As Intel reportedly plans to launch a standalone USB 3.0 controller in 2010, sources from motherboard makers believe the transition from USB 2.0 to 3.0 will speed up.
Since Taiwan-based VIA Technologies and ASMedia have both recently joined the USB 3.0 industry, the addition of Intel is expected to bring down the USB 3.0 driver IC price and speed up the transition, the sources noted.
Gigabyte Technology also recently announced that its USB 3.0 motherboard shipments have already reached one million units, which accounted for one third of the three million USB 3.0 controller ICs shipped by NEC since the start of volume shipments in September, 2009.
NEC has shipped its USB 3.0 controller ICs to makers of PC products including notebooks, motherboards and PCI Express interface cards.