Nifty USB3 extension cable

[terrie]

I can't remember if I ever mentioned that the USB3 ports on the top of my Fractal Design Define 5 pc case are somewhat finicky, particularly the rightmost USB3 port.

If you remember, I had MicroCenter do a custom build for me in September 2015 and within a day or so of bringing the sytem home, I couldn't get the rightmost USB3 port on top of the case to work--it would not recognize a USB3 thumbdrive inserted into the port. I took the system back to MicroCenter thinking that the port was bad. Of course, the port worked just fine when the MicroCenter tech checked it using various USB3 thumbdrives and the tech was also very willing to check all the internal connections.

I brought the system back home, got everything plugged back in--monitor, etc.--plugged in my thumbdrive and...it worked just fine. 2-3 days later, plugged in the thumbdrive and...no connection. Unplugged it, plugged it back in again and...connected just fine. I decided that the port was just a bit finicky in making the connection and/or the thumbdrive (inexpensive MicroCenter drive) was just a bit off spec--this was after touching base with a pc hardware forum asking Define 5 owners if they had experienced the problem and none had.

It was basically a minor annoyance.


I received some money for Christmas and I've always believed that these little unexpected windfalls are meant to be spent frivolously buying things that you would normally say, "well, I can live without that".

With that in mind (and the fact that the geek in me needed feeding), I went browsing around monoprice.com looking for a usb hub and after putting the hub in the shopping cart, I spied what is essentially a USB3 extension cord and thought to myself...hmmmm...I wonder if I plugged this into the Define R5's USB3 port and the thumbdrive into the other end of the extension if I'd get a more consistent thumbdrive-to-USBplug connection? At $2.43 each (I ordered 2, one for each USB3 port), it seemed worth a try. My order arrived yesterday afternoon and...

It works! Each time I plug the thumbdrive into the end of the extension cable, I get the thumbdrive notification in the taskbar. I'm very pleased--it doesn't take much really...'-}}


Terrie