USB2 hard drive throughput

[CWatters]

What sort of data rate would be deemed acceptable when writing to a USB 2.0
hard drive?

If I copy n save 17GBytes (28 x 600MByte files) from my C: to this drive it
takes around 30mins. That works out at around 1MByte/Sec which sounds like
USB 1.1 not 2.0.... or am I expecting too much from my PC which only has a
266Mz bus?

I added a USB 2.0 PCI card to my PC years ago and the device manager still
shows an NEC PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller.

If I look at the Properties -> Advanced tab it says it's using 10% of the
system reserved bandwidth (while the copy is in progress, I haven't checked
at other times). Is it worth trying to turn that up? How?

 

[Steve Cousins]

What sort of data rate would be deemed acceptable when writing to a USB 2.0
hard drive?

Depends on the hard drive and your bus speed.

If I copy n save 17GBytes (28 x 600MByte files) from my C: to this drive it
takes around 30mins. That works out at around 1MByte/Sec which sounds like
USB 1.1 not 2.0.... or am I expecting too much from my PC which only has a
266Mz bus?

More like 9.5 MB/sec. Probably can't expect much more than that for
writes, again, depending on your drives (both input and output) and bus.

 

[Rod Speed]

What sort of data rate would be deemed
acceptable when writing to a USB 2.0 hard drive?
http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/03/08/cheaper/page9.html

If I copy n save 17GBytes (28 x 600MByte files) from my C: to this
drive it takes around 30mins. That works out at around 1MByte/Sec
Urk.

which sounds like USB 1.1 not 2.0....

Yeah, looks like it.

or am I expecting too much from my PC which only has a 266Mz bus?

Nar, it should be able to do a hell of a lot better than that.

I added a USB 2.0 PCI card to my PC years ago and the device
manager still shows an NEC PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller.

If I look at the Properties -> Advanced tab it says it's using 10%
of the system reserved bandwidth (while the copy is in progress,
I haven't checked at other times). Is it worth trying to turn that up? How?

Unlikely that is the problem.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

What sort of data rate would be deemed acceptable when writing to a USB 2.0
hard drive?

If I copy n save 17GBytes (28 x 600MByte files) from my C: to this drive it
takes around 30mins.

30x60 = 1800sec

That works out at around 1MByte/Sec

You think huh. (Uhm, doesn't that require having a brain?)

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Urk.

Yes, big urk. Time for a brain transplant, Roddy?

Yeah, looks like it.

You don't say.

Nar, it should be able to do a hell of a lot better than that.

How much better, Wodleypoo?

Unlikely that is the problem.

What problem would that be, Woddles?

 

[CWatters]

Depends on the hard drive and your bus speed.


More like 9.5 MB/sec.

Oh bother I got the decimal point in the wrong place. 10MBytes/sec is a bit
more reasonable.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Oh bother I got the decimal point in the wrong place.

Yep, blame it on the decimal point, Watters. Nothing wrong with you.

 

[CWatters]

Yep, blame it on the decimal point, Watters. Nothing wrong with you.

Actually decimal point wan't involved. If you ask him he'll deny it.

 

[Tubman]

What sort of data rate would be deemed acceptable when writing to a USB 2.0
hard drive?

If I copy n save 17GBytes (28 x 600MByte files) from my C: to this drive it
takes around 30mins. That works out at around 1MByte/Sec which sounds like
USB 1.1 not 2.0.... or am I expecting too much from my PC which only has a
266Mz bus?

I added a USB 2.0 PCI card to my PC years ago and the device manager still
shows an NEC PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller.

If I look at the Properties -> Advanced tab it says it's using 10% of the
system reserved bandwidth (while the copy is in progress, I haven't checked
at other times). Is it worth trying to turn that up? How?

As noted before, you got about 544MB/min or 9.4MB/sec.

Google (or Google Groups) this: usb hard disk speed rienstra russell

Especially see the part starting on Aug 30, 2005.
544MB/min seems okay by comparison. My FSB is also 266MHz.
I doubt that a faster CPU or memory would help much, but I am no
expert. I have no experience with USB 2.0 PCI cards..

Raw USB throughput should be about 34MB/sec but properties of the
internal and USB drives and files can affect the overall rate, like
fragmentation and the number of folders and files copied. Real-time
antivirus software slows it down. Write caching (delayed write) might
be disabled for safety in a USB drive, which also slows its writing.

Russ

 

[Odie Ferrous]

What sort of data rate would be deemed acceptable when writing to a USB 2.0
hard drive?

If I copy n save 17GBytes (28 x 600MByte files) from my C: to this drive it
takes around 30mins. That works out at around 1MByte/Sec which sounds like
USB 1.1 not 2.0.... or am I expecting too much from my PC which only has a
266Mz bus?

I added a USB 2.0 PCI card to my PC years ago and the device manager still
shows an NEC PCI to USB Enhanced Host Controller.

If I look at the Properties -> Advanced tab it says it's using 10% of the
system reserved bandwidth (while the copy is in progress, I haven't checked
at other times). Is it worth trying to turn that up? How?

I get between 30 and 35MB per second on USB or Firewire on the Mac, and
only 10MB on the PC.


Odie

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

As noted before, you got about 544MB/min or 9.4MB/sec.

Google (or Google Groups) this: usb hard disk speed rienstra russell

Where did you think he got the inspiration for that question from?