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NZXT Powered Internal USB Hub -> Possible BIOS lockup issues / freezes; Windows crash

lightknightrr
Level 7
This is an intermittent bug, but does seem to be traced back to this hub. Background: since Asus gave us only 2 internal USB 2.0 ports, and many of us are using cases with at least 2 external case USB 2.0 connectors with internal headers, plus something like a water-cooled processor (which has a USB cable for feedback, thank you Corsair) and possibly something like a USB cable from the power supply (for power use feedback, thank you Thermaltake), 2 internal USB 2.0 ports are not enough. Solution? Use an internal hub to expand the number of ports. Better solution? Use a 'powered' internal hub, because powered is usually better.

NZXT's hub seems like a fine solution there...except it apparently doesn't respond to requests to reset the hub (controller). At least, not all the time. Sometimes it will boot fine, other times, you will end up on a screen that shows "American Megatrends", their logo, and nothing else; unplugging the hub (possibly rebooting) allows it to boot normally; plugging the hub in while the computer is on seems to have it working again fine.

Once the problem manifests, not even a BIOS reflash (with a BIOS reprogrammer) will fix it; the hub has to be unplugged. Turning off the machine, killing the power supply switch does not seem to work either. No idea if there is a stored charge that needs to be dissipated, not willing to wait the several days needed to find out.

Short term solution is switching to unpowered hubs (4-port Amazon Basic Hubs), and installing the appropriate male & female internal to external headers to connect everything up. I currently have mine on order.

No idea if this is a NZXT bug, an Asus bug, an AMD bug, or (somehow) an ASMedia bug.
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23 REPLIES 23

Korth
Level 14
Clear CMOS should be enough, reflashing BIOS seems a bit drastic. And those WinBond chips are only rated for 500~1000 full (over)write cycles, lol, so it's not something you can sustain too long unless you want to buy new BIOS chips.
The onboard CR2032 battery might also have to be removed for a minute or so while unplugged (as in, PSU power connectors detached from motherboard) to insure the mobo is "fully unpowered" while clearing CMOS. Obviously a bit of a pain to unplug everything each time you reboot, especially if that battery is buried underneath your GPU card or loops/cables.

I think the bug is too many USB devices being serviced off the internal hub. Maybe their initial (combined) power draw exceeds what the mobo will provide before proper USB enumeration (after WinOS has started, identified all USB controllers, loaded all USB drivers, and initialized them all, which takes time). Especially since the motherboard is already busy surging power through all hardware at startup, the UEFI might only have 100mA available per USB port.

So you need to have CPU cooler plugged into USB, PSU plugged into USB ... I think ideally one plugs into mobo USB port and the other one plugs into (externally-powered) USB hub which is plugged into other mobo USB port, and no other USB devices are connected - unplug those headphones/speakers/whatever - until Windows boots up to desktop. (Rear panel USB ports, keyboard and mouse, should be okay.)

Another solution would be a PCIe adapter card which provides some internal USB headers/ports. I think it would probably solve your issue, although it might not.

And, of course, a dedicated hardware controller device (with its own power, processing logic, and onboard USB controllers/ports) would work. But they aren't cheap.
"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams

[/Korth]

HarlemSquirrel
Level 7
I also have a similar issue with just a more basic USB SD card reader. I don't have any internal hub going but I do have a number of external USB devices connected at boot time: keyboard, mouse, webcam, mic, DAC

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

I also have the Nzxt usb Hub.

I've had the same problem.

Finally, the motherboard did not open again.

lightknightrr
Level 7
Korth -> it's (the NZXT) a powered, internal USB 2.0 hub. Plugged directly into the only internal USB 2.0 connector the Asus VI Hero Wifi has. Here's the product page: https://www.nzxt.com/products/internal-usb-hub.

I've switched from internal card readers as they seem to degrade at a frightening rate. Now using an external Kingston card reader which works without a fuss, and is surprisingly fast. My previous card reader was an AFT Tech Flash PRO-77U, and it was throwing up disk controller errors on my USB 3.0 expansion card (went for the NEC chipset), and was having trouble with the internal USB 3.0 ports on the Crosshair Hero MB.

So, is this a NZXT problem, or an Asus problem?

lightknightrr
Level 7
And yes, it is definitely a NZXT hub issue. I plugged the Thermaltake USB connector & the Corsair USB connector into the external USB 2.0 ports in the back, and left just the case connectors (for 2 USB ports, (which have nothing else plugged into them)) plugged into the NZXT hub (which is plugged directly into the internal USB 2.0 header on the motherboard.

skellattarr
Level 10
it's definitely the NZXT hub I ordered one the first one gave me problems so I sent it back and got a replacement same hub and it been working good so its a hit and miss 50/50 on getting a defective one
amd ryzen 9 3950x
CROSSHAIR Viii hero
Corsair Hydro Series H115i
G.SKILL Trident Z 3200mhz 64gb 4x16 timings 16,18,18,38
asus rog strix gtx 1080
TOSHIBA 3TB hdd 3x a total of 9tb, 10 tb hdd and a 1tb mushkin ssd
corsair axi 1200i 1200 watt psu
thermal take view 71 case

lightknightrr
Level 7
Quality control issues. Wonderful. Has anyone informed NZXT>?

Korth
Level 14
You can try another NZXT hub to determine if your particular unit is faulty.

Again, I think the issue is motherboard power to internal USB headers at boot, they can't properly enumerate their power requirements until Windows is fully booted.

And again, I don't know this is certain. The way to test is to boot without a ton of USB junk plugged into the internal headers, which you've done.
"All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." - Douglas Adams

[/Korth]

I also have an issue that I've traced back to this hub.

My issue was a bit different. I run Fanatec kit for Sim racing and I would get the wheel spin out of control and and bounce on the limiter. I tried pretty much everything, bios update, drivers etc etc. I worked with Fanatec, they even had the steering wheel back to be looked at.

Then on the off chance I unplugged the hub. I have plugged into it my Corsair CPU cooler and also a Flirc internal. Once I disconnected the hub no issue with the Fanatec hardware.

Over the next day or so I'll plug the hub back in without anything out of it and see if its the issue or if it the hub plus one of the items plugged into it.

My hub is the 1.1 version
https://www.nzxt.com/products/iu01-usb-expansion
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