Playing with USB 3.0 on a Chinese X79 motherboard is quite the adventure!

3

3b0ny__
Junior Member

4

04-22-2016, 07:55 AM

#1

Machinist X79 V2.73 mini-ITX (Chinese motherboard) paired with Intel Xeon 2650v2, DDR3 RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 660ti. EVGA BA Series power supply rated at 500W. Found a case on the road and modified it for airflow. This project began after someone planned to upgrade their GPU soon and wanted to test PCVR compatibility. They explored mixed reality portal, discovered the GPU disclaimer was expected since they’d be replacing it soon. The motherboard clearly lists a USB 3 header, but the case only has one USB 3 port. A USB Tree View revealed a USB 3 flash drive worked, suggesting the issue might be with a USB 2 port disguised as USB 3. The front panel audio and potential displayport incompatibility were also noted. The author wonders if the case itself is faulty or if the problem lies elsewhere, especially since a full replacement might be costly. They’re curious about affordable fixes without buying new hardware, given limited local options.

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Starlight2810
Junior Member

10

04-30-2016, 02:37 AM

#2

Based on the information provided, it seems X79 lacks native USB3.0 support. There might not be space for a dedicated USB3.0 controller on the board. In the Device Manager, under "Universal Serial Bus controllers," you should see entries related to USB devices, though specific details depend on your system configuration.

R

raider112233
Member

168

05-03-2016, 01:32 PM

#3

I would think it's a USB 2.0 controller connected to a USB3.0 header, with only half of the PINs on the USB3.0 header doing nothing. I believe you've already adjusted the settings and looked in the BIOS for any changes to USB performance (like switching to 2.0 mode). Also, from Intel ARK it seems the x79 chipset didn't support USB3.0. Unless a Chinese manufacturer added a USB 3.0 controller somewhere...

K

karion90
Junior Member

18

05-05-2016, 10:37 AM

#4

X79 chipsets lack built-in USB3, indicating the main board likely doesn't include a separate USB chipset—an external card would be required.

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kerem_
Member

204

05-06-2016, 11:08 AM

#5

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Lev2004
Member

67

05-06-2016, 04:16 PM

#6

I believe @Mel0n had already mentioned this... just get an expansion USB 3.0 card. If you have an extra 1xPCI-E slot, you'll be in great shape.

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pikkilo
Member

74

05-06-2016, 10:51 PM

#7

I had to make this since I purchased a sneaky X79 board earlier for my testbench, featuring blue USB ports and a 3.0 header, though they ended up connected to the 2.0 controller anyway.

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Boss663
Junior Member

32

05-07-2016, 09:55 AM

#8

I’m having trouble because I don’t have a spare PCI slot—only one for the GPU. That’s why I’m wondering if there’s another solution or if I’m in a tough spot.

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Mitchell006
Member

186

05-07-2016, 05:51 PM

#9

You acquire yet another questionable part, but you'll miss the NVMe boot feature (and you'll require a floppy power connector): https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32863977494.html The op's board is MITX.