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PSA: The USB-C port on Nvidia RTX graphics cards isn't just for VR

We connected SSDs, headphones and hubs to see what's possible.

Will Judd avatar
Guide by Will Judd Deputy Editor, Digital Foundry
Updated on
23 comments

Here's something you might not know: the USB-C VirtualLink port on the back of most Nvidia RTX graphics cards isn't just for connecting VR headsets with a single cable, though that is why Nvidia included it. It also works as a completely standard USB-C port, so in theory you can plug in smartphones, USB hubs, headphones, card readers and even high-speed NVMe SSD storage directly into your GeForce graphics card. This is pretty handy, given that many motherboards only include a single USB-C port and many older models don't include any at all. After learning it was possible, we put an RTX 2080's USB-C port to the test.

In order to check the capabilities of the VirtualLink port, we plugged in as many USB-C devices, hubs and adapters as we could get our hands on. This felt a little odd - when's the last time you plugged a USB mousepad into your graphics card? - but we did get some interesting results. Here's what we tested, what worked and what we learned in the process.

  • NVMe SSD enclosure: With an ADATA SX8200 Pro connected to our enclosure (one of the best SSDs for gaming!) we saw sequential speeds of around 750MB/s - far faster than any flash drive, but interestingly not as quick as the 1000MB/s we got when connecting the drive to our motherboard's native USB-C port.
  • USB 3.0 hub: This hub added seven USB 3.0 ports to our machine's complement. With this, we were able to plug in an SD card reader, mice, keyboards and USB flash drives.
  • USB-C to USB adapter: This simple adapter allowed any full-size USB device to be recognised by our computer, including drives, headsets and mice.
  • Android smartphone: We connected our Galaxy S9+ with a USB-C to USB-C cable, allowing us to charge the phone and access its files in Windows. Having the right cable is important here, as a cheap cable only allowed for charging on both motherboard and RTX USB-C ports.
  • Headphones: The Razer Hammerhead USB-C headphones we connected worked straight away, showing up as a new audio device in Windows 10.
  • Ethernet adapter: With this connected, we recorded the same internet speeds as with our motherboard's internal adapter.
  • Monitors: With a DVI-D to USB-C adapter in hand, we were able to connect a DVI-only Crossover 27Q monitor and get its full resolution of 2560 x 1440. We also tried connecting a 4K monitor with a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter, and that worked well - as expected.

So out of the half-dozen devices and adapters we tested, all worked straight away - with the exception of the Android smartphone, which did require a good-quality USB-C cable. We did see reduced speeds on the most bandwidth-heavy test, i.e. the NVMe SSD, but by a relatively small margin that's unlikely to affect usability. If you've already got USB-C devices or adapters for a USB-C phone or laptop, it's worth testing them on your RTX-equipped PC to see if they work there too.

However, it's important to mention that not all devices with USB-C connectors will necessarily work. For example, the USB-C port provided on RTX graphics cards is not a Thunderbolt 3 port, so devices that require the extra bandwidth that Thunderbolt 3 provides (40Gbps versus 10Gbps on USB 3.1) will not work.

Ironically, we weren't able to test the actual stated purpose of the RTX series' USB port: virtual reality. However, users online have reported successfully using an Apple Digital AV Multiport Adapter to connect their VR headsets to an RTX series graphics card using the USB-C input. This isn't really worth doing unless you're on a multi-monitor setup that already takes up all of your graphics card's display outputs, but it's good to know that it's possible. Presumably, future VR headsets will come with USB-C support out of the box, making the VirtualLink functionality a more practical addition.

With the mixed feelings surrounding RTX and DLSS, the addition of a fully capable USB-C port isn't going to suddenly make an RTX graphics card an essential purchase. USB-C VirtualLink isn't even included throughout the series, with many RTX 2060 models dropping the port. Still, if you've already got an RTX card with USB-C, we're hoping this PSA is at least a pleasant surprise.

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