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What speed are the 8 USB Ports on my new XPS 8300
I just purchased a Dell XPS 8300 and it has 8 USB ports on it. There are 4 on the back, 2 on the fromt and 2 on the top. When consulting with a tech rep on another problem, I asked if any of the ports were USB3 -and he said no. This kind of suprised me -- a computer shipping now-a-days with no USB3 ports.
Anyway, I let it go until while looking at the mother board, I see that some of the USB ports on the mother board are labeled USB1 -- what the heck is going on there. The ports labeled USB1 are the ports coming directly off of the mother board and go to the 4 USB jacks on the back of the computer.
There is a jack on the mother board, with a cable attached, that is clearly labeled USB2 and there is another jack on the mother board, I "think" is labeled USB3 (can't tell for sure).
Anyway, I can't tell where the catles run to, but they have got to go: one to the jacks on the front of the system and the other to the jacks on the top of the computer.
So does anybody know the actual designation of the various USB ports on this recently produced 8300. Is there a way I can test the speed.
The Device Manager shows 8 ports:
2 Generic USB Hubs, 2 USB Root Hubs, 2 Intel 6 Series Enhanced Host Controllers and 1 USB Composite Device and 1 USB Mass Storage Device -- and to confuse the issue a little bit farther, there is also an eSATA jack on the back of the computer that I think can be used as some sort of USB port.
But my first concern is, what is the various speed of the various USB ports on this machine. I am planning to get an External Hard Drive and plug it into the eSATA conection, but if I end up with a USB External Hard Drive (like a portable hard drive), I don't want to use the USB ports on the back of the machine if they are really USB1 ports, as labeled on the mother board.
So, does someone know what is going on with these USB ports or direct me to where I can get the right information on them.
ron in round rock
theflash1932
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January 13th, 2012 23:00
The 8300 currently offers an optional USB 3.0 card, but it is not standard. While many (but not all) currently available retail motherboards have integrated USB 3.0, OEM's (like Dell, HP, Acer, etc.) are always slower to adopt the latest tech, as they must fit it into their testing and lifespan cycles/schedules. You also do not have any USB 1 ports ... if you see USB 1 on the motherboard, it is surely talking about the USB hub identifier.
DELL-Chris M
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January 13th, 2012 23:00
The XPS 8300 does not have USB 3.0 ports. For awhile we offered a USB 3.0 card - 72YMW USB 3.0 Module (PCIe Card, Cable, & Cage) .
USB 2.0 = Enhanced Host Controller
USB 3.0 = Extensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI)
My XPS 420 Device Manager actually list two USB 2.0 ports -
Intel ICH9 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller
Intel ICH9 Family USB2 Enhanced Host Controller
The others are USB 1.1.
fireberd
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January 14th, 2012 03:00
Although USB 3.0 is the latest, there isn't many devices that are USB 3.0 and thus unless you have a device that is USB 3.0 it doesn't do you any good. If you connect a USB 2.0 device to a USB 3.0 port it will run at the USB 2.0 speed and not the faster USB 3.0 speed.
roninrr
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January 14th, 2012 05:00
OK, I am hearing that I don't have any USB 3.0 or USB 1.1 ports on my machine. I am not sure exactly what the comment about USB 1 being a USB Hub Identifier means. What is a Hub identifier. Are there different kinds of Hub identifiers.
So let me ask a little more about the Device Manager identifications, which I buried in my first post. M 8300 has the following Device Manager descriptions for the 8 USB ports on my machine:
Universal Serial Bus controllers
- Generic USB Hub
- Generic USB Hub
- Inter(R) 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 1C26
- Inter(R) 6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 1C20
- USB Composite Device
- USB Mass Storage Device
- USB Root Hub
- USB Root Hub
If these are all USB 2.0 ports, why so many different descriptions. Are they all the same. If I hook up a portable Hard Drive to one of the USB ports, is there any reason that it should be hooked to the USB port labeled USB Mass Storage Device or does it make any difference -- or if it does make a difference, how do I determine which one of the USB ports is the one designated USB Mass Storage Device.
In general, what is going on here. Again, if the USB ports are all the same, why the different designations by the Device Manager. I am pretty confused.
ron in round rock
fireberd
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January 14th, 2012 06:00
By your listing you have two USB controllers on the motherboard by the entries with the "Enhanced Host Controller" which says they are USB 2.0. One is most likely for the rear USB ports and the other for the front USB ports (that is how it is on my Intel motherboard). The USB ports are grouped on "hubs" (parallel ports).
Suffice to say it works and the way it is. If you want to get deeper into the circuit design you need to talk to a design engineer or take a course in logic engineering and/or Operating System programming.
SokeP
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January 18th, 2012 00:00
does XPS 8300 have a LAN port?
SokeP
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January 18th, 2012 00:00
Chris,
Thanks for the XPS 8300 clarifications: no USB 3.0; that xHCI indicates USB3.0,
1. the orig poster mentioned eSata:
is there an eSATA external receptacle or mobo connector(s)?
If so, would it run at the SATA II 3Gbps mobo speed (I am extrapolating from mention of SATA II Hard Disk)?
2. Are there SATA II 3Gbps connectors on the mobo?
3. "USB 1.1": was this correct? or was the later poster correct with?
"two USB controllers on the motherboard by the entries with the "Enhanced Host Controller" which says they are USB 2.0."
4. Did the USB 3.0 card run anyplace close to SATA II, or did it succumb to bridging problems, etc.
5. I am thinking of picking up a XPS 8300 from the Outlet (or watching elsewhere); with the i7 and SATA II, does it pretty fast?
Keep up the good work,
theflash1932
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January 18th, 2012 10:00
Yes, it does:
support.dell.com/.../sg_en.pdf (Sec1:26)
jfcbpp18
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March 22nd, 2016 07:00
When you say Optional USB 3.0 Card? What do you mean?
How do I now the One I have is 3.0 card?
I know that right know all my ports are 2.0 because they are not blue or have the symbol 2.0, without the SS.
But in any case, i would like to know how can I find out if my mothercard is the optional 3.0 or again, what did you mean exactly with that information and how I can find out about mine.
Regards,
Thanks,