Usb Port For Mac Computer
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It’s 2015. Almost all of us by now know what a USB port is and does. More and more devices nowadays can be charged or powered through these ports. From providing us with easy data storage in thumb drives, to warming our coffee (yes, this is serious people), USB has become a staple in the way technology runs and improves our lives. Like most technology, USB has developed, changed, and greatly improved since its introduction in 1996. Despite our dependence on USB, many of us are still in the dark on what these improvements are and what they mean for the way we use technology. Thankfully, Mac Enthusiasts has put together our best answers to your USB 3.0 questions and beyond!
What are the differences between USB 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0? Universal Serial Bus 1.1 was first developed as a universal means to replacing serial and parallel ports. These ports were once very large, and any device to be used through them required expansion cards. The growth of these ports really jumped in the late 90’s when most mice and keyboards came with this as an option to connect. In the year 2000, USB 2.0 was introduced as a much faster option (from 12mbps for USB 1.1. to 480 mbps for 2.0). It gained more traction as an actual universal option in the mid-to-late 2000’s. In 2008, USB 3.0 was introduced. Amongst other helpful updates from 2.0, USB 3.0 is ten times faster, working at speeds as fast as 5 Gigabytes.
Usb Port Mac Desktop
What else does USB 3.0 offer? Unlike USB 2.0, USB 3.0 offers quick duplex data transfer. This means that over USB 3.0, information can be read and written at the same high speed simultaneously. Because USB 3.0 offers 80% more power than USB 2.0, you can power even more devices (up to 4) from a single port! That’s something to think about if you’re using it to charge your phone and warm your coffee. Last but not least, USB 3.0 has suspended device polling. USB 2.0 used to rely on active data transfers, usually draining power from any idle device. Now, with 3.0, you have better power management for inactive, connected devices.
Do I have USB 3.0 on my Mac computer? If you have a 2012 Mac or newer you are already working with USB 3.0 ports. If you want to learn more about it, or if you have an older Mac and see which ports apply, you can find out through “About This Mac” in the Apple menu. From there, select “System Report” or “System Profiler.” Click on “USB” on the left-hand side to reveal which ports are USB 3.0. From here,you can also see the speed capabilities of any device you have plugged in.
Version 2.0 operates in the same fashion as the first implementation and was optimized for the new microarchitecture introduced at the time. Intel® Core™ i7 Mobile and Desktop Processors. Intel turbo boost for mac. Which processor families support Intel® Turbo Boost Technology?.
What does it mean if my port says Hi-Speed Bus, instead of SuperSpeed? If you have a device already plugged into your USB port while you’re looking at the specs on your USB ports, you may see that one is showing that it is a “USB 3.0 Hi-Speed Bus” while the other, unused port, shows it’s is a “USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Bus.” This means that you are running a USB 2.0 out of the other port. Both ports are the same, with the same capabilities, but if you run USB 2.0 out of a USB 3.0 port, you will only have the ability to use the Hi-Speed option.
I don’t have USB 3.0. How can I get it? If you’ve checked your Mac’s capabilities and realize you do not have a USB 3.0 port, but you’d like to have the capability, there are external USB 3.0 hubs available. You must be sure you are getting a device that actually upgrades USB 2.0 to 3.0 and doesn’t just create more ports. Some suggest, Thunderbolt 2 Express HD dock. You can also always consider upgrading your Mac laptop. Mac Enthusiasts sells refurbished Mac laptops with more dependability and better support. Check out our webstore for some of our offerings. Want to sell your Mac back to us? We can do that too. Fill out this form for a quote.
If you have any more questions about USB 3.0 capabilities, offerings, or any questions in general, we love to be available to help! Feel free to come in, call us at (800)448-1892, or contact us online here.
Reset Mac Usb Ports
Symptoms
Symptoms such as these could mean that a device connected to the USB-A , USB-C , or Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port on your Mac isn't getting enough power:
More Usb Ports For Mac
- A message says that the device needs more power, the operation can't be completed, or USB devices are disabled until you unplug the device using too much power.
- An operation that requires more power doesn't work. For example, writing to disk requires more power than reading from it.
- The device doesn't turn on or isn't recognized by your Mac.
Solutions
- Use your device as a self-powered device or connect it to a powered USB or Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) hub if possible.
Self-powered devices get power from an electrical outlet or their own battery. Bus-powered devices get power from the device they're plugged into, such as your Mac. - Reduce the total amount of power needed from your Mac by reducing the number of bus-powered devices connected to your Mac, or using more of them as self-powered devices.
- If your device is plugged into another device (such as a display or multiport adapter) as part of a chain of devices, the other device might not be providing enough power or passing through enough power from your Mac. Plug your device directly into your Mac instead.
- Make sure that the port on your Mac and the cable you're using to connect it to your device both support the same or later USB specification as your device. For example, a device designed to support the USB 3 specification might not get enough power when plugged into a USB 2 port or cable.
- Try a different cable, in case the cable that you're using is damaged or defective. If you're using an adapter with your cable, the adapter could also be damaged or defective.
- If your Mac has multiple Thunderbolt 3 ports, connect your device to a Thunderbolt 3 port farthest away from the current port. For example, if your device is connected to the ports on the left side of MacBook Pro, connect to the Thunderbolt 3 ports on the right side.
- If your device has software (such as drivers or firmware) that can be updated, make sure that it's using the latest software from the manufacturer. To get firmware updates for Apple accessories, update your Apple software.
- Make sure that your Mac is awake and started up from the Mac operating system. Some Apple devices can request extra power only when your Mac is awake or started up from macOS.
Learn more about USB power on your Mac
System Information provides additional detail about USB power on your Mac. Connect the USB device directly to your Mac, then select USB from the sidebar in System Information. For each USB device, System Information shows:
- Current Available: The default power provided by the port to which your device is connected.
- Current Required: The power needed by your device.
- Extra Operating Current: Mac computers and Apple displays introduced after 2006, when directly connected to certain Apple devices such as iPhone or iPad, can provide extra power over one or more ports. The Mac or display must be powered on and awake to provide this extra power. A Mac started from the Windows operating system doesn't provide extra power.
Learn more about the power available under each USB specification, such as USB 2 and USB 3.