# item.guide
Side-by-Side Comparison USB

USB 3.2 Gen 1 vs. USB-B

Comparing 2 standards across 8 specifications. 8 key differences identified.

Comparing:
USB 3.2 Gen 1
USB-B

Originally released as USB 3.0 in November 2008, this 5 Gbit/s "SuperSpeed" tier was retroactively renamed USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 when the USB 3.2 specification arrived in 2017 -- the first step in a naming scheme many found more confusing than clarifying, since the underlying hardware and speed never actually changed.

View full USB 3.2 Gen 1 spec sheet →

USB-B (Standard-B) is the squarish connector historically used on printers, scanners, and external hard drives -- the peripheral-side counterpart to USB-A. A 9-pin SuperSpeed variant with a distinctive stacked upper tab was added for USB 3.0, though USB-C has since displaced Standard-B in most new peripheral designs.

View full USB-B spec sheet →

Specification Comparison Table

8 Parameters
Parameter / Spec
Original Name
USB 3.0 (November 2008)
Current Name
USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (also marketed as "USB 5Gbps")
Max Bandwidth / Data Rate
5 Gbit/s
Introduced
SuperSpeed signaling, full-duplex architecture, 9-pin USB-A/B connectors
Pin Count
4 (USB 1.x/2.0) or 9 (USB 3.0+, stacked SuperSpeed tab)
Standard Base Dimensions
~11.1 x 7.0 mm
Reversible
No
Typical Role
Peripheral-side port (printers, scanners, external drives)