looking for mobo with USB 3 infront

[Jskid]

I'm considering ASRock because it has "ASRock XFast USB Technolog" to increase the speed. Does anyone know which boards they have that have USB 3 on front? I'm trying to spend less than $150/$160

how many usb ports does the average mother board have? It appears this board only has 2, is that right?

 

[hennessy1]

Do you mean to use for a front panel like an internal usb 3.0 header?

 

[nenforcer]

how many usb ports does the average mother board have? It appears this board only has 2, is that right?

Correct, that motherboard has only 2 superspeed USB 3.0 ports and they are both on the rear I/O panel.

It has 2 additional onboard USB 2.0 headers, for total of 4 (2 X 2) USB 2.0 ports, which I don't think your interested in.

Most any motherboard you will find only supports 2 superspeed USB 3.0 headers because the chip interface maker NEC only had 2 to begin with. The very latest USB 3.0 header chips support 4 USB 3.0 ports which are typically divided 2 on rear panel and an onboard header which supports 2 more via a new computer case which has external USB 3.0 ports.

BTW the new AMD LLano motherboards support 4 X USB 3.0 natively and for instance

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157261

This ASSRock A75M-HVS has 4 rear panel USB 3.0 ports. Some of the A75 boards have an onboard header as well which is more convenient than snaking a cable across the motherboard.

The Mini-ITX LLano motherboards have been announced but aren't shipping yet.

 

[hennessy1]

The Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD7 and the Asus P7P55/USB3 the asus I don't know when that will be available though. I couldn't find one in that price range for a front panel header usb 3.0.

 

[d4a2n0k]

What form factor are you looking for? Your link is for an ITX mobo but that will definitely limit your choices. Ive had 3 ASUS 1155 Mobos and dont understand how they figure what they put on each mobo.

The first one was a P8P67 Pro that had the front USB3 header. The mobo was recalled and I ended up with the Maximus Extreme IV which was their top of the line at the time and it did NOT have a front USB3 header. I ended up returning the Maximus and settle with the P8P67 WS Revolution, another one of their higher end boards and it also does NOT have the USB3 header.

If you are looking for ATX, the vanilla P8P67 has the USB3 header and is in your price range. This is the Rev 3.0 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131705

They also have the Rev 3.1 of the same board, not sure what is different but it also has the front header and is a little more money. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131770

 

[d4a2n0k]

Or you can add this card to any mobo with a spare pci-e 1x slot.

http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Ex...ata/B005FE726G

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Or you can add this card to any mobo with a spare pci-e 1x slot.

http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Ex...ata/B005FE726G

Rather than advice -- some observations. You may find a USB 3.0 "internal" port on other boards -- if it's not on your mini-ITX example, you may have to choose full-ATX to get it.

I like to explore using all essential features in my computer build, while keeping it simple and not overwhelming bandwidth limitations. So when I purchased my P8Z68-V-Pro, it was a nice "extra" to find the Asmedia USB 3.0 controller and port in the board specifications.

One member here wondered if he'd have to purchase a new computer case with "front-panel USB 3.0." Neither a reason to buy a new case, nor much of a likely choice among cases on the market. Nor do I want to beat up on my colleague about his observation.

If boards are equipped with an "internal" plug for USB 3.0, they also are likely bundled with a PCI-backplate fitted with two USB 3.0 ports and a cable with plug that runs to the internal motherboard plug. By dis-assembling the backplate from the two ports and their plastic/rubber plug, you can use the cable in your own DIY assembly that gives you "front-panel" USB 3 -- for about $25.

I just purchased a SYBA USB 3.0 3.5" internal front-panel hub for $25 (try Directron or the Egg). You'll find several complaints of users about the pervasive "kloodge" that these kits support: running a USB cable out through the back of your computer to plug into an external USB 3 port at the I/O plate, with the manufacturers ignoring support for the internal USB 3 motherboard plug.

So you'd spend the $25, use the "A"-to-"B" USB cable that comes with it -- connecting the latter to the other cable that fits the USB 3.0 motherboard plug. Works like a charm.

Whatever problems people say they'd had with SYBA, Koutech, Bittech or other brand units for this sort of product -- I haven't experienced such problems. There's the possibility you may run into a USB 3.0 motherboard implementation that does not support connection of a hub, but such is not the case with the P8Z68-V-Pro and Asmedia USB 3 controller . . . .

Of course, if you spend money on a top-end board like the P8Z68-Deluxe, you get the 3.5" front-panel port device and cable bundled with it. And we've shown that the price differential between the mid-range and top-end boards of a model line pretty much reflects these differences, meaning that it's a break-even situation if you want to buy a product like the SYBA to use with the mid-range motherboard. Even so, the latter takes one USB 3.0 cable-plug and turns it into four, while your bundled 3.5" front-panel simply passes through from the two USB-3 cable plugs to two front-panel ports.

 

[Jskid]

Or you can add this card to any mobo with a spare pci-e 1x slot.

http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Ex...ata/B005FE726G

If I added something like this wouldn't that decrease the speed b/c it's one more thing to go through (no mater how fast)?

 

[jhansman]

The Asrock 890FX has a USB 3.0 header that can be used for either 2 front ports (via a 3.5" bracket where a floppy drive would go) or for a rear bracket. I opted for the front bracket, and once the BIOS is properly set and the supplied software is installed, it is blazingly fast.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

If I added something like this wouldn't that decrease the speed b/c it's one more thing to go through (no mater how fast)?

I don't think so. Take a look at the "computer architecture" drawing for your chipset and processor. I think that should reassure you . . . .

The only caveat: consult your mobo manual about the way to use your available PCI and PCI-E slots. On some boards, use of this or that slot may preclude the function of another. Ultimately, you would want to avoid overwhelming the bandwidth limits of the PCI-E bus, but that's not going to happen in the case you mention -- unless there's a conflict of the type I described . . .