USB 3.0 UASP - new protocol for USB3.0 host controllers and devices? SCSI-like?

[VirtualLarry]

http://event.asus.com/mb/2010/The_Best_USB3_Experience/The_UASP_For_USB3.0.htm

Looks really cool. I wonder if the ASRock Z77 Extreme4 has this? If they are using the same ASmedia controller chip, then maybe they do. (But I thought that the Z77 chipset had native Intel USB3.0 controller onboard? Is this a new function of the Intel controller? Or is Asus using their own USB3.0 controller, even though the Intel chipset supports USB 3.0?)

 

[Coup27]

This is something Asus are doing off their own back and has nothing to do with the Intel controller. I have this feature on my board (sig) which uses the Asmedia. I don't have a lot of USB3 devices but I did benchmark my Patriot Supersonic 32GB thumb drive with it on and off and did not see any difference.

For it to work, you also have to have one of their management programs running 24/7. When you connect a device you then open the management program (AI suite I think) and enable UASP on the device before it'll enter that mode. It's a bit more involved than just plug and play but if the speeds are that much more, then it's worth the extra effort.

Personally I don't transfer files large enough that the difference between standard and UASP would be large enough for me to keep an application running all the time and to turn the mode on and off.

 

[pjkenned]

I have one of the Thermaltake USB 3.0 3.5" and 2.5" docks that supports UASP. It actually does help quite a bit. To the point where if this was plug and play I think eSATA would become significantly less useful.