USB 3.0 to the Fractal Design Define C's front ports issue!

[Mercurius360]

I have an ongoing issue with the Crosshair motherboard, regarding the USB 3.0 connection to the front case's ports.

This was when I finished building it, 3-4 weeks ago, on my Fractal Design Define C. The front left USB 3.0 port wouldn't read any USB-hooked devices. Submitted a ticket to Fractal Design HQ for a replacement cable. Today, I replaced the USB 3.0 ports with the new one they sent...and now the front right USB 3.0 port wouldn't work.

So, is the C6H that restrict to only one USB 3.0 front port, or is this there something I'm missing, that needs to be fixed?

I need to get these two USB 3.0 ports in the front working, not just one. 😞

EDIT: After further investigation, I noticed that the motherboard's USB 3.0 plug has a missing piece.


I guess I'll have to RMA this, just for this.

[entropic-remnan]

Before you do, you might try to play with the options in the BIOS for the XHCI mode. The XHCI/EHCI mode switching has a profound effect on how your USB 3.0 hubs perform. I'm sorry that I don't know exactly what's in our Crosshair BIOS for that and I'm using a front panel USB 3.0 card reader plugged into that motherboard port (I do photography).

Perhaps there's something that needs to be set for it to work properly with the USB circuitry on the front panel.

[Mercurius360]

Where is that? I dunno what I have it set to, since I installed it.

[entropic-remnan]

Mercurius360 wrote:
Where is that? I dunno what I have it set to, since I installed it.

On page 3-19 of the user manual (the one I have) there's an option for XHCI handoff control. Not sure what the default is and since I'm not having the issue, so at the moment I haven't looked into it.

However, my front panel has only one USB 3 port on it and to have more than one I suspect you might need a hub device, but maybe somebody will read this with more info on that. Assuming for the moment that your panel has some kind of hub in it, it could be a driver issue relating to that hub I suppose.

In the windows UI called "Device Manager" do you have any devices showing the little exclamation points or anything? You could try reinstalling any drivers having problems or updating them -- but that seems like a long shot. I'm presuming you've installed all the drivers off the ASUS web site for the chipset, USB and so forth so those are unlikely to be the problem as well.

Sorry, that's the limit of what I have to share -- not really an expert in USB 3 and I didn't even sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

[Mercurius360]

The XHCI Hand-off mode is Enabled, by default.

[entropic-remnan]

Mercurius360 wrote:
The XHCI Hand-off mode is Enabled, by default.

Sorry I couldn't help. Hope you can find a resolution.

[Korth]

Mercurius360 wrote:
I need to get these two USB 3.0 ports in the front working, not just one. 😞

EDIT: After further investigation, I noticed that the motherboard's USB 3.0 plug has a missing piece.

I don't see a "missing piece" in that photo.

That's a USB3 ICC(A) motherboard header, not formally defined in USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 specifications but described on page 8 of this Intel USB 3.0 Internal Connector and Cable Specification document - it's become the unofficial de-facto standard USB header through wide (but not universal) adoption by manufacturers of USB3-capable mainboards, chassis, and devices. The "missing" plastic edge segment is a deliberate design feature: the physical key prevents a male USB3 plug from being connected backwards in the female USB receptacle.

Of course not everybody fully complies with the unofficial (uncertified, unenforced) Intel "standard" for this part. Most manufacturers include this physical key on all their USB3 parts, but some don't. In fact, ASUS made your USB3 header black, while it should be that obnoxious Pantone 300C Blue colour recommended in USB3 standards.

Perhaps you need something like this to get both USB3 ports working simultaneously on your Fractal Design chassis?

Or perhaps the USB3 wiring in your chassis is faulty? It wouldn't hurt to check/test all the electrical pins with a DMM. (I've seen expensive high-quality cases before with magnificent metalwork and shoddy electrical wiring, but they were different brands.)

[tarot]

Korth wrote:
I don't see a "missing piece" in that photo.

That's a USB3 ICC(A) motherboard header, not formally defined in USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 specifications but described on page 8 of this Intel USB 3.0 Internal Connector document - it's become the unofficial de-facto standard USB header through (nearly unanimous) adoption by manufacturers of USB3-capable mainboards, chassis, and devices. The "missing" plastic edge segment is a deliberate design feature: the physical key prevents a male USB3 plug from being connected backwards in the female USB receptacle.

Of course not everybody fully complies with the unofficial (uncertified, unenforced) Intel "standard" for this part. Some manufacturers include this physical key in their USB3 parts, some don't.

Perhaps you need something like this to get both USB3 ports working simultaneously?

the missing port is normal
i have a Baymax board and corsair 750 case both side of the usb 3 work.
one thing to try is change xhci to disabled.
also double check you have the plug in all the way and the right way around, these ports use some thin wires and the plug can be tricky.

i would not rma a board for that...the last step is try a 5.25 usb3/card reader type device and see if tht does the same thing

[BaneSilvermoon]

I was under the impression that Mercurius was referring to the bottom left pin. Which I'm not familiar enough with to know if that is normal or not.
I did notice there's only nine pins though, and the USB3 splitter that Korth linked has slots for ten pins.

This conversation is making me want to test the USB3.0 ports on my case. I don't think I've ever plugged anything in to either of them.

[entropic-remnan]

BaneSilvermoon wrote:
I was under the impression that Mercurius was referring to the bottom left pin. Which I'm not familiar enough with to know if that is normal or not.
I did notice there's only nine pins though, and the USB3 splitter that Korth linked has slots for ten pins.

This conversation is making me want to test the USB3.0 ports on my case. I don't think I've ever plugged anything in to either of them.

That missing pin is also normal for some boards I've had. In fact in the Crosshair manual they describe that connector as "20 - 1" meaning a 20 pin connector with one pin deleted. A standard USB 2.0 header is described as "10 - 1".