Ryzen motherboard USB support

[peterb]

This is my question raised by this post https://forums.hexus.net/scan-care-h...ml#post3998573 (as its in a SCAN pre-sales forum it can't really be discussed there.)

Basically it seems that a Ryzen motherboard does not support USB3 natively so a PS/2 mouse is needed for installing Windows.

This seems odd to me, as some form of USB driver is usually included in the BIOS to allow not only for a mouse/keyboard combination but also installing an operating system image from a USB stick, or even a USB DVD drive. In fact it would seem to me to prevent the installation of any operating system from portable media.

It could be that Windows changes to BIOS pointers to its own routines that do not support USB3 (but why?) or it could be some other limitation.

So my general question is whether that is true of all Ryzen motherboards, or the particular one the OP in that thread is using?

Has anyone else experienced this?

It seems to me to be a significant limitation.

(Just to re-iterrate, I'm asking this as a general item of interest)

[DanceswithUnix]

I'm sure if that were generally true people would be up in arms about it.

I have a sample of 1 Ryzen system I have built, using a 2600 CPU and a B350 Asus motherboard. The BIOS expects a mouse, I used the nearest USB mouse and keyboard I had to hand, and then Installed Centos Linux as a graphical install. Centos is a server OS, so tends to lag hardware support quite badly (though the kernel did recognise the ECC ram which was the main thing I was worried about).

I think I used a USB2 socket on the motherboard, not that I can be certain because I wasn't giving it much thought at the time as it all just worked.

Edit: That PS/2 mouse looked a reasonable punt for a fiver though. I have had problems with active USB to PS/2 converters in the past, but those dual standard mice usually come with a passive converter dongle just to convert the wiring, the mouse detects that it is plugged into a PS/2 port and natively talks PS/2 protocol. I have never heard of compatibility problems with ones like that, though perhaps that is because I have usually seen Logitech mice with those connectors and maybe there are worse designed ones out there.

Another edit: Looking at the backplate picture, I would have plugged it in under the PS/2 connector on the mobo so it would have been a black USB connector not even USB2!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-TUF-B3...dp/B075D3LGYS/

[Phage]

Not True here.
USB mouse worked just fine

[stevie lee]

edit: misunderstood the question

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

AFAIK,the Ryzen CPUs have 4 USB3.1 ports built into the SOC - the chipset acts as a port multiplier using PCI-E.

[lilyx]

I did not claim that Ryzen did not support USB 3.0. I was clear that it is a Windows 7 problem.
Windows 7 does not support USB 3 natively

Anandtech "How To Get Ryzen Working on Windows 7 x64"
https://www.anandtech.com/show/11182...-windows-7-x64

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Wouldn't Win7 run Ryzen worse?? AFAIK,you need proper scheduler support due to the way the cores are arranged in Ryzen.

[Kumagoro]

As Lilyx said it is a Windows 7 thing. I have come across it a few times over the last 5 years (all intel based). If the device is USB 3 only and there is no USB legacy chipset you cant get the USB ports to work in the Win 7 installer without a USB 3 driver. I have hung on to a couple of PS2 mice and keyboards because of this.

If it is a laptop and you need to boot from a USB stick or DVD drive you can get around it as the keyboard and trackpad should work and you can load in a driver (F6 like doing an AHCI driver if I recall correct)

or Slipstream the USB 3 drivers into the ISO

[peterb]

I did not claim that Ryzen did not support USB 3.0. I was clear that it is a Windows 7 problem.
Windows 7 does not support USB 3 natively

Anandtech "How To Get Ryzen Working on Windows 7 x64"
https://www.anandtech.com/show/11182...-windows-7-x64

Indeed - its a windows 7 problem on a Ryzen motherboard - sorry if I didn't make that clear in my original post. Does that mean that the motherboard doesn't support USB2 though?

[scaryjim]

... Does that mean that the motherboard doesn't support USB2 though?

Obviously my experience isn't conclusive, but so far I've yet to buy a motherboard that doesn't have at least 2 USB 2 ports, and I've yet to buy a USB mouse that came packaged with a PS/2 converter that had any compatibility issues.

If Windows 7 is an absolute requirement, I'd just make sure I bought a motherboard with at least 2 USB 2 ports. And personally I'd *never* run ReactOS on bare metal, but maybe that's just me

[lilyx]

Indeed - its a windows 7 problem on a Ryzen motherboard - sorry if I didn't make that clear in my original post. Des that mean tat the motherboard doesn't support USB2 though?

No probs, I just thought it made me look like a big fat fibber

It does have internal headers for usb 2.0. but you have to get a mounting bracket to use them. Not sure if there are any issues with them & w7 because I've not heard of anyone using them. Every single article on this subject, & there are loads says use ps/2 because slipstreaming drivers seems to have a high failure rate.

If I happen across a bracket for usb 2.0 which fits with my case (so not an ugly white one with a short lead) I would consider it. Otherwise I'll stick with a ps2 keyboard/mouse install. I really don't see the point of bothering with the bracket just for installs. I just need to keep the next ps/2 mouse away from the cat
Yes I really am that shallow

[Splash]

I know it's not really helpful to @lilyx however it should be noted that there is no official support for Ryzen on Windows 7. You might get it to work, but the official line is that it's unsupported.

[lilyx]

I know it's not really helpful to @lilyx however it should be noted that there is no official support for Ryzen on Windows 7. You might get it to work, but the official line is that it's unsupported.

Oh yeah I knew it before I bought my first Ryzen CPU. But it is absolutely doable. And it runs really smoothly. It is just a bugger when your cat decides to use your last surviving PS/2 mouse to play the part of a zombie in a feline recreation of 'The Walking Dead'. But with a working PS/2 It is straightforward (ish) to install Windows 7.

[gupsterg]

I did not claim that Ryzen did not support USB 3.0. I was clear that it is a Windows 7 problem.
Windows 7 does not support USB 3 natively

Anandtech "How To Get Ryzen Working on Windows 7 x64"
https://www.anandtech.com/show/11182...-windows-7-x64

Indeed - its a windows 7 problem on a Ryzen motherboard - sorry if I didn't make that clear in my original post. Does that mean that the motherboard doesn't support USB2 though?

I wasn't able to have Windows 7 pickup even the USB2 ports on a ASUS Crosshair VI Hero. I had to use NTLite to integrate drivers. I believe the USB 2 are via the X370 chipset on C6H.