Run out of SATA slots!! Help

MalakiUK · 28 Jul 2012 at 13:59

Hi all. As the title suggests. Ive run out of sata connectors on my mobo. Im running a z77 extreme 4. Ive got to connect my ssd, hdd but also an optical drive. The board only has 2 that i can see. I also plan on adding another hdd in he future. Anything i can buy to sort my problem?

Thanks

Surveyor · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:04

Assuming you mean this motherboard then the Z77 Extreme4 has 8 SATA connectors.

- 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by Intel® Z77, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel® Rapid Storage and Intel® Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions
- 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors by ASMedia ASM1061, support NCQ, AHCI and "Hot Plug" functions (SATA3_A1 connector is shared with eSATA3 port)
- 4 x SATA2 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel® Rapid Storage and Intel® Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug functions

What do you already have plugged in if you've run out?

Or do you mean you've run out of SATA cables?

The motherboard only seems to be supplied with two.

yashiro · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:06

Board has at least 4 sata connectors in the picture. 2 Black, 2 Grey.

MalakiUK · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:13

Ok. I only see 2. Under the pci-e slots wherd my gfx card is. >.<

Surveyor · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:15

It would help if you clarified exactly which motherboard you have.

The Extreme4 is an ASRock board as I linked in my post above.

The board in your sig is an Asus.

Just what do you have?

PhillyDee · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:15

Whats your exact board details?

MalakiUK · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:19

Its an asrock >.< put the wrong name in my sig.

Surveyor · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:22

Going by your previous threads the one you were looking at was this: Z77 Extreme4-M

Is that the one?

It has 8 SATA ports.

MalakiUK · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:27

Those platic looking things can be removed? I did wonder but didnt want to break anything >.<

valkynaz · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:29

You don't remove them. The sata ports face outwards rather than upwards.

RJC · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:31

Don`t forget the sata ports on the side are stacked.

Surveyor · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:31

Those plastic looking things are not meant to be removed.

They're the housing for the SATA connectors.

You simply plug the cables in going outwards from the motherboard.

SSD into one on the middle grey ones (Intel SATA 3).

HDD into the other middle grey one or one of the black ones (Intel SATA 2).

Optical drive into one of the black ones.

You can then disable the ASMedia controller in the BIOS as you won't need it.

MalakiUK · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:31

ahh...stupid me...i was so nervous about handling the mobo that i didnt look to hard at the board was trying to get it mounted asap >.<

first rig...thanks guys...know i know i can hook it all up