Maximum PC

Hey guys, I have a question. I currently have a ASUS P8P67-Deluxe MB with a 2600K proc in it. I have had problems with the USB ports on this thing since it was new. When I use 8 of the 10 back panel headers my keyboard won't show up until windows boots, except to get into the BIOS. Once the startup gets past the BIOS entry the keyboard and mouse is gone until windows comes up. Not a problem except when you want to run a boot manager. Also I will have USB devices drop out and come back when Windows is running.

I'm thinking about going to the P8Z77-Deluxe. Reason for this one over the Pro is the Deluxe has 10 back panel USB ports, which I need, and I can't use an additional USB card slot using a header because all my card slots are filled. But if I go to that MB I also have to get a new sound card because my current one is PCI, and the Deluxe has no PCI slots. Overall cost would be close to $500 for the MB and the sound card. Question is, besides probably solving my USB problems, would I see any other significant improvement moving from the P67 board to the Z77 board? Looking for opinions...Thanks in advance...

atr

I suggest you purchase one or two powered USB hubs [plug it into the wall or surge protector(s)]. Make sure it is powered, otherwise you will be pulling power from the USB port on the computer and some components may fail to function.

I use two USB hubs, and they work fine. I reserve USB ports on the computer for only those components that have a problem with a hub [most do not].

As to the Z77 motherboard, you will not be able to use some of the hardware with your CPU, for example, you will need a generation 3 CPU [just came out Monday] to access PCIe 3.0

Regarding observable, real world performance with your CPU, tests have shown that the P67 and Z77 perform the same, or nearly so depending upon the motherboards in comparison.

I think Wal-Mart sells them for around $25 or so, they have 4 ports. No need for the most expensive unit, as I said, make certain it is powered.

I currently have 4 powered USB hubs plugged into the motherboard. 3 of them are USB 2 hubs, 2 of them 4 port and 1 seven port, and 1 is a USB 3 hub, which is a 4 port. And, like you, the only things that I plug directly into the computer are the hubs, mouse and keyboard, and the few devices that don't like to be run through hubs. And the devices that drop out and then come back are connected through hubs. And to eliminate the possibility that the hubs were causing the problems I have tried them attached to other hubs with the same results. But that is what I was trying to figure out. $500 is more than I want to spend for the convienience of being able to use a boot manager. I guess I will continue to just swap the boot drive in the BIOS when I need to change OS.

To gain an extra USB port on the computer, some devices will operate from a USB hub, if one hub is connected to another, however, you will need an unused USB port on one of the hubs.

I do not chain the hubs, each hub is plugged directly into the computer. What I have plugged directly into the computer is:

G19 keyboard
R.A.T 7 mouse
Belkin 7 port powered hub (USB 2)
Belkin 4 port powered hub (USB 2)
Inland 4 port powered hub (USB 2)
Trendnet 4 port powered hub (USB 3)
HP laserjet
Apple syncing cord (which normally doesn't have a device attached to it)

I have tried literally every possible combination of plugging each device into varying ports with the same results. Once everything is plugged in I lose the keyboard as soon as the BIOS setup screen is gone and it doesn't reappear until Windows starts, and I lose the mouse completely until Windows comes up. IOW, I can't use the mouse in the UFEI bios, but I am able to use the keyboard in the BIOS.

My setup is a little different than yours, however, not by much.

My printer, mouse, and scanner are plugged into a USB hub. The scanner and printer activate when I power up the computer [during POST].

My ancient motherboard BIOS does not permit me to use a mouse [while in BIOS], so, at present I do not need a mouse at that time.

I am tempted to build a new computer, however, this ancient Gigabyte P35-DS3R motherboard is still chugging away with a QX9650 CPU and AMD HD 6950 plugged into it and does everything I need it to.

Too bad I am not ready do spend money yet, I love to get the maximum stable yet long lived overclock. May be if I talked myself into 3 high resolution screens

It sounds as though you have tried every option available to you regarding your issue. I am aware that several motherboards that have the same USB problem. In your case I would hate to spend hundreds of dollars upgrading when all you have is currently a minor inconvenience.

If I need to boot into something other than Windows I make a bootable disk. Personally, I have not found the need for a bootable USB drive.

I'm wondering if I daisy chained the USB 2 hubs into one port if maybe that would help. I don't have anything on the USB 2 hubs that either a) use a lot of bandwidth or b) that I use more than one of at a time. I talked to ASUS about this when I got the board and they said it wasn't normal and to send it back for repair, but the last time I sent a board to them it took me 7 months to get it back and I wasn't willing to go without my Sandy Bridge rig for that long. But if I did the chain thing that would eliminate 3 direct connections to the computer...Does it make a difference to have a powered hub plugged into another powered hub?

atr

As long as you do not end up with a very long cable with them connected you should be OK. Using a powered hub is the same as using a port from your computer. Each port is supplied with 1/2 watt, either at the computer or at the hub, so, using a powered hub is the best thing to do if several USB devices are connected to the second hub, because one device may require too much power and leave the other components without enough, and none of them will probably function or eventually fail.

So, yes, use a powered hub.

As mentioned earlier, some devices do not like to be plugged into hubs, so keep those in the ports on the computer. Tinker around with devices until you find those that function with a second hub plugged into the first hub.

You can daisy chain hubs. I would do this and directly connect some devices to the motherboard with extension cables. My current set-up on my ASUS Z68 has a dual-head 4-port hub connected with extension cords to the motherboard. Then, connected to the hub is my mice/keyboard/controller and another 4-port hub. Nothing has dropped a beat yet. Also, I have a 4 front panel ports that are used as well. Are you using them too?

Lastly, performance should be similar on the new chipset. However, you do get onboard video, more USB support, and SSD caching to name a few.

My setup and problem is really strange. Like I said, if I only plug in my KB and mouse to teh MB, everything is fine. If, however, with them still plugged into the same places, I add ANY powered hub (I have tried 4 and 7 port hubs, from 3 brands) I lose the KB and mouse immediately after the BIOS entry screen flashes. Once Windows (either XP home 32bit or 7 Pro 64 bit) takes over everything works fine. There can be items plugged into the hub or nothing at all plugged into the hub, the results are the same. ASUS says they have never heard of this and they are referring it to the engineers. Personally I think I have a bad MB, but not a bad USB controller because if the USB controller was bad then the ports wouldn't work in Windows. I may be wrong about that, that that's my guess. The only reason that this is an issue at all is because I dual boot between Xp and 7, and I would like to use a boot manager to switch instead of having to go into the BIOS and change the boot drive. But with the KB and mouse being absent for most of the boot sequence I am unable to configure or run a boot manager.

atr

You may have a very good point about the motherboard being the problem.

Have you tried updating the BIOS? There have been several revisions, just make sure it's the right one.