Just got a new computer delivered today and just opened the box. It has some SS usb ports which I was not aware of before. Can I use a new usb cable with SS type plug on one end, for my current Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 interface? And will it even make any difference...thanks

You mean USB 3 ports? Standard size "A" sockets but with a blue insert and SS written next to them?

Some interfaces don't like USB 3 ports, and refuse to work properly connected to them. Others don't care which it is. USB 2 provides more than enough bandwidth so there's usually no performance advantage for audio interfaces in using a USB 3 port (unless perhaps you've a bunch of ADAT units feeding a USB 3 compatible interface perhaps so the channel count is very high).

You'll need to check Focusrite's website for USB 3 compatibility.

If you mean the combined USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3 sockets (as fitted to recent MacBooks) then I'd be interested to know how well they're working with audio interfaces. There's no mass panic in the Mac world that I've noticed so I guess things are OK with MacBooks using the correct adaptor, but what works for Macs doesn't always for Windows PCs and vice versa, as demonstrated by the long-standing Windows firewire chipset/driver issue.

Thanks. Yeah it is a blue port with the SS and now I learned that is synonymous with USB 3. . Another thing I have never seen (shows its been a few years for having a new computer !!)..on the back of the tower the USB 2 ports have the small circle/line symbol...like on a power switch. But not on the front ports. What's with that?

I have never seen that symbol, but I might take a guess that those ports continue to provide power when the computer is "off." That is a feature designed for people who want to charge devices that will charge off a USB port, without using a cheap wall wart converter or keeping the computer running all night. Check your documentation.

sounds feasible. No user manual in this box - I imagine it's all there in the cloud or once I fire up the computer for the first time. Thanks! 

silvercn
Another thing I have never seen (shows its been a few years for having a new computer !!)..on the back of the tower the USB 2 ports have the small circle/line symbol...like on a power switch. But not on the front ports. What's with that?

The trouble with markings on USB ports is that while there is a standard symbol set not all PC manufacturers stick to it. A USB 3 port should be blue and have a USB symbol and "SS".

If a PC USB port is capable of delivering enough current to charge a device or power stuff that needs the full USB specification current from the port it might have a lightning bolt symbol. Not always, because the USB spec means all ports should provide the specified current, so on a PC where they do provide the specified current there's usually no symbol saying they do. Some PC ports don't deliver the current the USB specification requires - e.g. some of the ports on the PC in my sig can't charge and run an iPad at the same time even though the USB spec says they should be able to, they only provide enough power to prevent the iPad battery discharging further while it's running, and enough to slowly charge when it's off.

The "on/off" switch symbol you describe, which I don't think I've ever seen, might or might not mean those ports aren't switched off if the PC is in sleep state, so can be used for peripherals like mice and keyboards that can be used to wake the PC up, or for charging devices. `Though stuff that's connected to charge usually gets plugged in at the front to the PC to make access to the necessary ports easier. Or maybe they mean something else.....

The motherboard manual might explain all this.

tlw

silvercn
Another thing I have never seen (shows its been a few years for having a new computer !!)..on the back of the tower the USB 2 ports have the small circle/line symbol...like on a power switch. But not on the front ports. What's with that?

The trouble with markings on USB ports is that while there is a standard symbol set not all PC manufacturers stick to it. A USB 3 port should be blue and have a USB symbol and "SS".

If a PC USB port is capable of delivering enough current to charge a device or power stuff that needs the full USB specification current from the port it might have a lightning bolt symbol. Not always, because the USB spec means all ports should provide the specified current, so on a PC where they do provide the specified current there's usually no symbol saying they do. Some PC ports don't deliver the current the USB specification requires - e.g. some of the ports on the PC in my sig can't charge and run an iPad at the same time even though the USB spec says they should be able to, they only provide enough power to prevent the iPad battery discharging further while it's running, and enough to slowly charge when it's off.

The "on/off" switch symbol you describe, which I don't think I've ever seen, might or might not mean those ports aren't switched off if the PC is in sleep state, so can be used for peripherals like mice and keyboards that can be used to wake the PC up, or for charging devices. `Though stuff that's connected to charge usually gets plugged in at the front to the PC to make access to the necessary ports easier. Or maybe they mean something else.....

The motherboard manual might explain all this.

My Asus motherboard has a 3rd party USB3 controller from Asmedia, separate from the chipset USB2 support.  It connects to the two blue ports on the rear of the mobo.
 
In my BIOS there is an onboard devices configuration setting to enable/disable Asmedia USB 3.0 battery charging support.
 
So this is probably variable by vendor ...

could be bios Asus flash back feature...? (circle with a line through it)....so save new bios to usb memory stick, put into usb  with the button circle line thingy...press the circle with line through thingy for so many seconds, until it flashes...let go, and wait until it stops flashing....bios update feature... perhaps?