Confusion about USB-C speed on Aspire 7 A717-72G-76XN

vedifredi

I bought an Aspire 7 A717-72G-76XN notebook back in 2018 that I hardly used until now because I was doing everything with a notebook provided by my employer. Anyway, only since a few weeks I'm getting familiar with my own Aspire 7. According to the official specs

this machine provides USB 3.0 and USB 3.1

which to my understanding come with 5 and, respectively 10 Gbps transfer rate, unless in this German user manual, USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 are used synonymously for the same transfer rate. But also a Linux command apparently confirms my interpretation as it lists 10000 Mbps for bus 2:

$ lsusb -tv

/:  Bus 02.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/8p, 10000M

/:  Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/16p, 480M
...

However, when I plug a 4 TB USB-C SSD device (Kingston XS2000, specified as 3.2 Gen2x2) officially capable of 20 Gbps, it is shown as a 5 Gbps rather than a 10 Gbps device:

$ lsusb -tv

/:  Bus 02.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/8p, 10000M

ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub

|__ Port 2: Dev 2, If 0, Class=Mass Storage, Driver=uas, 5000M

    ID 0951:176b Kingston Technology

/:  Bus 01.Port 1: Dev 1, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/16p, 480M
...

All the website I visited that list hardware specs for this machine refer to USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps). So I'm a bit confused now.

Is any of the USB 3 ports of this notebook capable of 10 Gbps? If yes, which one of the two USB ports (C and A)? And if not (if both only support 5 Gbps), why does the official manual specify these two ports with two different types/speeds (3.0 and 3.1)?

Many thanks!

GAMING6698

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/710093/confusion-about-usb-c-speed-on-aspire-7-a717-72g-76xn

The Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-76XN features USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, which provide a maximum transfer rate of 5 Gbps. The confusion arises because USB 3.1 Gen 1 is essentially the same as USB 3.0 in terms of speed. While the device supports USB 3.1, it does not support USB 3.1 Gen 2, which offers 10 Gbps. Therefore, neither the USB-A nor the USB-C ports on your notebook can achieve 10 Gbps speeds. The Kingston XS2000 SSD is likely operating at its maximum supported speed of 5 Gbps due to the limitations of the notebook's USB ports.

The official manual specifies both USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 to highlight the compatibility of the ports. USB 3.1 Gen 1 is essentially the same as USB 3.0, both offering speeds up to 5 Gbps. The distinction may be due to marketing or to indicate the potential for future compatibility with faster devices.
In your case, the Aspire 7 A717-72G-76XN does not support USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), which is why your Kingston XS2000 SSD is recognized at 5 Gbps instead of 10 Gbps .

GAMING6698

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1289484#Comment_1289484

The lsusb command showing 10000M for Bus 02.Port 1 indicates that the root hub supports USB 3.1 Gen 2, which can theoretically handle up to 10 Gbps. However, this does not mean that all connected devices will operate at this speed.When you connect the Kingston XS2000 SSD, it is recognized at 5000M (5 Gbps) because the notebook's USB ports are USB 3.2 Gen 1, limiting the SSD's performance despite its 20 Gbps capability. The cat /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/speed command confirming 10 Gbps likely reflects the root hub's capability rather than the actual speed of the connected device.

GAMING6698

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/710093/confusion-about-usb-c-speed-on-aspire-7-a717-72g-76xn

The Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-76XN features USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, which provide a maximum transfer rate of 5 Gbps. The confusion arises because USB 3.1 Gen 1 is essentially the same as USB 3.0 in terms of speed. While the device supports USB 3.1, it does not support USB 3.1 Gen 2, which offers 10 Gbps. Therefore, neither the USB-A nor the USB-C ports on your notebook can achieve 10 Gbps speeds. The Kingston XS2000 SSD is likely operating at its maximum supported speed of 5 Gbps due to the limitations of the notebook's USB ports.

The official manual specifies both USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 to highlight the compatibility of the ports. USB 3.1 Gen 1 is essentially the same as USB 3.0, both offering speeds up to 5 Gbps. The distinction may be due to marketing or to indicate the potential for future compatibility with faster devices.
In your case, the Aspire 7 A717-72G-76XN does not support USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), which is why your Kingston XS2000 SSD is recognized at 5 Gbps instead of 10 Gbps .

vedifredi

OK, this is pretty sad news, especially since the 2nd generation USB 3 technology had been available already several years before the release of this notebook.

Anyhow, can you tell why the lsusb command refers to 10000M speed for Bus 02.Port 1? Also, after plugging the SSD device via USB-C, the command

$ cat /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/speed

10000

tells me 10 Gbps. Do these values probably simply reflect the sum of both USB 3 ports? Seems pretty odd to me.

Many thanks for taking the time anyway!

GAMING6698

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1289484#Comment_1289484

The lsusb command showing 10000M for Bus 02.Port 1 indicates that the root hub supports USB 3.1 Gen 2, which can theoretically handle up to 10 Gbps. However, this does not mean that all connected devices will operate at this speed.When you connect the Kingston XS2000 SSD, it is recognized at 5000M (5 Gbps) because the notebook's USB ports are USB 3.2 Gen 1, limiting the SSD's performance despite its 20 Gbps capability. The cat /sys/bus/usb/devices/usb2/speed command confirming 10 Gbps likely reflects the root hub's capability rather than the actual speed of the connected device.

vedifredi

Aha! To me that sounds like if someone was able to replace only the one or both USB port(s) by soldering ports of the Gen2 type that could solve my problem? Because apart from that, many USB-A cables seem a little lose and are not tightly plugged in that port. When I slightly touch/move the cable, the connection is lost.

Do you think that could be possible without to much costs?

GAMING6698

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1289492#Comment_1289492

Replacing the USB ports on your Acer Aspire 7 A717-72G-76XN with USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (which support up to 10 Gbps) is theoretically possible, but it involves significant technical challenges.

1. Soldering Required: The USB ports are soldered onto the motherboard, necessitating careful desoldering and soldering of new ports, which requires expertise and specialized tools.
2. Cost Considerations: While the cost of new ports may be low, the overall expense could rise due to labor costs if you hire a technician.
3. Connection Issues: If your current USB-A ports are loose, consider replacing them with new ones or using high-quality cables to improve the connection.

Overall, this modification is complex and may not be cost-effective compared to purchasing a new laptop with the desired specifications.

Also it's just what I think. You should use it with 5gbps.

vedifredi

OK, got it. Need to think about that. Nevertheless many thanks dor your time and efforts.