We connected SSDs, headphones and hubs to see what could happen.
Here's what you can: The USB-C VirtualLink port on the back of most Nvidia RTX graphics cards isn't just connecting VR headsets to a single cord, though that's why Nvidia has installed it. It also works as a completely standard USB-C port, so theoretically you connect smartphones, USB hubs, headphones, card readers and high-speed NVMe SSD storage directly to your GeForce graphics card. This is useful, given that most motherboards feature a single USB-C port and most older models do not feature at all. After learning the feasibility, we mounted the RTX 2080 USB-C port.
To test the power of the VirtualLink port, we connected as many USB-C devices, hubs and adapters as we could get our hands on. This sounds strange – when are you plugging USB puzzles into your graphics card? – but we got some interesting results. Here's what we tested, what worked and what we learned from the process.
- NVMe SSD Enclosure: With the ADATA SX8200 Pro connected to our shutter (one of the best SSDs to play!) We saw successive speeds of about 750MB / s – much faster than any flash drive, but interestingly not as fast as the 1000MB / s we found when connecting. drive to our local USB-C port.
- USB 3.0 hub: This hub has installed seven USB 3.0 ports for the fulfillment of our machine. With this, we were able to connect the SD card reader, mouse, keyboards and USB flash drivers.
- USB-C to USB adapter: This simple solution allows any complete USB service to be seen by our computer, including drivers, headers and mice.
- Android smartphone: We connected our Galaxy S9 + from USB-C to USB-C cable, allowing us to charge the phone and access its files on Windows. Having the right cable is important here, as the cheapest cable is only allowed to charge on both RTX USB-C ports.
- Headphones: The Razer Hammerhead USB-C headsets we connected instantly, seem like a new audio device on Windows 10.
- Ethernet adapter: With this connection, we recorded the same internet speed as our inboard adapter.
- Monitors: With the DVI-D to USB-C adapter in hand, we were able to connect to monitor the DVI-Crossover 27Q only and had its full resolution of 2560 x 1440. We also tried to connect 4K monitor via USB-C to on the DisplayPort adapter, and that worked well – as expected.
So with the exception of the devices and adapters that the component has tested, they all work instantly – except for the Android smartphone, which requires a standard USB-C cable. We saw a reduced speed in the band's tallest test, i.e. the NVMe SSD, but with a smaller rand which might not affect power. If you already have USB-C devices or USB-C phone adapters or a laptop, you may need to check them on your RTX-equipped PC to see if they also work there.
However, it is important to mention that not all devices with USB-C connectors will work. For example, the USB-C port provided by the RTX graphics cards no the Thunderbolt 3 port, so devices that require the additional bandwidth provided by Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps versus 10Gbps on USB 3.1) will not work.
Surprisingly, we were unable to test the actual stated purpose of the series RTX series: virtual reality. However, online users have successfully reported using the Apple Digital AV Multiport Adapter to connect their VR headsets to the RTX graphics card using the USB-C input. This is not really worth doing unless you are in a multi-monitor setup that is already starting all the output of your graphics card, but it's good to know that it is possible. Possibly, future VR headsets will also come with USB-C support right out of the box, making VirtualLink functionality more efficient.
With the mixed feelings surrounding RTX and DLSS, the addition of a fully portable USB-C port will suddenly make the RTX graphics card a valuable purchase. USB-C VirtualLink is not included in the rest of the series, many RTX 2060 models throw in the port. Also, if you already have an RTX card with USB-C, we hope PSA is at least a little surprised.