USB 3.1 : Is it fast ?

USB 3.1 has been in the works for a substantial amount of time and now the newest standard is finally ready. While the version does not differ by much, the new USB standard brings forth the biggest change for its kind since its introduction 17 years ago, with the latest innovation being the type C plugs can no longer be inserted wrongly as they are now finally symmetrical. However, the connections to the devices has to be changed. This means that USB 3.1 plugs can only fit into USB 3.0 ports in one direction only.

The new standard also gets a speed upgrade as it can achieve up to 10Gbit/s or 1GByte/s transfer rate which is twice that of USB 3.0. As a result of this, an entire HD film can now be transferred to an external SSD in under four to five seconds.

Additionally, the new connection delivers a higher power output of up to 100 watt whereas USB 3.0 can only achievable a maximum of 4.5 watts by default. In the future, external devices such as smartphones and tablets can be charged much faster and external hard drives can consume more power. Since the specification of the new standard has already been passed officially, manufacturers has already began production for the corresponding products and we can expect the new external hard drives and mainboards to arrive in the near future.