usb read write speed
The USB 2.0 interface can be a limit due to signalling and command overhead as well as spacing between packets. I have a fast SSD connected by USB 2.0. The drive is much faster than the interface (by more a factor of 10). Read Speed maxes out around 33 MB/s and Write Speed at 17.5 MB/s. Write Speeds are almost 50% slower due to a verify-read after the write and the fact that the USB signal is half-duplex as another answer mentions.