FAQ for USB 3.0 Card Reader

Q1.  Why is the transfer rate far slower than 5Gbps as promoted?

The USB 3.0 transfer rate of 5Gbps, with a theoretical transfer speed of 625MB/s, is about 10 times faster than the mainstream USB 2.0 transfer rate of 480Mb/s, which has a theoretical transfer speed of 60MB/s. Taking current usage conditions into consideration, the transfer speed can achieve about 3 times that of USB 2.0. The actual transfer speed depends on the specific environment the product is used in.

Q2.  Why can’t the card reader identify my memory card?

The USB 3.0 card reader supports high-speed and high-capacity memory cards. Please check the lock setting on your memory card to make sure it isn’t locked. In addition, your memory card may not be able to be identified in certain older operating systems, so please make sure your system patch has been updated.

Q3.  The transfer speeds of the USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 card readers are almost the same. Why is this?

The transfer speed of the USB 3.0 card reader is limited by the specification of the memory card. Currently, only high-speed memory cards, like SDXC, CF (UDMA), Micro SDXC, HX MS, etc., are able to take full advantage of the USB 3.0 card reader’s capability. We recommend using a high-speed memory card in order to realize the fastest transfer rate.

Q4.  Is the USB 3.0 card reader fully compatible with all memory cards on the market?

The USB 3.0 card reader supports the vast majority of memory cards on the market, including SDXC cards up to 2 TB, as well as the latest UHS-I specification. For information on the reader’s compatibility with specific card types, please refer to your card’s instruction manual.

Q5.  Why is the transfer rate so much slower than the 5Gbps promoted?

The USB 2.0 standard uses 8-bit encoding, while the USB 3.0 standard uses 10-bit encoding (8-bit for data transfer purposes + 2-bit for data control purposes). The USB 3.0 transfer rate of 5Gbps (with a theoretical transfer speed of 500MB/s), therefore, is about 8 times faster than the mainstream USB 2.0 transfer rate of 480Mb/s (with a theoretical transfer speed of 60MB/s).

Taking usage conditions into consideration, the USB 3.0 standard can achieve transfer speeds about 3 times faster than that of the USB 2.0 standard. Please note that the actual transfer speed will depend on the specific usage environment.

Q6.  Why can’t the card reader identify my memory card?

The USB 3.0 card reader supports high-speed and high-capacity memory cards. Please check the lock setting on your memory card to make sure it isn’t locked. In addition, your memory card may not be readable on certain older operating systems, so please make sure your system patch has been updated.

Q7.  The transfer speeds of the USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 card readers are almost the same. Why is this?

The transfer speed of the USB 3.0 card reader is limited by the specification of the memory card in question. Currently, only high-speed memory cards, such as SDXC, CF (UDMA), Micro SDXC, HX MS, etc., are able to take full advantage of the USB 3.0 card reader’s capability. We recommend using a high-speed memory card in order to realize the fastest transfer rate.

Q8.  Is the USB 3.0 card reader fully compatible with all memory cards on the market?

The USB 3.0 card reader supports the vast majority of memory cards on the market, including SDXC cards up to 2 TB, as well as the latest UHS-I specification. For information on the reader’s compatibility with specific card types, please refer to your card’s instruction manual.