Would like to upgrade my "guts". Suggestions?

**zot** · 10-10-2011, 03:47 AM

That looks like an excellent choice.

I did not like the first suggested motherboard because it seemed very outdated (too many PCI and not enough PCI-E slots, no USB 3.0 ports, etc, etc) but this one looks very nice. Lots and lots of connection ports!

That reminds me of something else I was planning to do sometime and was wondering .... Can those USB 2.0 ports on the front of an old PC case be easily converted into USB 3.0 ports (and are there standard kits available for doing this?) or are those existing 2.0 ports permanently molded into the case with no easy way to replace them - other than buying a whole new box?

**clocker** · 10-10-2011, 12:57 PM

You can buy PCI add-on cards for USB3...it's highly unlikely you'll find a retrofit for a specific case.

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about anyway...after you're all kitted out with USB3, it really does you no good unless all the other PCs you interact with have it as well, which is highly unlikely.
Since the release of Vista/Win7 and their easy to configure HOMEGROUP, it's just as easy (and fast) to transfer data between machines over the network as it is to brandish a USB3 flashdrive and physically walk the data from place to place.
Outside of your own computer network, chances are excellent that 90% of the PCs you'll see are still on XP or Vista and they will barely function with USB2, nevermind the new standard, so your investment in the new tech will for naught.