USB 3.1 Type-C PCIe Expansion Cards Coming Soon

[tonymacx86]

With Apple's new MacBook, there has been huge interest in the past few weeks regarding USB 3.1 Type-C. ASUS is bringing out a device that will bring the port to any compatible motherboard through the PCI-Express lane. For now this may be the only way to directly expand motherboards with the USB Type-C.


Other manufacturers such as ASRock and MSI have already brought out Z97 and X99 motherboards with USB 3.1 headers, however there are no current models with Type-C ports. ASRock has announced a PCIe card with both Type-A and Type-C, however it may only be bundled with these new motherboards. We're thinking that next year's 10 Series motherboards for Skylake CPUs will start using USB 3.1 and Type-C as standard ports.
We weren't able to find the ASUS PCIe product available yet online, however it was linked through the official ASUS website. If you find one available please let us know!

Related:
www.asus.com/Motherboards/USB_31_TYPEC_CARD/
http://www.asrock.com/news/index.asp?id=2683

EDIT: Looks like the ASRock edition is now up on Newegg:

ASRock Model USB 3.1/A+C Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813998030

 

[Khan]

Thanks for sharing! Looks really nice.

 

[beelzebozo]

There's a few rumors floating around that Apple pretty much invented the new USB standard and had a few of the other hardware companies provide some input; but most of the heavy lifting was Apple's doing.

The one USB-C port on the new MacBooks is inline with the single Lightning port on the iPad/iPhones. Go figure.

 

[trs96]

A Cult of Mac writer has claimed that Apple actually "invented" USB C (3.1)

If it seems weird to you that Apple abandoned Thunderbolt, its all-in-one connector created just a few years back, in favor of USB-C for the new MacBook, you’re not the only one. It is weird. But there might be a more straightforward explanation for that than you think: According to a new rumor, Apple effectively invented USB-C.

According to noted Apple pundit John Gruber of Daring Fireball, Apple was the singular driver behind the USB-C standard. Gruber said this on the latest episode of his podcast, The Talk Show:

“I have heard, I can’t say who but lets call them informed little birdies, that USB-C is an Apple invention and that they gave it to the standards bodies … and that the politics of such is that they can’t really say that. They’re not going to come out in public and say that, but they did. It is an Apple invention and they want it to become a standard.
“What I’ve heard is that it’s an Apple invention that was sort of developed alongside Lightning and that they donated, they gave to the standards bodies because they want the industry standard to be thin enough for their devices and they want it to be reversible.”

​

That makes a lot of sense to me. USB-C has a lot more in common with the design ethos of a connector like Thunderbolt than something like USB 3. What do you think?

By: John Brownlee from Cult of Mac

My guess is that Apple could see that Thunderbolt would never become mainstream like USB 2/3 is now.
They decided "if we can't beat 'em we'll take the USB standard and make it work for us." Sounds plausible to me. They are all about taking something that's already been done (USB) and making it better.

trs96

 

[Stork]

I'm in the Camp that thinks USB-C will be for the consumer products, like the Apple laptops & iDevices, while Thunderbolt is for the "prosumer" products, like the Mac Pro. Thunderbolt is just too expensive for the majority of consumers. We'll just have to see how expensive the USB-C products are compared to USB 2/3 products. So far, Apple's USC-C accessories are also expensive such as the $80 USB-C to USB 3.1/USB-C/HDMI or VGA(!) adapter cables. Ouch!

Lot's of discussion 'round the forums on the 'Net. Here's a good one the MacRumors forum in the Mac Pro forum section which gets "spirited" at times:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1854817

 

[Bansaku]

There's a few rumors floating around that Apple pretty much invented the new USB standard and had a few of the other hardware companies provide some input; but most of the heavy lifting was Apple's doing.

I seriously wouldn't doubt it. In fact that was my first thought when I first saw the C connector. Apple did put USB on the map and make it a standard despite not being first out of the gate.

 

[Octavean]

Easy-fit ASUS USB 3.1 Card with dual Type-A ports or reversible Type-C
ASUS USB 3.1 Card is the world’s first USB 3.1 expansion card that fits swiftly into any PCIe x4, x8 or x16 slot to accelerate existing PCs to deliver lightning-speed transfers of up to 10Gbit/s. Available in two models, with either dual Type-A sockets or reversible Type-C, the new PCIe card is compatible immediately with all ASUS X99 and Z97 chipset-based motherboards and will be compatible soon with more ASUS motherboards, to be enabled by a simple BIOS and driver update.

USB 3.1 Type-A Card (Dual) is also included with two new motherboard bundles with a ‘/U3.1’ suffix — Rampage V Extreme/U3.1 and X99-Deluxe/U3.1 — preconfigured and ready to go. Both USB 3.1 Type-A (Dual) and Type-C Card (Single) are available to purchase individually.

http://rog.asus.com/403332015/asus-...est-and-most-comprehensive-usb-3-1-solutions/

I take this to mean that in order to properly use these USB 3.1 add-in cards a BIOS update must be applied to the motherboard. Perhaps this is just an option added into the BIOS to toggle some USB 3.1 specific features,.....?

The last time I checked, my Asus X99-A motherboard had a BIOS update available that cited USB 3.1 support with specificity. My Asus Z97-E motherboard had no such update available but it had pending available some time in March.

These Asus USB 3.1 cards still don't seem to be available though so it doesn't necessarily matter either way right now.

 

[macjunkie]

Any thoughts as to whether this would work in a 09-'12 Mac Pro tower?

 

[Stork]

I doubt it. Each motherboard manufacturer is saying it only works on their motherboards and specific models. I'm following the talk in the MacRumors Mac Pro forum section where I expect to find the first "I found one!" thread.

BTW, I've got a Inateck 4 Ports, USB 3.0 card in my 2010 Mac Pro (5,1) which works.

 

[MK500]

So far, Apple's USC-C accessories are also expensive such as the $80 USB-C to USB 3.1/USB-C/HDMI

$80 &@#@(# DOLLARS??? What the heck? I was annoyed at the price of the lightning to HDMI adapter; but this is way worse.

I am picking up one of the new MacBooks on the 10th; so i definitely need this adapter. Sheesh Apple. I was hoping for an adapter with Ethernet also; but I guess at this price I'll just plug a USB ethernet adapter into this adapter. Sigh.

An amazingly light and perfect laptop....with a bag fully of crazy cables to go with it.

The really crazy thing is that pretty much everyone is going to need to buy one of these...as you can't connect any USB devices otherwise. I wonder if they will include a basic USB-C to USB adapter with the laptop.

Oh well. I will let you know on the 10th.