eSata vs USB 3.0?

[eBiz]

So in looking for some options for my 5.25" bays in my case. One option houses three 3.5" drives, a usb 2.0 port and eSATA port. the other option houses three 3.5" drives and two usb 3.0 ports. I will be using external storage and want to know in terms of speed while connecting it either the eSATA port or USB 3.0 port which will be better?

 

 

[LeChef]

Go with USB 3.0. The Esata bandwith is max 6Gbps while USB 3.0 is 10 Gbps. Unless you need the USB ports for something else, then use Esata which is a perfectly valid option

[EmeraldFlame]

Go with USB 3.0. The Esata bandwith is max 6Gbps while USB 3.0 is 10 Gbps. Unless you need the USB ports for something else, then use Esata which is a perfectly valid option

 

This is incorrect. USB3.0's max bandwidth is 5Gbps. The as-of-yet unreleased USB3.1 spec is going to be 10Gbps, however it is going to require new controller hardware along with new receiver hardware to achieve those speeds.

 

Currently if your motherboard supports an eSATA port that is 6Gbps, that about the fastest external protocol there is other than thunderbolt which is a lot harder to find.

[LeChef]

This is incorrect. USB3.0's max bandwidth is 5Gbps. The as-of-yet unreleased USB3.1 spec is going to be 10Gbps, however it is going to require new controller hardware along with new receiver hardware to achieve those speeds.

 

Currently if your motherboard supports an eSATA port that is 6Gbps, that about the fastest external protocol there is other than thunderbolt which is a lot harder to find.

I  stand corrected

[Mighty_Miro_WD]

Hi there @eBiz!

 

Both USB 3.0 and eSATA are OK for external storage devices. eSATA is theoretically slightly faster than USB 3.0 (the maximum theoretical speed of USB 3.0 is 5.0 Gb/s and the eSATA III one is 6Gb/s), but keep in mind that the speed will vary depending on the specific device and the system it's connected to.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers!