Here it is and I hope it proves useful to others. Well, I since found a good article that allowed me to build a secret decoder ring that makes the various and multiple name changes for the different generations understandable.

When I posted the message above I didn't know what I didn't know so, although suspicious, the USB 3.2 designation made me think they would both be the same communication rate standard. Obviously I need some sort of adapter to due this as I cannot find back panel add on USB ports compatible with this new stye mobo connector.Īmazon has a short adapter cable but the reviews strongly indicated these adapter cables do not work reliably. I want to use the new 'USB 3.2 Gen 2 Front Panel connector' for two additional back panel USB 3.0 ports needing a blue 20 pin header. My new Corsair Air 540 case uses a standard blue header for the front panel USB 3.0 ports so, out of necessity, I plugged the case front panel USB 3.0 ports into the blue 20 pin 'USB 3.2 Gen 1 header' on the mobo rather than the seemingly ASUS intended 'USB 3.2 Gen 2 Front Panel connector'. Do both support the same rate of data transfer or is the new smaller one designed for faster communication rates? Although both connectors are defined as USB 3.2, the blue 20 pin header is referred to as 'Gen 1' and the other new small connector is referred to as 'Gen 2'.

One is a recognizable blue 20 pin 'USB 3.2 Gen 1 header' and the other is is a very different looking small rectangular 'USB 3.2 Gen 2 Front Panel connector'.

My new ASUS Z490-A mobo has two USB 3.2 connectors (the third USB 2.0 connector will not be used).

Usb 2 vs usb 3 asus color