▷ Usb 3.1 gen 1 vs usb 3.1 gen 2 all the differences between usb ports

Like many of the users, you will be here because the nomenclatures of the USB connectors are messy at times. Today we will see USB 3.1 Gen 1 vs USB 3.1 Gen 2 and what are the differences between fashionable USB ports in the current era. Ports that we use every day to connect our portable storage units or any other peripherals that we have.

Index of contents

Have you noticed that both connectors are the same except in one number? Well this is more than enough to be about quite different interfaces between them. In addition, you will have noticed that there is hardly any talk about USB 3.0, so we will also shed more light on this topic and others.

Forget USB 3.0

Well the first thing we must identify is the difference between a USB 3.0 and a USB 3.1 in this case of Generation 1 or Gen1 as it is known. And this is pretty straightforward to explain, as they are both exactly the same, as you hear it.

This is because the USB-IF group (USB Implementers Forum) decided to absorb this USB 3.0 specification and give it a name like USB 3.1 Gen1. The purpose of this, they say it is merely administrative, to reduce technical consultation documents regarding product specifications. In this way, the use of a single nomenclature is generalized and is easier to understand and identify.

Perhaps for those of us who are introduced to this world of computing, it is more comfortable and offers no room for doubt, but the fact that it differs from the next one that we will see in just one letter or number, can generate serious doubts regarding the understanding of what we have. on our PC.

In summary, A USB 3.0 is exactly the same as a USB 3.1 Gen1.

USB 3.1 Gen 1 vs USB 3.1 Gen 2

Once we are clear that 3.0 and 3.1 are the same when we talk about the first generation of USB, we turn to see what interests us most: what changes in a USB 3.1 Gen2 ?

Well friends, what changes (more or less) is one thing, the speed at which each one is able to work. A USB 3.1 Gen1 offers speeds of 5 Gbps (625 MB / s), and USB 3.1 Gen2 is capable of up to 10 Gbps (1.25 GB / s). Obviously this has more implications from a technical point of view than just speed, but what interests us is that.

The USB-IF group created terminology or at least tried so that OEM brands could differentiate those connectors in the specs. For USB 3.1 Gen1, the “ SuperSpeed ​​USB ” nomenclature should be used, and for USB 3.1, Gen2, “ SuperSpeed ​​USB + ” should be used. As we see, the difference is still minimal, and that is why, currently, almost all of them simply use the hallmark of Gen1 and Gen2 and add the speed specification of each one at the end.

Another way to differentiate them is through color, although this is not always true. USB 3.1 Gen1 is Blue and USB 3.1 Gen2 is red. But we already say, this is not met by all manufacturers, so be careful.

But as we have said, the implications of the evolution of this transfer rate go beyond what is actually seen and we will see it now.

USB 3.1 Gen 1 vs USB 3.1 Gen 2 specifications and USB Type-C

In this section we will extend a little more to what we refer to with the change in the specifications of both interfaces.

The first thing to consider is the energy that flows through both connectors. USB 3.1 Gen 1 uses a voltage of 5V to a maximum of 1000 mA (milliamps). However, USB 3.1 Gen2 works with 5V and up to 2A on Type-A or Type-A connectors, which are the traditional ones. Precisely for this reason, you have seen on many boards or hardware that this connector provides a fast charge function for mobiles or other devices. And we can do this directly from the software of a board if it is compatible with it. Increased electrical intensity allows faster charges than with USB 3.1 Gen1.

In addition to this, the fact of having greater speed, also has implications in terms of the PCI or LANES lines that a processor and motherboard with chipset manage. While the USB 3.1 Gen1 ports on a motherboard are normally managed directly by the CPU, the USB 3.1 Gen2 ports are handled by the chipset to manage them, so as not to overload the CPU with their high speed.

USB Type-C is here

It is at this point that USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C appears on the scene, which is basically a normal USB 3.1 Gen2, but with a small and reversible connector, and increasingly used in mobile devices and laptops.

In addition to the new design, this connector began to be used by Mac for charging its MacBooks, since it has the ability to work at 12V and 5A (60W) and up to 20V and 5A (100W), also known as Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 3 respectively. Thanks to Intel's Thunderbolt technology, a laptop is capable of charging and also transferring data at high speed using USB 3.1 Type-C.

Obviously not all USB Type-C implements Thunderbolt, in fact they are still few and almost all are in high-end Max-Q designs notebooks and high-end motherboard. In fact, Thunderbolt 3 is capable of providing a transfer rate of 40 Gbps and being compatible with the DisplayPort interface for connecting 4K monitors, for example.

As you can see, the new USB 3.1 is much more than a simple evolution of the 3.0 or 3.1 Gen1. Connections are getting faster and devices are more complex, so we will soon have USB 3.2 in our lives.

While this is happening, these other tutorials may be interesting:

What USB ports do you have, do they have a different color? If you still have any questions, write us in the comment box and we will help you in any way possible.