How do I add more SATA slots? PCI-E to SATA?

Psycho Sonny · 2 Jul 2020 at 11:42

I have this motherboard

https://www.asus.com/uk/Motherboards/ROG-STRIX-B350-F-GAMING/overview/

I can only use 4 of the ports with a NVME drive.

So I want to add more slots preferably 6 but 4 will do.

Whats the best value for money way of doing this? I'm looking at PCI-E to SATA cards but they seem very dear for what is a basic thing.

Donnie Fisher · 2 Jul 2020 at 18:33

Things like some Dell PERC cards should work. These are the cards that servers use to power the hotswap arrays of hard drives. Also do a search for LSI HBA cards. (Which the. Dell cards are generally a branded version of )

Depending on the model you can flash them to be in IT mode which passed the access to the drive straight through to me the system without any RAID stuff in between (i.e. just created more sata ports)

They have fairly standard connectors and will use one plug on the card to break out to 4 sata connectors.

They don't seem crazy expensive on eBay.

Duke · 2 Jul 2020 at 22:18

How many drives do you have?!

Psycho Sonny · 4 Jul 2020 at 16:01

Duke said:
How many drives do you have?!

I have currently 3 mechanical and 1 ssd and the nvme.

I want to remove 1 mechanical, add another 3 mechanical and possibly another 2 mechanical after that and that will be it.

So 6 but possibly 8 at some point and I might get another ssd so the cache drive has a backup.

Buffalo2102 · 4 Jul 2020 at 17:24

Do you have room in your case? What are they used for (are they constantly accessed)? You might be better off with a DAS enclosure.

Psycho Sonny · 4 Jul 2020 at 20:22

Buffalo2102 said:
Do you have room in your case? What are they used for (are they constantly accessed)? You might be better off with a DAS enclosure.

Yeah I bought one of these

https://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=175

So that can store 4 drives

Then I can have the SSD's installed using bungee cords in the case.

And I plan on having maybe 3 other drives in the normal drive slots in my case.

If you google the below I'm planning on buying one of them with possibly 2 of these "StarTech.com 15.7 in (400 mm) SATA Power Splitter Adapter Cable - M/F - 4x Serial ATA Power Cable Splitter (PYO4SATA)"

Syba SI-PEX40062 SATA III 4 Port PCI-e 2.0 x2 Card with Low Profile Bracket

I am using it as a UNRAID server for a media server with Jellyfin

https://jellyfin.org/

https://unraid.net/

pc-guy · 8 Jul 2020 at 14:28

You need something like a dell perc. Plenty around on auction site for very cheap prices. I sold mine for around £25 Perc 700 or 710. Not sure now.

really good raid cards.