Let’s Speed Things Up

Let’s Speed Things Up

Recent changes to the computer industry have brought out subtle changes to all sorts of electronics. Here are a few tables that might make you a better shopper:

USB Specifications

USB VersionMaximum SpeedColor of PortsNumber of Wires
USB 1.112 MbpsWhite4
USB 2.0480 MbpsBlack4
USB 3.05 GbpsBlue9
USB 3.110 GbpsTeal9
USB 3.220 GbpsTeal/Blue9
USB440 GbpsTeal/Black24

So be aware, if you buy a 3.0 flash drive (625 Mbps) and plug it into an old USB 1.1 slot, you will only get a maximum of 12 Mbps copy speed when you try to move a file into it. The color of the port is a help, but not a guaranteed of the port speed. Some manufacturers ignore the scheme.

USB 2.0 and 3.0 connectors look like they only have 4 and 5 pins respectively, but inside the 3.0 connector the pins are cleverly connected to multiple wires to give additional throughput.

  • 4 pins for USB 2.0 compatibility (4 wires: ground, power, and two data lines)
  • 5 pins for USB 3.0 (5 more wires: two pairs for differential data transmission and an additional ground)

So while it looks like 5 connections at the tip of 3.0, there’s more complexity going on inside the connector.

Different Types of Drives and Their Speeds

Drive TypeMaximum Speed
HDD (Hard Disk Drive)~160 MB/s
SATA SSD (Solid State Drive)550 MB/s
NVMe SSD (Non-Volatile Memory Express)3,500 MB/s
USB 2.0 Flash Drive60 MB/s
USB 3.0 Flash Drive625 MB/s
Thunderbolt 3 SSD5,000 MB/s

Central Processor Units

CPU TypeTypical Speed RangeWhat It Means
Single-Core CPU1-2 GHzBasic tasks (e.g., browsing, emailing)
Dual-Core CPU2-4 GHzMultitasking (e.g., running several apps)
Quad-Core CPU2.5-4.5 GHzModerate gaming, video editing
Hexa-Core CPU3-5 GHzHeavy multitasking, advanced gaming
Octa-Core CPU3.5-5.5 GHzProfessional video editing, 3D rendering
Deca-Core CPU4-6 GHzHigh-end professional tasks, complex simulations

Example with a 1GB File

  • Single-Core: Think of it as having one person do the entire task alone.
  • Dual-Core: Two people working together, splitting the task.
  • Quad-Core: Four people, meaning quicker completion.
  • Deca-Core: Ten people, so the task is done much faster.

And About that Internet….

Wi-Fi ProtocolMaximum SpeedFrequency Band(s)
802.11a54 Mbps5 GHz
802.11b11 Mbps2.4 GHz
802.11g54 Mbps2.4 GHz
802.11n (Wi-Fi 4)600 Mbps (theoretical, unlikely)2.4 GHz / 5 GHz
802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5)1.3 Gbps5 GHz
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)10 Gbps2.4 GHz / 5 GHz
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E)10 Gbps6 GHz, 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz
WiFi Protocols

Or if you prefer to be directly wired in:

Cable TypeMaximum SpeedDistance Limit
Cat 5100 Mbps100 meters
Cat 5e1 Gbps100 meters
Cat 61 Gbps100 meters
Cat 6a10 Gbps100 meters
Cat 710 Gbps100 meters
Cat 825-40 Gbps30 meters
Fiber Optic (single-mode)Up to 100 Gbps40 kilometers or more
Fiber Optic (multi-mode)Up to 100 Gbps550 meters
Hardwired Cabling

A quick note here – notice that even at the lowest Cat 5, you are typically exceeding the Internet bandwidth offered by many Internet Service Providers, which is often 25Mbps or so.

Finally, here is a table to give you a realistic idea of what bandwidth you actually need:

Minimal Throughput Requirements for Home Devices

DeviceMinimal Throughput Requirement
HD TV (Streaming)5-10 Mbps
Roku (HD Streaming)3-5 Mbps
Wi-Fi Telephone Call1-2 Mbps
Security Camera2-3 Mbps (upload)
Internet-Viewable Security Camera5-10 Mbps (upload)
YouTube on Phone/Tablet1.5-4 Mbps (480p-1080p)
Typical Home Devices (1 each)

Now remember, if you have 3 TVs and 6 family members doing YouTubes, multiply appropriately!

To sum it all up, if you are buying a computer, look for as many processors as you can afford, with USB 3 connectors, and an SSD or NVME drive if affordable. Very few people use more than 10% of a 1TB drive, so go for 256 to 512 GB drive size. If you do have high speed Internet — greater than 100 Mbps — be sure that your the WiFi connection offers 802.11ac (WiFi 5) or better protocol speeds, or be content with wiring your laptop to the router directly or you’ll likely get at most 30 Mbps. Likewise, the routers must be capable of the WiFi 5 or better, else it is still best to wire them in directly.

–Update– Memory speeds can have a big impact on the performance of your computer too:

Memory Types and Their Speeds

Memory TypeData Transfer Rate (MT/s)Typical Bandwidth (GB/s)Description
DDR3800-2133 MT/s6.4-17 GB/sOlder standard, still in use in many systems
DDR41600-3200 MT/s12.8-25.6 GB/sCommon in modern PCs and laptops
DDR53200-6400+ MT/s25.6-51.2+ GB/sLatest standard, higher performance and efficiency
LPDDR41600-4266 MT/s12.8-34.1 GB/sLow power version, used in mobile devices
LPDDR53200-6400+ MT/s25.6-51.2+ GB/sLow power, high performance, used in newer mobile devices
GDDR56000-8000 MT/s192-256 GB/sUsed in graphics cards
GDDR612000-16000 MT/s384-512 GB/sNewer graphics card memory with higher bandwidth
HBM2 (High Bandwidth Memory)2000 MT/s per pin256-512 GB/sUsed in high-end GPUs and accelerators

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