USB port priority -> Interface supporting monitors VS. using a 7200rpm external drive

[Yumid]

USB port priority -> Interface supporting monitors VS. using a 7200rpm external drive

So my 2 strongest usb ports are obviously the ones that come from my laptop.


one has to be for my USB hub which splits off into 6 more ports. The other is left open for EITHER my audio interface which is powering my studio monitors. (Focusrite 2i2 powering Adam a7xs) OR a 7200rpm external hard drive that I will be loading libraries and working off of.


Before i was working off the hard drive I was using the power for my interface and monitors and everything was fine. But now that my hard drive has libraries on it that I will be using and loading a lot I'm wondering if the order of importance has changed?
Would it be ok to run high end monitors through a usb hub? Or should I go straight to the laptop? Would it benefit me more with speed to run the drive off my laptop or will it work just as good through a powered hub?


obviously ill need to try a few different things but maybe someone already knows the answer?

 

[bandcoach]

tough question as it is not always obvious what the buss power on a given port will be

USB specification says each port should provide 5v@2A and most external tech gear expects the same voltage and current to work properly but it is usually more like 5V@0.25A - i.e. the Chinese manufacturers have read the tech spec to mean 2A per buss grouping of USB ports (they usually put 8 on the same buss)

Even externally powered hubs are only providing 0.25A per port as an average - they can provide more if there are fewer devices on the hub

you will have to suck it and see what happens in this case

 

[Yumid]

you will have to suck it and see what happens in this case

Yah i was thinking that the whole time typing this "it'd just be easier to hook them up and see" but i tend to ask a lot of questions regardless haha. Im just assuming the monitors and interface take charge, and the drive is working 'good enough' running off the port so I'm just gonna stick with that, could be faster but it doesn't need to be. No problems.