapters if your case only has pass-through cables (like my PC-V1020B). Here's one from Lian Li: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/12...ter_UC-01.html

 

[stargazr]

Am I correct, in thinking that many mobo will have for example, 2 USB 3.0 plugs along with the video and audio plugs, but ALSO have a plug on the mobo itself, for additional USB 3.0.

Yes. The Asus P8Z68-V PRO for example has 4 USB 3.0 ports - 2 on the back panel, and 2 on a header (19 pin) just like USB 2.0. I'm not sure but I think some motherboards that have the header come with an adaptor.

You are also right about the case in the video - it has blue USB 3.0 cables meant to plug into the back ports.

Some of the newer cases are like this one but many sadly still don't have any USB 3.0 front ports. I don't know of any cases that can plug right into the header.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

I just did a lot of research into cases, and decided I wanted one with USB 3.0 on the front too. I ended up with like 2 or 3 in my short list (under $100) and went with the Rosewill Blackhawk. I never saw any that had the plug into the header, just the pass-through, as stargazr says. Those adapters make it a non-issue though. But the mobo I got doesn't have the header anyway, so I'll have the ghetto blue cable coming out the back of my case into the mobo. 🙁