There's no doubt about it, USB 3.0 is wicked fast when pitted against its predecessors -- but the ancient bulk-only transport protocol it uses is showing its age. Some newer external drives hope sidestep the old protocol by supporting a new one: UASP, or, USB attached SCSI. As its name implies, the modern protocol leverages the SCSI command set to reduce latency, enable queue functions and improve performance for compatible drives. Windows 8 will ship with UASP drivers baked in, but the protocol is already available in the form of third-party controllers and drivers. Speaking of which, Hot Hardware found the functionality on ASUS' P8Z77V motherboard, and gave it a rundown. The conclusion? "Turbo and UASP modes will never hurt performance, and you've got early access to a capability that's already been wrapped into future versions of Windows. That's a win, all the way around." We're hard pressed to disagree. Check out the outfit's tests in full at the source link below.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

ASUS loads P8Z77V with USB attached SCSI, beats Windows 8 to the punch originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 19:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.