Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

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JVM
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Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by JVM » Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:06 am

I have received a pc with installed parts, pre-built with customization. There are USB ports on front top of case and rear ports on back of case. Looking inside the ports, there are a few blue/green USB ports on rear that I believe are 3.0/3.2. Top front USB ports are black inside, which I believe are 2.0. From what I can determine, black inside is 2.0. Now, is that a correct assumption or can 3.0 also be black inside?

Not only did I use my 78 year old eyes, but I also confirmed the above with a flashlight.

Japanese Capacitor
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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by Japanese Capacitor » Wed Jun 23, 2021 10:42 am

Yes, color usally means speed, but there're some exceptions. I assume that you have Meshify C case and Asus Prime Z590-A board.

Image

Black color means USB 2.0, dark blue 3.0, but here you have two colored black USB 3.0 - probably aestetics.

With your mobo you have everything nicely shown under the link, just scroll a little down: https://www.asus.com/pl/Motherboards-Co ... ME-Z590-A/

Here situation is easier than could be: four black ports, so 2.0; three light blue, what means faster then 3.0; one Type C with just different shape.

There exist also other colors, but I assume that you aren't that big USB enthusiast to talk about it :]

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by CA_Steve » Wed Jun 23, 2021 2:25 pm


JVM
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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by JVM » Thu Jun 24, 2021 6:24 am

Japanese Capacitor wrote:
Wed Jun 23, 2021 10:42 am
Yes, color usally means speed, but there're some exceptions. I assume that you have Meshify C case and Asus Prime Z590-A board.

Image

Black color means USB 2.0, dark blue 3.0, but here you have two colored black USB 3.0 - probably aestetics.

With your mobo you have everything nicely shown under the link, just scroll a little down: https://www.asus.com/pl/Motherboards-Co ... ME-Z590-A/

Here situation is easier than could be: four black ports, so 2.0; three light blue, what means faster then 3.0; one Type C with just different shape.

There exist also other colors, but I assume that you aren't that big USB enthusiast to talk about it :]
You say color usually means speed, but there are some exceptions. Also, you say Black means USB 2.0 but I have two Black USB and they are 3.0 because of aesthetics?
Now that could be the case since when I called them he said it was 3.0. He also said it was done for aesthetics. You aren't the guy over there who I spoke with, are you?
Considering all the various colored lights shining through the case, including glass side panel, why would 2 very small ports matter with color? Well, maybe because people are usually taller than case, adults, that is. Yes, children can be shorter than case.
So, if we assume those 2 black supposedly 3.0 USB ports are 3.0, then the cable connecting doesn't matter, and it's not the cable that permits the higher speed, correct? Thus, one can connect any colored USB cable to port and USB designation is based on header on motherboard, correct?

By the way, I did some upgrades: Memory 2 x 16, Samsung 500GB SSD, and upgraded to i7.
Last edited by JVM on Thu Jun 24, 2021 1:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by JVM » Thu Jun 24, 2021 6:41 am

Maybe you can clarify that for me. So USB 3.0 can be non super-speed? If so, how much faster is that compared to USB 2.0? Or, there are 3.0 non-super-speed @5GHz and 3.? that is faster than 3.0 and faster than 5 GHz?

Bottom line: USB 3.0 can have black plugs? If that is what is true, then showing my case to others who look at the top ports with black plug and say it can't be 3.0 because the plug is black! Well, I can't have that annoyance at my advanced age. I think I will, or maybe have someone come over and paint the damn black plug Blue!

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by Japanese Capacitor » Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:47 am

That's why Fractal put these ports types written under - especially for people like you ;) That's definitely aestetics and let's use an example:

Image

You see this green led on the front? This green combined with black case looks just awesome, to me it could be only beaten by red one :] But wait... there's something wrong with it... These damn awful two blue USB ports, which just kill all of this harmony of awesomeness :((((
JVM wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 6:24 am
So, if we assume those 2 black supposedly 3.0 USB ports are 3.0, then the cable connecting doesn't matter, and it's not the cable that permits the higher speed, correct? Thus, one can connect any colored USB cable to port and USB designation is based on header on motherboard, correct?
I don't really understand, what you ask and what you would like to achieve. USB types on the motherboard differ with connectors, so you are not able to plug whatever you want wherever you want. If you have Asus board I mentioned, you have faster USBs than 3.0 on it's external panel: three light blue 3.2 Gen 2 Type A and one Type C. There's also fastest from them all secound Type C x2 (lower one).

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by JVM » Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:33 am

Japanese Capacitor wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:47 am
That's why Fractal put these ports types written under - especially for people like you ;) That's definitely aestetics and let's use an example:

Image

You see this green led on the front? This green combined with black case looks just awesome, to me it could be only beaten by red one :] But wait... there's something wrong with it... These damn awful two blue USB ports, which just kill all of this harmony of awesomeness :((((
JVM wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 6:24 am
So, if we assume those 2 black supposedly 3.0 USB ports are 3.0, then the cable connecting doesn't matter, and it's not the cable that permits the higher speed, correct? Thus, one can connect any colored USB cable to port and USB designation is based on header on motherboard, correct?
I don't really understand, what you ask and what you would like to achieve. USB types on the motherboard differ with connectors, so you are not able to plug whatever you want wherever you want. If you have Asus board I mentioned, you have faster USBs than 3.0 on it's external panel: three light blue 3.2 Gen 2 Type A and one Type C. There's also fastest from them all secound Type C x2 (lower one).
Isn't that a connecting cable plugged into MB USB header and other end to USB port on top of case, or is the cable pre-attached to header and running straight to port?

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by JVM » Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:36 am

Or to put it another way, USB cables get plugged into header on MB and other end to USB port. Any USB cable that fits can be used. It is not the cable that designates 2.0 or 3.0, it is the header on MB, correct?

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by JVM » Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:41 am

This article is what convinced me 2.0 must be black and 3.0 another color:

https://www.cmple.com/learn/whats-the-d ... -usb-ports

You should now understand why there are color conventions for USB ports and connectors.

White: This usually signifies an old-school USB 1.0 connector or port.
Black: This color identifies a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed connector or port
Blue: This signifies a newer USB 3.0 SuperSpeed connector or port
Teal: The most recent addition to the USB color chart identifies a 3.1 SuperSpeed+ connector or port.

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by Japanese Capacitor » Thu Jun 24, 2021 9:13 am

Front USB cables come preattached to the case. You just plug them or not to monterboard.

If you ask, what determines the speed of the USB - cable or motherboard connector - I would say connector for sure... but I was never interested, so it's like I don't know. Dig yourself, if you're realy into this topic :]

I still don't care about colors of USB: if color is right, fine, if color is wrong, but the type is written next to as you have on Meshify C, it's the same fine to me and even better for ones not knowing the colors meaning ;)

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by JVM » Thu Jun 24, 2021 9:26 am

Japanese Capacitor wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 9:13 am
Front USB cables come preattached to the case. You just plug them or not to monterboard.

If you ask, what determines the speed of the USB - cable or motherboard connector - I would say connector for sure... but I was never interested, so it's like I don't know. Dig yourself, if you're realy into this topic :]

I still don't care about colors of USB: if color is right, fine, if color is wrong, but the type is written next to as you have on Meshify C, it's the same fine to me and even better for ones not knowing the colors meaning ;)
Ahh, that is what I didn't know. So Fractal designed the case to have black USB 3.0 plugs. The thing is, I didn't see a cable running down from top of case, or at least don't remember seeing that in the pictures on website of builder. Then again, what kind of memory does one expect from someone my age? :roll:

Look, it's amazing I can still type with these old and wrinkled fingers.

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by Japanese Capacitor » Thu Jun 24, 2021 9:42 am

There're plenty of various cables running from your case's front panel, but they should be hidden on cable management side - you can remove right side panel and see for yourself. It's generally worth to check, if person, who built your pc did it correctly, cleanly looking, but also all cables are fully plugged.

I forgot to mention about your upgrades since we last talk about i5 build. It's always nice to buy stronger computer, because why not :D But I don't like this HDD. If it's additional drive (like you have SSD or NVMe as system drive and HDD is next one for just data), set it to turn off after few minutes of lack of activity. It won't make noise then. I don't remember, where you can set it, probably Power Management or Devices Manager options - google yourself.

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by CA_Steve » Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:41 am

Type "edit power plan" in the windows search bar.

Change advanced power settings-> Hard disk-> turn off hard disk after xx minutes

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by JVM » Thu Jun 24, 2021 1:16 pm

Japanese Capacitor wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 9:42 am
There're plenty of various cables running from your case's front panel, but they should be hidden on cable management side - you can remove right side panel and see for yourself. It's generally worth to check, if person, who built your pc did it correctly, cleanly looking, but also all cables are fully plugged.

I forgot to mention about your upgrades since we last talk about i5 build. It's always nice to buy stronger computer, because why not :D But I don't like this HDD. If it's additional drive (like you have SSD or NVMe as system drive and HDD is next one for just data), set it to turn off after few minutes of lack of activity. It won't make noise then. I don't remember, where you can set it, probably Power Management or Devices Manager options - google yourself.
I have one Samsung 500GB SSD in the computer--no need to turn off.

JVM
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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by JVM » Thu Jun 24, 2021 1:19 pm

CA_Steve wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:41 am
Type "edit power plan" in the windows search bar.

Change advanced power settings-> Hard disk-> turn off hard disk after xx minutes
I mistakenly stated 500GB HDD but corrected now to Samsung 500GB SSD.

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Re: Can we distinguish between USB 2.0 and 3.0 based on color?

Post by Japanese Capacitor » Thu Jun 24, 2021 10:04 pm

Fine :]

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