USB 3.0 vs USB 2.0 Comparison

USB 3.0 was being touted as the next big leap in data transfer technology, and it has proven to be just that, but what is the difference between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 and how advanced is USB 3.0. There is no doubt that this technology is what everyone is looking for in the new devices that they wish to purchase, but we first need to know what USB 3.0 is all about and I have also made a USB 2.0 v/s USB 3.0 comparison for you.

Speed

It need not be said that the USB 3.0 is much faster than the USB 2.0. The USB 2.0 is known to work on the low speed and the full speed specification, where as USB 3.0 is able to function on all the speed specifications including the super speed one. This means, that it supports data transfer at the rate of 625MB/sec. The USB 2.0 can only manage data transfer at the rate of 60MB/sec and that is the maximum.
When you come practical transfer of data, the speed of a USB 3.0 is anywhere above 400MB/sec while that of USB 2.0 is much lower than this.

Cable

The cable length is another important factor that differentiates USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. The USB 2.0 can have a 5mtr cable and that is without any hub in between, the length can be expanded in case you add to USB hubs and the use of the hubs is dependent on the kind of device that you are using. As far as the USB 3.0 is concerned the maximum possible length of the cable is 3mts and that too without the presence of any hub.

USB_Transfer

Image Source: Pixabay

Data transfer

One of the major areas where USB 3.0 manages to score over the USB 2.0 is that it is much more efficient than the USB 2.0 in the sense that it is much faster than its predecessor. Also the requirements for a USB 3.0 are much lesser than the USB 2.0.
It is only because of the USB 3.0 that the streaming of High Definition videos are possible as the data transfer is faster and at the same time, there is no breaking in the transfer, which is quite common in the case of USB 2.0

Power

Coming to the power consumption in greater detail, as I mentioned before, the power consumption of the USB 3.0 is higher, as compared to the USB 2.0. You can check this yourself by simply opening the device manager that is present in your system and you need to go to the properties of the USB3.0 port as well as that of the USB 2.0, to know the actual difference between the two in this respect. It is known that an unconfigured USB 3.0 port takes 150 mAh power whereas an unconfigured USB 2.0 port just takes 100 mAh power. Though there is not much difference among the two, but it is clear that the USB 3.0 takes more power, between the two.
Thus, in the USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0 comparison, it is clear that USB 3.0 is the more desirable one, after all it is faster and greener than its predecessor. Using it for the purpose data transfer in any device is sure going to be a pleasure for the user.

Anand

About Author
Anand is Tech blogger. He contributes to the Blogging, Gadgets, Social Media and Tech News section on TechHolik.

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