1

I've installed Linux on to a SSD disk and I boot it through a SATA to USB 2.0 cable, which works well.

I've tried to boot from this device using a USB C cable to boost performance but surprisingly the operating system becomes extremely laggy, and freezes up when disk operations are performed.

What might be causing this? Shouldn't running over USB 3.0 be quicker? Is there a way to force linux to use USB 2.0 protocol over the USB C cable during boot?

Improve this question
1
  • 2
    I’m not sure I follow. This is about more than cables. Please list all the SATA-USB bridges you use with their full name. // There is one possibility right away: UASP. It’s a faster alternative to the older Mass Storage class that came with USB 3.0. Linux has unfortunately only limited compatibility. Check the driver in use.
    – Daniel B
    Commented Aug 28, 2022 at 15:08

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

USB-C on it's own doesn't offer any performance gains when it comes to data transfer. Its just a connector shape. In order to get the full SATA bandwidth (6 Gbps) you need to make sure that the cable you are using is rated for a higher bandwidth (10 Gbps/USB3.2 Gen 2).

The other USB spec (3.2 Gen 1) is capped at 5gbps and won't let you use SATA at full capacity.

OTOH, since you mentioned you were getting workable speeds via USB 2.0 (480 Mbps), chances are your USB-C cable is damaged and not even able to let 480 megabits through in a second or is crippled by some interference.

If you are using any port adapter (Like USB A to C or even USB whatever to SATA), make sure it is also able to support the expected bandwidth.

Most of the USB-C adapters and cables intended for power supply are just using USB 2.0 for data transfer and sometimes even not tested for data.

TLDR; try using a cable and/or adapters rated for 10 Gbps

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .