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220-1201 Practice Question: A customer reports that their external USB 3.0…
A customer reports that their external USB 3.0 hard drive is only achieving transfer speeds of about 35 MB/s, far below the expected 5 Gbps. The drive is connected to a USB 3.0 port on the front of the computer case. What is the most likely cause of this performance issue?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The front-panel USB port is internally connected to a USB 2.0 header on the motherboard.
This question tests understanding of USB standards and cable/connector compatibility. USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) requires a cable with 9 pins, but if the case's front-panel header or cable is wired for USB 2.0 only (4 pins), the device will fall back to USB 2.0 speeds (480 Mbps, ~35 MB/s). The correct answer is that the front-panel USB port is internally connected to a USB 2.0 header.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The drive is formatted with FAT32 instead of NTFS.
Why it's wrong here
While FAT32 has limitations such as a 4GB maximum file size for individual files and less efficient large file handling compared to NTFS, these file system characteristics do not inherently cap the drive's transfer speed at a precise 35 MB/s. File system overhead can slightly impact overall performance, but a consistent, specific speed ceiling like 35 MB/s points directly to a physical bus speed limitation, not a logical file system constraint. The reported speed is indicative of a USB 2.0 connection, which is independent of the drive's formatting.
- ✓
The front-panel USB port is internally connected to a USB 2.0 header on the motherboard.
Why this is correct
When a USB 3.0 external hard drive is connected to a USB 2.0 port, the connection automatically defaults to the slower USB 2.0 standard. USB 2.0 has a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 480 Mbps (Megabits per second), which translates to approximately 35-40 MB/s (Megabytes per second) in real-world scenarios due to protocol overhead. Therefore, a consistent transfer speed of 35 MB/s strongly indicates that the USB 3.0 device is operating in USB 2.0 compatibility mode, most likely due to being plugged into a front-panel port wired to a USB 2.0 header.
- ✗
The hard drive is failing and needs to be replaced.
Why it's wrong here
A failing hard drive typically exhibits symptoms such as intermittent data transfer, read/write errors, frequent disconnections, unusual noises, or significantly fluctuating and often much lower speeds, rather than a consistent and predictable speed cap. The reported 35 MB/s is a stable transfer rate that precisely aligns with the maximum practical throughput of a USB 2.0 connection. This consistency suggests a compatibility or configuration issue with the USB port rather than an imminent hardware failure of the drive itself.
- ✗
The USB 3.0 driver is not installed in the operating system.
Why it's wrong here
Missing USB 3.0 drivers would cause the device to not work at all or fall back to USB 2.0, but the scenario describes a consistent 35 MB/s, which is exactly USB 2.0 speed, not a driver issue.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.