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Macbook Pro 13 retina late 2012 USB2.0 or 3.0?

Hi,


Am confused as the spec sheet for this model says it comes with a USB3.0


https://support.apple.com/kb/sp658


However my system info shows both my USB is 2.0? Why is that?

Posted on Dec 11, 2020 4:57 PM

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Posted on Dec 11, 2020 7:37 PM

The built-in keyboard and trackpad are using USB2 on an internal connection since they have no need of USB3 speeds to operate. That is not your external USB ports. If you connect a USB3 drive to your USB port you should see an entry in System Profiler which will show your external drive and its USB3 connection.

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Dec 11, 2020 7:37 PM in response to davtoh

The built-in keyboard and trackpad are using USB2 on an internal connection since they have no need of USB3 speeds to operate. That is not your external USB ports. If you connect a USB3 drive to your USB port you should see an entry in System Profiler which will show your external drive and its USB3 connection.

Dec 11, 2020 8:12 PM in response to davtoh

Hard drives are extremely slow (anywhere from 50MB/s to 120MB/s). Just because it uses a USB3 controller doesn't mean the drive is capable of fast speeds. An external SSD would give you better performance. Even a SATA based SSD would give you up to 500MB/s transfers. Plus if your laptop is using an internal hard drive you will be limited by its speed as well.

Macbook Pro 13 retina late 2012 USB2.0 or 3.0?

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