ASUS U3S6 USB3.0 SATA 6.0Gb/s PCIe 4x Expansion Card Unboxing & First Look Linus Tech Tips
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Description
As far as I can tell it only works with a select few ASUS motherboards, but it's definitely a neat way to retroactively add these hot new technologies to your motherboard
The video starts with Linus introducing an Asus expansion card called the U3S6, which is a PCIe 4X card that combines USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s interfaces. He explains that Asus positions this card as offering true high-speed performance by using a PLX bridge and a PCIe 4X interface, which they claim allows full USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s throughput that outperforms cards using a smaller PCIe 1X slot. Linus walks through the packaging, noting the included items such as SATA cables, a user guide, and a driver CD, while emphasizing to download drivers from Asus’ website rather than using the CD. He then examines the card itself, commenting on the black PCB, visible PLX bridge, NEC USB 3.0 chipset, and Marvel SATA 6 Gb/s chipset, as well as the two internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports and two external USB 3.0 ports. The discussion highlights compatibility considerations, with a list of Asus motherboards specifically supported, and Linus concludes that the installation is straightforward: install the card, install drivers, and connect the drives. In summary, the unboxing showcases both the physical card and its expectations for performance, while reiterating the intended setup workflow for achieving host controller speed on compatible Asus platforms.
Topics · technology · computers · hardware · unboxing
Questions answered
- What does the Asus U3S6 stand for and what are its core features?
- U3S6 stands for USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s. The card is a PCIe 4X expansion card that uses a PLX bridge to deliver full USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s performance, intended to provide higher throughput than 1X PCIe cards.
- Is there a list of compatible motherboards, and can it work with non-Asus boards?
- The video shows a list of compatible Asus motherboard models. Compatibility with non-Asus boards is not specified in the video, so it should be assumed that only the listed Asus models are supported.
- Can you boot the system from drives connected through the U3S6 card?
- The video does not explicitly state boot support from drives connected to this card.