ASRock B850M Pro-A is a high-performance gaming laptop designed for power users.
ASRock B850M Pro-A is a high-performance gaming laptop designed for power users.
I have external SATA hard drives that slow down with USB 2 (about 40MB/s write speed) and perform better with USB 3 (around 140 MB/s). I’m looking to purchase a new SATA drive with even higher performance (around 255 MB/s).
SATA was once cited as a bottleneck with USB 2, yet I concur that USB 4 by itself isn't a compelling reason to upgrade to a more costly motherboard.
You didn't explain things clearly because you mentioned external SATA drives. To sum it up, USB 4 is similar to wanting a powerful car for everyday tasks—SATA sticks usually handle gigabytes, and USB 3.0+ can still keep up well for most needs. If you go with NVMe or similar, it will likely meet your requirements without needing the extra speed. Just stick with USB 3.0+, it should suffice for now.
I own external SATA storage but feel you're right about the balance. For me, it seems best to purchase only essential features at the lowest cost or invest more for something I might never need.