I'm transferring files from my ASUS A43S laptop, which has an SSD for the system drive and an ASMedia USB 3.0 controller. I'm using an adaptor to connect to a 2.5" WD 3200BEVT HDD. The USB Device Tree Viewer indicates that the HDD has a SuperSpeed connection, but during the transfer to the external HDD, I'm only seeing speeds around 40MB/s. Is this typical for USB 3.0, or should I be expecting faster transfers?
2 Answers
That 40MB/s might be a bit disappointing, but it's not too surprising considering your setup. Make sure you're using a proper USB 3.0 cable because that speed is more in line with USB 2.0. Also, since your laptop is from 2011 and features an older ASMedia USB controller, it might not provide the best speeds. Plus, your external HDD is an older 5400 RPM model, which also plays a big part in the speed you're seeing.
It really depends on what type of files you're transferring. If you're moving a single large file, you could see speeds up to 60-70MB/s, but with lots of smaller files, hitting 40MB/s is actually decent. Don't forget that this HDD is a 5400 RPM one, so it's likely not going to perform like a newer SSD or even a faster HDD.
Yeah, 40MB/s is pretty much the limit for USB 2.0. Whenever I've experienced that exact transfer speed, it usually means the USB connection is the bottleneck.