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    USB 3.0 not working on my x230

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by eustilou, Aug 10, 2012.

  1. eustilou

    eustilou Notebook Enthusiast

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    I plug in a 3.0 flash drive in a 3.0 port on my x230 and I get a baloon message in the system tray saying the device would perform faster if I plug it in a USB 3.0 port.

    I run a benchmark and I get 42 MB/s when the drive specs say it should do about 83 MB/s.

    Any thoughts on what might be happening?

    thanks
     
    eustilou, Aug 10, 2012
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  2. manmz

    manmz Newbie

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    are you plugging it into either the two USB 3.0 ports on the left? the right one is 2.0
     
    manmz, Aug 10, 2012
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  3. eustilou

    eustilou Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yes, I am. In fact, the drive worked only in one of the USB 3.0 ports... nothing happened when I plugged it in the other 3.0 port.

    And if I plugged a 2.0 flash drive in the "non-working" 3.0 port, it worked fine.
     
    eustilou, Aug 10, 2012
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  4. sbl03

    sbl03 Notebook Enthusiast

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    sbl03, Aug 10, 2012
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  5. hp79

    hp79 Notebook Evangelist

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    I also get a hit or miss on my two left side usb 3.0 ports on x230t. Sometimes it fails to recognize the drive.
    I have the latest drivers, but it might be a driver issue since these intel usb 3.0 are new to the market.

    Also, 42MB/s is almost impossible with usb 2.0, so I think you are just getting a crappy usb 3.0 speed.
     
    hp79, Aug 11, 2012
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  6. eustilou

    eustilou Notebook Enthusiast

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    Interesting, if I push up on the flash drive as I insert it (and hold it up), I don't get the message anymore.

    If I let go of the flash drive, I instantly get the message "This device can perform faster"

    It looks like the extra USB 3.0 leads don't make good contact unless I hold up on the device.

    BTW, the flash drive is an ADATA N005. My conclusion is that the 3.0 leads on the flash drive are too shallow and don't have enough spring force.
     
    eustilou, Aug 13, 2012
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  7. eustilou

    eustilou Notebook Enthusiast

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    I got a chance to try the flash drive on a desktop system and I get the same results. If I don't push up on the drive, I get the "This device can perform faster" message.

    I don't have another 3.0 device to try in the x230 at the moment.
     
    eustilou, Aug 13, 2012
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  8. noxxle99

    noxxle99 Notebook Deity

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    Do you have a core i5 or i7 proc? I believe with the x220 only the i7 models had usb 3.0. Not sure if this is also true for x230.
     
    noxxle99, Aug 13, 2012
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  9. Rambler

    Rambler Notebook Consultant

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    If your thinkpad is using a NEC USB 3 chip it might be a good idea to head over to station drivers and get the latest firmware and drivers.

    I had similar issues with my think pad and it wasn't until a couple of firmware revisions later that problems got ironed out.
     
    Rambler, Aug 13, 2012
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  10. MidnightSun

    MidnightSun Emodicon

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    Considering that you're getting the same issue on your desktop, the culprit is your flash drive, not your laptop. Also, I have an ADATA flash drive and it definitely falls short of its promised speed, so I would take the benchmark results with a grain of salt.
     
    MidnightSun, Aug 13, 2012
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  11. eustilou

    eustilou Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have an x230 with an i5. They all have USB 3.0
     
    eustilou, Aug 16, 2012
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  12. eustilou

    eustilou Notebook Enthusiast

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    The x230 uses the USB 3.0 integrated in the intel chipset.
     
    eustilou, Aug 16, 2012
    #12