I just got a WD Passport 6TB external drive which has a USB 3.0 connector. It came with a cable that has a Micro-B connector on one end and a standard USB connector (the kind you always try to plug in the wrong way) on the other end for my PC. I have a new workstation with 20 Gbps USB-C connections and I'm wondering: 1. Is this cable a USB 3.0? 2. How fast is this setup? Should I return this drive for something that better utilizes the 20 Gbps port, and if so, what specifications should I look for? Thanks!
5 Answers
You can usually identify USB 3 cables by their blue internal plastic parts. Your WD Passport, if the specs are correct, has a max transfer speed of 5.0 Gbps, but remember that with 20 Gbps ports, part of that bandwidth goes to powering the drive. Higher-speed options exist if you're interested; for example, SanDisk has a drive that can reach up to 16 Gbps.
A standard hard disk won't fully utilize a 20 Gbps port since the SATA protocol maxes out at 5 Gbps. If the micro-B port on your drive is labeled "TYPE MICRO-B USB 3.0," you can simply buy a USB-C to micro-B cable. This won't reach 20 Gbps but should optimize the speed according to what the drive can handle.
Your WD Passport should work just fine with any USB port, even the slowest one. However, if your workstation only has USB-C ports, you might want to look for drives that support that specifically. You can always use a hub to connect multiple devices if needed. Just keep in mind that hard drives like this won't use the full bandwidth of 20 Gbps anyway. It's more than enough for what you're doing!
Make sure to double-check the exact model of your drive. If it's the version I found, the USB cable is a proprietary USB 3.0 or 3.1. You could consider getting a drive that supports USB-C or even Thunderbolt if your computer allows it for faster performance.
SATA typically caps out at about 5 Gbps, which is what you'll experience with rotating hard drives. Most hard disks provide speeds between 100–150 MB/s. Just remember, a USB 3.0 or 3.1 connector can still come in the older USB A format, it’s not just about USB-C. You're looking at good enough speed for what you need, but anything flash-based would give you that 20 Gbps speed for sure!
Thanks for the insights! So it sounds like the hard drive will be fine for my needs, just need the right cable to connect it properly.