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USB Transfer Speeds...

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by cyberghost_1

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I?m wondering why my transfer speed on my Compaq Netbook maxes out at about 7MB/s-8MB/s?? I have an Atom N270 @ 1.60GHz, 1GB DDR2-800 RAM, 160GB SATA-II HDD, running Win7 Ultimate...My aunt has an HP Laptop I think with a Pentium 4 T4500 @ 2.60 Dual Core, 3GB DDR3-1033 RAM, 320GB SATA-II HDD, running Win7 Home Premium. Her Laptop USB Transfer speeds maxes out at @ 20MB/s... Why is her so fast?? Could it be that I?m using a USB Hub 2.0?? Or that by some odd miracle she has USB 3.0?? Or is it just that she has a good Laptop and I have a Netbook??

7 replies

by tobif

Faster processor = faster handling and moving of data.
Dual core = one core can concentrate on data shuffling while the other core can take care of GUI etc.
Higher memory speed = faster data shuffling
It is also possible that her hardware and BIOS has some optimization in place for shuffling of data.

Also have in mind that the theoretical max speed for USB 2.0, 480 mbps, is shared among all USB devices you have attached to your USB controller. So copying from one USB device to another may slow things down.

Something that can hit performance even more is a USB port splitter, which allows you to attach several USB devices to one single USB port on your computer.

Oh, and you may be using USB without realizing it: flash memory cards, for instance...

by oh smeg

Also things like Web Cams are all USB these days.

Not to mention that Atom Processors are considerably slower than a Dual Core Pentium or that the Chip Set of a Net Book [b]Is Not[/b] Optimized for High Speed Work.

Net Books are not Note Books they are low powered systems that allow you to do things but not compete with a Note Book.

What you are asking here is why doesn't my Mazda City Car keep up with my friends F1 on the Long Straights of the Track? Not really hard to answer when you think of things that way is it? ;)

Col

by cyberghost_1

Now I understand the issue...since u put it that way... I can?t really compare my Netbook to a Laptop, specially a good one...I was under the impression that USB 2.0 performance was universal...that no matter what type of machine was being used, that the speed was always the same... but u answered my Q and I learned that the characteristics of a machine also have something to do with it... the whole USB thing...THX

by oh smeg

I try to confuse whenever possible. ;)

But the USB Data Transfer is a Maximum possible and must be supported by the rest of the hardware involved in both possible speed and available bandwidth as well as processing power.

Col

by cyberghost_1

So would it be safe to assume that when I upgrade my RAM to 2GB and lets say I connect a USB Flash Drive DIRECTLY to my Netbook instead of connecting it to my 4 port USB HUB...I should get higher speeds?? Or is more about the processor power??

by tobif

You will get higher speeds when you connect a USB device directly to the computer.

Expanding your RAM may not directly impact your USB speeds, but the computer should certainly work better. Ultimate typically wants more from the hardware than a usual netbook offers.

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