How do PCIe to SATA expansion cards work, and does my PC support them?
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I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe to SATA expansion card, which I think is otherwise known as a port multiplier (which was the first result in Google when I searched for such an adapter). I need one because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
According to the above-linked Wikipedia page:
Many common controllers do not support this feature, as it is not a
requirement for a SATA controller.
Elsewhere I've seen it implied that this means support comes down to the motherboard, and whether the SATA controller on the motherboard supports such expansion cards.
However, port multipliers like the following work by connecting to the PCIe port directly - why then would the card be subject to the motherboard's own implementation of SATA? Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how this technology works?
If support for SATA port multipliers does boil down to the motherboard, how can I determine whether my motherboard supports them? My motherboard is an ASRock H61M-HVS and supports SATA 2.0 (3GB/s), but searching the manual for "multiplier" doesn't return any results.
hard-drive motherboard sata pci-express
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up vote
2
down vote
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I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe to SATA expansion card, which I think is otherwise known as a port multiplier (which was the first result in Google when I searched for such an adapter). I need one because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
According to the above-linked Wikipedia page:
Many common controllers do not support this feature, as it is not a
requirement for a SATA controller.
Elsewhere I've seen it implied that this means support comes down to the motherboard, and whether the SATA controller on the motherboard supports such expansion cards.
However, port multipliers like the following work by connecting to the PCIe port directly - why then would the card be subject to the motherboard's own implementation of SATA? Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how this technology works?
If support for SATA port multipliers does boil down to the motherboard, how can I determine whether my motherboard supports them? My motherboard is an ASRock H61M-HVS and supports SATA 2.0 (3GB/s), but searching the manual for "multiplier" doesn't return any results.
hard-drive motherboard sata pci-express
@Ramhound I decided to make the edit when I skimmed your answer and saw that it talks about eSATA, so I assumed you'd been confused. My question never made any mention of eSATA, and it has always stated in the very first paragraph: ...because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system. In my mindPCIe-SATA
has always been synonymous withPCIe to SATA
for me, as is the case in English with the hyphen standing for "to", but I made the edit to make this less ambiguous.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
@Ramhound I can't find any source that makes that clear, but if it is the case then I wasn't aware of it and that's my bad. In any case, the bulk of my question - including my original mention that I've run out of SATA ports - makes that clear. While I appreciate the time you've spent on providing an otherwise good answer for eSATA, you could have saved yourself it if you'd only read the question I posted properly, which I've noticed is something you and many others on this site do often. Questions on this site don't consist solely of the title, but the title and the body text.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
"Are you looking to provide additional SATA ports to your system?" The answer to that question is located in the first paragraph of my question and always has been, yet you asked it regardless, after posting an answer that answers a separate question because of your misunderstanding. I'm not trying to offend anyone or belittle the time you spent on your current answer, but it seems to be self-evident you didn't, otherwise you wouldn't have any reason to ask me the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
As for "unfriendly", I'd argue it's more unfriendly and disingenuous to passive-aggressively accuse me of changing the question "entirely" by my removal of a hyphen, which is a laughable idea, while refusing to acknowledge that the fault was yours because you simply didn't take the time to read through the body of the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
1
@Ramhound It's 3AM here, I've wasted far too much of my time responding to you already and I have no intention of "chatting" about it. I sincerely hope this is the last time I have to deal with the issue of you behaving brashly and rushing to answer a question on SU, but I won't be holding my breath. I suspect that you'll just report all comments on this question to be wiped and continue as per usual. Feel free to prove me wrong.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
|
show 8 more comments
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe to SATA expansion card, which I think is otherwise known as a port multiplier (which was the first result in Google when I searched for such an adapter). I need one because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
According to the above-linked Wikipedia page:
Many common controllers do not support this feature, as it is not a
requirement for a SATA controller.
Elsewhere I've seen it implied that this means support comes down to the motherboard, and whether the SATA controller on the motherboard supports such expansion cards.
However, port multipliers like the following work by connecting to the PCIe port directly - why then would the card be subject to the motherboard's own implementation of SATA? Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how this technology works?
If support for SATA port multipliers does boil down to the motherboard, how can I determine whether my motherboard supports them? My motherboard is an ASRock H61M-HVS and supports SATA 2.0 (3GB/s), but searching the manual for "multiplier" doesn't return any results.
hard-drive motherboard sata pci-express
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe to SATA expansion card, which I think is otherwise known as a port multiplier (which was the first result in Google when I searched for such an adapter). I need one because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
According to the above-linked Wikipedia page:
Many common controllers do not support this feature, as it is not a
requirement for a SATA controller.
Elsewhere I've seen it implied that this means support comes down to the motherboard, and whether the SATA controller on the motherboard supports such expansion cards.
However, port multipliers like the following work by connecting to the PCIe port directly - why then would the card be subject to the motherboard's own implementation of SATA? Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how this technology works?
If support for SATA port multipliers does boil down to the motherboard, how can I determine whether my motherboard supports them? My motherboard is an ASRock H61M-HVS and supports SATA 2.0 (3GB/s), but searching the manual for "multiplier" doesn't return any results.
hard-drive motherboard sata pci-express
hard-drive motherboard sata pci-express
edited 2 hours ago
asked 3 hours ago
Hashim
2,85762852
2,85762852
@Ramhound I decided to make the edit when I skimmed your answer and saw that it talks about eSATA, so I assumed you'd been confused. My question never made any mention of eSATA, and it has always stated in the very first paragraph: ...because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system. In my mindPCIe-SATA
has always been synonymous withPCIe to SATA
for me, as is the case in English with the hyphen standing for "to", but I made the edit to make this less ambiguous.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
@Ramhound I can't find any source that makes that clear, but if it is the case then I wasn't aware of it and that's my bad. In any case, the bulk of my question - including my original mention that I've run out of SATA ports - makes that clear. While I appreciate the time you've spent on providing an otherwise good answer for eSATA, you could have saved yourself it if you'd only read the question I posted properly, which I've noticed is something you and many others on this site do often. Questions on this site don't consist solely of the title, but the title and the body text.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
"Are you looking to provide additional SATA ports to your system?" The answer to that question is located in the first paragraph of my question and always has been, yet you asked it regardless, after posting an answer that answers a separate question because of your misunderstanding. I'm not trying to offend anyone or belittle the time you spent on your current answer, but it seems to be self-evident you didn't, otherwise you wouldn't have any reason to ask me the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
As for "unfriendly", I'd argue it's more unfriendly and disingenuous to passive-aggressively accuse me of changing the question "entirely" by my removal of a hyphen, which is a laughable idea, while refusing to acknowledge that the fault was yours because you simply didn't take the time to read through the body of the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
1
@Ramhound It's 3AM here, I've wasted far too much of my time responding to you already and I have no intention of "chatting" about it. I sincerely hope this is the last time I have to deal with the issue of you behaving brashly and rushing to answer a question on SU, but I won't be holding my breath. I suspect that you'll just report all comments on this question to be wiped and continue as per usual. Feel free to prove me wrong.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
|
show 8 more comments
@Ramhound I decided to make the edit when I skimmed your answer and saw that it talks about eSATA, so I assumed you'd been confused. My question never made any mention of eSATA, and it has always stated in the very first paragraph: ...because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system. In my mindPCIe-SATA
has always been synonymous withPCIe to SATA
for me, as is the case in English with the hyphen standing for "to", but I made the edit to make this less ambiguous.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
@Ramhound I can't find any source that makes that clear, but if it is the case then I wasn't aware of it and that's my bad. In any case, the bulk of my question - including my original mention that I've run out of SATA ports - makes that clear. While I appreciate the time you've spent on providing an otherwise good answer for eSATA, you could have saved yourself it if you'd only read the question I posted properly, which I've noticed is something you and many others on this site do often. Questions on this site don't consist solely of the title, but the title and the body text.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
"Are you looking to provide additional SATA ports to your system?" The answer to that question is located in the first paragraph of my question and always has been, yet you asked it regardless, after posting an answer that answers a separate question because of your misunderstanding. I'm not trying to offend anyone or belittle the time you spent on your current answer, but it seems to be self-evident you didn't, otherwise you wouldn't have any reason to ask me the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
As for "unfriendly", I'd argue it's more unfriendly and disingenuous to passive-aggressively accuse me of changing the question "entirely" by my removal of a hyphen, which is a laughable idea, while refusing to acknowledge that the fault was yours because you simply didn't take the time to read through the body of the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
1
@Ramhound It's 3AM here, I've wasted far too much of my time responding to you already and I have no intention of "chatting" about it. I sincerely hope this is the last time I have to deal with the issue of you behaving brashly and rushing to answer a question on SU, but I won't be holding my breath. I suspect that you'll just report all comments on this question to be wiped and continue as per usual. Feel free to prove me wrong.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
@Ramhound I decided to make the edit when I skimmed your answer and saw that it talks about eSATA, so I assumed you'd been confused. My question never made any mention of eSATA, and it has always stated in the very first paragraph: ...because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system. In my mind
PCIe-SATA
has always been synonymous with PCIe to SATA
for me, as is the case in English with the hyphen standing for "to", but I made the edit to make this less ambiguous.– Hashim
2 hours ago
@Ramhound I decided to make the edit when I skimmed your answer and saw that it talks about eSATA, so I assumed you'd been confused. My question never made any mention of eSATA, and it has always stated in the very first paragraph: ...because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system. In my mind
PCIe-SATA
has always been synonymous with PCIe to SATA
for me, as is the case in English with the hyphen standing for "to", but I made the edit to make this less ambiguous.– Hashim
2 hours ago
@Ramhound I can't find any source that makes that clear, but if it is the case then I wasn't aware of it and that's my bad. In any case, the bulk of my question - including my original mention that I've run out of SATA ports - makes that clear. While I appreciate the time you've spent on providing an otherwise good answer for eSATA, you could have saved yourself it if you'd only read the question I posted properly, which I've noticed is something you and many others on this site do often. Questions on this site don't consist solely of the title, but the title and the body text.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
@Ramhound I can't find any source that makes that clear, but if it is the case then I wasn't aware of it and that's my bad. In any case, the bulk of my question - including my original mention that I've run out of SATA ports - makes that clear. While I appreciate the time you've spent on providing an otherwise good answer for eSATA, you could have saved yourself it if you'd only read the question I posted properly, which I've noticed is something you and many others on this site do often. Questions on this site don't consist solely of the title, but the title and the body text.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
"Are you looking to provide additional SATA ports to your system?" The answer to that question is located in the first paragraph of my question and always has been, yet you asked it regardless, after posting an answer that answers a separate question because of your misunderstanding. I'm not trying to offend anyone or belittle the time you spent on your current answer, but it seems to be self-evident you didn't, otherwise you wouldn't have any reason to ask me the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
"Are you looking to provide additional SATA ports to your system?" The answer to that question is located in the first paragraph of my question and always has been, yet you asked it regardless, after posting an answer that answers a separate question because of your misunderstanding. I'm not trying to offend anyone or belittle the time you spent on your current answer, but it seems to be self-evident you didn't, otherwise you wouldn't have any reason to ask me the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
As for "unfriendly", I'd argue it's more unfriendly and disingenuous to passive-aggressively accuse me of changing the question "entirely" by my removal of a hyphen, which is a laughable idea, while refusing to acknowledge that the fault was yours because you simply didn't take the time to read through the body of the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
As for "unfriendly", I'd argue it's more unfriendly and disingenuous to passive-aggressively accuse me of changing the question "entirely" by my removal of a hyphen, which is a laughable idea, while refusing to acknowledge that the fault was yours because you simply didn't take the time to read through the body of the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
1
1
@Ramhound It's 3AM here, I've wasted far too much of my time responding to you already and I have no intention of "chatting" about it. I sincerely hope this is the last time I have to deal with the issue of you behaving brashly and rushing to answer a question on SU, but I won't be holding my breath. I suspect that you'll just report all comments on this question to be wiped and continue as per usual. Feel free to prove me wrong.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
@Ramhound It's 3AM here, I've wasted far too much of my time responding to you already and I have no intention of "chatting" about it. I sincerely hope this is the last time I have to deal with the issue of you behaving brashly and rushing to answer a question on SU, but I won't be holding my breath. I suspect that you'll just report all comments on this question to be wiped and continue as per usual. Feel free to prove me wrong.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
|
show 8 more comments
4 Answers
4
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up vote
2
down vote
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe to SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier, because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
Your motherboard supports PCIe SATA expansion cards. Adding additional SATA ports, through an expansion card connected to a PCIe lane, only adds an additional SATA controller to the system. However, in order to boot from any disk connected to a PCIe SATA expansion card, it must specifically indicate that is supported.
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe-SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
PCIe-SATA is often referred to as SATA Express (SATAe), which of course, is an actual standard itself. Which should not be confused with eSATA, which is a different standard, to provide an interface for external SATA devices.
Elsewhere I've seen it implied that this means support comes down to the motherboard and whether the SATA controller on the motherboard supports such expansion cards.
Like other SATA features, like hot-swappable, support has to be supported by the SATA controller in addition to the device itself. PCIe SATA expansion cards have their own SATA controller and are not limited by the SATA controller on the motherboard itself.
However, port multipliers like the following work by connecting to the PCIe port directly - why then would the card be subject to the motherboard's own implementation of SATA? Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how this technology works?
Support would be subject to the expansion card's SATA controller, not the motherboard's SATA controller, any limitation of the motherboard's SATA controller would not be applicable to the expansion card.
If support for SATA port multipliers does boil down to the motherboard, how can I determine whether my motherboard supports them? My motherboard is an ASRock H61M-HVS and supports SATA 2.0 (3GB/s), but searching the manual for "multiplier" doesn't return any results.
The expansion card you linked to is NOT a SATA port multipler, it does not allow a single SATA port, to connect to multiple SATA devices. However, those devices do exist and would require SATA data (connected to the motherboard) and power cables (connected to the PSU) which allows you to connect 5 SATA devices to the card.
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
PCIe SATA expansion card does not necessarily mean Port Multiplier. To put it differently, a PCIe SATA expansion card is a PCIe card, that adds another (typically AHCI) host controller that provides SATA connectors, just like the AHCI controller on the mainboard. In the olden days, these were added to systems with only IDE controllers, and nowadays for devices that have too few SATA ports.
Port Multipliers are a totally different thing, you can think of them like USB hubs. One connector goes in, and many connectors go out. They all have to share the upstream bandwidth, while PCIe SATA expansion cards have the full bandwidth on each port.
Port Multipliers are not necessarily in the PCIe expansion form factor, but there are different models that fit in a 3.5″ slot. The ones that fit in a PCIe slot usually do only mechanically, as they will have not electrical contacts to the slot.
This makes things a lot clearer. I had assumed the two were the same thing because my Google search led me to the Wikipedia page for port multiplier, and that page has a picture of a "PCIe expansion card". All very confusing.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
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0
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Since you say in your comment: "I'm looking for extra SATA ports because I've run out of them on my motherboard.":
One solution to this, would be to use a Sata Host Bus Adapter, which will expand your possible number of drives. There are many types of these, ranging from 2 ports upwards 16 on a single 8 lane card.
1
I don't see why my answer got a downvote? The OP asks for a way to increase their sata-space and HBA does exactly that.
– Elmo
2 hours ago
I don't know why it was downvoted, but +1 for mentioning the term. You could have more detail though.
– Bob
1 min ago
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0
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There are four basic "levels" of adding more SATA ports:
A USB-SATA adapter is cheap and easy, and quite fast with modern UASP (USB-attached-SCSI) support. However, they may not be good long-term as many of them do not support TRIM and they are still slightly slower than internal SATA 3.0 (6 Gbps). Additionally, you end up sharing USB bandwidth. The simpler ones only support 2.5" drives as they do not provide 12V power. These contain a built-in SATA controller; some docks support multiple ports/drives.
A SATA Port Multiplier is possibly the cheapest option, and effectively shares the bandwidth from a single upstream SATA port. These are not always supported and I would generally discourage using them unless absolutely necessary (i.e. the other options are unsuitable). Unless you can find documentation (often in the SATA controller's spec sheet) and preferably also empirical evidence of support, you're better off avoiding port multipliers. These use (extend) the onboard controller.
A SATA HBA, also known as a "SATA PCIe card", is a reasonable option for adding small numbers of additional ports. These add an extra SATA controller via PCIe, and do not interact with the onboard controller. Some also offer "RAID" but it's usually just a form of fakeRAID and you're better off using pure software RAID. Look up the SATA controller model for more details. These are typically available in PCIe x1 lane and up.
The hardcore option is a SAS HBA. These are generally designed for enterprisey uses and are typically more robust than SATA HBAs. You may need a specialised cable, but you should be able to connect SATA drives with no issues. These additionally support SAS port multipliers, which are more reliable and better supported than their SATA counterparts. Again, look at the controller model for details (and be aware that many server OEMs rebadge them). Many also come with RAID (often hardware RAID) support. These tend to be PCIe x4/x8 and up.
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
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4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe to SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier, because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
Your motherboard supports PCIe SATA expansion cards. Adding additional SATA ports, through an expansion card connected to a PCIe lane, only adds an additional SATA controller to the system. However, in order to boot from any disk connected to a PCIe SATA expansion card, it must specifically indicate that is supported.
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe-SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
PCIe-SATA is often referred to as SATA Express (SATAe), which of course, is an actual standard itself. Which should not be confused with eSATA, which is a different standard, to provide an interface for external SATA devices.
Elsewhere I've seen it implied that this means support comes down to the motherboard and whether the SATA controller on the motherboard supports such expansion cards.
Like other SATA features, like hot-swappable, support has to be supported by the SATA controller in addition to the device itself. PCIe SATA expansion cards have their own SATA controller and are not limited by the SATA controller on the motherboard itself.
However, port multipliers like the following work by connecting to the PCIe port directly - why then would the card be subject to the motherboard's own implementation of SATA? Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how this technology works?
Support would be subject to the expansion card's SATA controller, not the motherboard's SATA controller, any limitation of the motherboard's SATA controller would not be applicable to the expansion card.
If support for SATA port multipliers does boil down to the motherboard, how can I determine whether my motherboard supports them? My motherboard is an ASRock H61M-HVS and supports SATA 2.0 (3GB/s), but searching the manual for "multiplier" doesn't return any results.
The expansion card you linked to is NOT a SATA port multipler, it does not allow a single SATA port, to connect to multiple SATA devices. However, those devices do exist and would require SATA data (connected to the motherboard) and power cables (connected to the PSU) which allows you to connect 5 SATA devices to the card.
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe to SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier, because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
Your motherboard supports PCIe SATA expansion cards. Adding additional SATA ports, through an expansion card connected to a PCIe lane, only adds an additional SATA controller to the system. However, in order to boot from any disk connected to a PCIe SATA expansion card, it must specifically indicate that is supported.
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe-SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
PCIe-SATA is often referred to as SATA Express (SATAe), which of course, is an actual standard itself. Which should not be confused with eSATA, which is a different standard, to provide an interface for external SATA devices.
Elsewhere I've seen it implied that this means support comes down to the motherboard and whether the SATA controller on the motherboard supports such expansion cards.
Like other SATA features, like hot-swappable, support has to be supported by the SATA controller in addition to the device itself. PCIe SATA expansion cards have their own SATA controller and are not limited by the SATA controller on the motherboard itself.
However, port multipliers like the following work by connecting to the PCIe port directly - why then would the card be subject to the motherboard's own implementation of SATA? Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how this technology works?
Support would be subject to the expansion card's SATA controller, not the motherboard's SATA controller, any limitation of the motherboard's SATA controller would not be applicable to the expansion card.
If support for SATA port multipliers does boil down to the motherboard, how can I determine whether my motherboard supports them? My motherboard is an ASRock H61M-HVS and supports SATA 2.0 (3GB/s), but searching the manual for "multiplier" doesn't return any results.
The expansion card you linked to is NOT a SATA port multipler, it does not allow a single SATA port, to connect to multiple SATA devices. However, those devices do exist and would require SATA data (connected to the motherboard) and power cables (connected to the PSU) which allows you to connect 5 SATA devices to the card.
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe to SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier, because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
Your motherboard supports PCIe SATA expansion cards. Adding additional SATA ports, through an expansion card connected to a PCIe lane, only adds an additional SATA controller to the system. However, in order to boot from any disk connected to a PCIe SATA expansion card, it must specifically indicate that is supported.
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe-SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
PCIe-SATA is often referred to as SATA Express (SATAe), which of course, is an actual standard itself. Which should not be confused with eSATA, which is a different standard, to provide an interface for external SATA devices.
Elsewhere I've seen it implied that this means support comes down to the motherboard and whether the SATA controller on the motherboard supports such expansion cards.
Like other SATA features, like hot-swappable, support has to be supported by the SATA controller in addition to the device itself. PCIe SATA expansion cards have their own SATA controller and are not limited by the SATA controller on the motherboard itself.
However, port multipliers like the following work by connecting to the PCIe port directly - why then would the card be subject to the motherboard's own implementation of SATA? Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how this technology works?
Support would be subject to the expansion card's SATA controller, not the motherboard's SATA controller, any limitation of the motherboard's SATA controller would not be applicable to the expansion card.
If support for SATA port multipliers does boil down to the motherboard, how can I determine whether my motherboard supports them? My motherboard is an ASRock H61M-HVS and supports SATA 2.0 (3GB/s), but searching the manual for "multiplier" doesn't return any results.
The expansion card you linked to is NOT a SATA port multipler, it does not allow a single SATA port, to connect to multiple SATA devices. However, those devices do exist and would require SATA data (connected to the motherboard) and power cables (connected to the PSU) which allows you to connect 5 SATA devices to the card.
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe to SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier, because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
Your motherboard supports PCIe SATA expansion cards. Adding additional SATA ports, through an expansion card connected to a PCIe lane, only adds an additional SATA controller to the system. However, in order to boot from any disk connected to a PCIe SATA expansion card, it must specifically indicate that is supported.
I've recently been looking into getting a PCIe-SATA expansion card, otherwise known as a port multiplier because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system, but I'm confused about how exactly these cards work and how I can determine whether my PC will support them.
PCIe-SATA is often referred to as SATA Express (SATAe), which of course, is an actual standard itself. Which should not be confused with eSATA, which is a different standard, to provide an interface for external SATA devices.
Elsewhere I've seen it implied that this means support comes down to the motherboard and whether the SATA controller on the motherboard supports such expansion cards.
Like other SATA features, like hot-swappable, support has to be supported by the SATA controller in addition to the device itself. PCIe SATA expansion cards have their own SATA controller and are not limited by the SATA controller on the motherboard itself.
However, port multipliers like the following work by connecting to the PCIe port directly - why then would the card be subject to the motherboard's own implementation of SATA? Am I fundamentally misunderstanding how this technology works?
Support would be subject to the expansion card's SATA controller, not the motherboard's SATA controller, any limitation of the motherboard's SATA controller would not be applicable to the expansion card.
If support for SATA port multipliers does boil down to the motherboard, how can I determine whether my motherboard supports them? My motherboard is an ASRock H61M-HVS and supports SATA 2.0 (3GB/s), but searching the manual for "multiplier" doesn't return any results.
The expansion card you linked to is NOT a SATA port multipler, it does not allow a single SATA port, to connect to multiple SATA devices. However, those devices do exist and would require SATA data (connected to the motherboard) and power cables (connected to the PSU) which allows you to connect 5 SATA devices to the card.
edited 1 hour ago
answered 2 hours ago
Ramhound
19.1k156083
19.1k156083
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up vote
1
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PCIe SATA expansion card does not necessarily mean Port Multiplier. To put it differently, a PCIe SATA expansion card is a PCIe card, that adds another (typically AHCI) host controller that provides SATA connectors, just like the AHCI controller on the mainboard. In the olden days, these were added to systems with only IDE controllers, and nowadays for devices that have too few SATA ports.
Port Multipliers are a totally different thing, you can think of them like USB hubs. One connector goes in, and many connectors go out. They all have to share the upstream bandwidth, while PCIe SATA expansion cards have the full bandwidth on each port.
Port Multipliers are not necessarily in the PCIe expansion form factor, but there are different models that fit in a 3.5″ slot. The ones that fit in a PCIe slot usually do only mechanically, as they will have not electrical contacts to the slot.
This makes things a lot clearer. I had assumed the two were the same thing because my Google search led me to the Wikipedia page for port multiplier, and that page has a picture of a "PCIe expansion card". All very confusing.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
PCIe SATA expansion card does not necessarily mean Port Multiplier. To put it differently, a PCIe SATA expansion card is a PCIe card, that adds another (typically AHCI) host controller that provides SATA connectors, just like the AHCI controller on the mainboard. In the olden days, these were added to systems with only IDE controllers, and nowadays for devices that have too few SATA ports.
Port Multipliers are a totally different thing, you can think of them like USB hubs. One connector goes in, and many connectors go out. They all have to share the upstream bandwidth, while PCIe SATA expansion cards have the full bandwidth on each port.
Port Multipliers are not necessarily in the PCIe expansion form factor, but there are different models that fit in a 3.5″ slot. The ones that fit in a PCIe slot usually do only mechanically, as they will have not electrical contacts to the slot.
This makes things a lot clearer. I had assumed the two were the same thing because my Google search led me to the Wikipedia page for port multiplier, and that page has a picture of a "PCIe expansion card". All very confusing.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
PCIe SATA expansion card does not necessarily mean Port Multiplier. To put it differently, a PCIe SATA expansion card is a PCIe card, that adds another (typically AHCI) host controller that provides SATA connectors, just like the AHCI controller on the mainboard. In the olden days, these were added to systems with only IDE controllers, and nowadays for devices that have too few SATA ports.
Port Multipliers are a totally different thing, you can think of them like USB hubs. One connector goes in, and many connectors go out. They all have to share the upstream bandwidth, while PCIe SATA expansion cards have the full bandwidth on each port.
Port Multipliers are not necessarily in the PCIe expansion form factor, but there are different models that fit in a 3.5″ slot. The ones that fit in a PCIe slot usually do only mechanically, as they will have not electrical contacts to the slot.
PCIe SATA expansion card does not necessarily mean Port Multiplier. To put it differently, a PCIe SATA expansion card is a PCIe card, that adds another (typically AHCI) host controller that provides SATA connectors, just like the AHCI controller on the mainboard. In the olden days, these were added to systems with only IDE controllers, and nowadays for devices that have too few SATA ports.
Port Multipliers are a totally different thing, you can think of them like USB hubs. One connector goes in, and many connectors go out. They all have to share the upstream bandwidth, while PCIe SATA expansion cards have the full bandwidth on each port.
Port Multipliers are not necessarily in the PCIe expansion form factor, but there are different models that fit in a 3.5″ slot. The ones that fit in a PCIe slot usually do only mechanically, as they will have not electrical contacts to the slot.
answered 2 hours ago
Ro-ee
58229
58229
This makes things a lot clearer. I had assumed the two were the same thing because my Google search led me to the Wikipedia page for port multiplier, and that page has a picture of a "PCIe expansion card". All very confusing.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
add a comment |
This makes things a lot clearer. I had assumed the two were the same thing because my Google search led me to the Wikipedia page for port multiplier, and that page has a picture of a "PCIe expansion card". All very confusing.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
This makes things a lot clearer. I had assumed the two were the same thing because my Google search led me to the Wikipedia page for port multiplier, and that page has a picture of a "PCIe expansion card". All very confusing.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
This makes things a lot clearer. I had assumed the two were the same thing because my Google search led me to the Wikipedia page for port multiplier, and that page has a picture of a "PCIe expansion card". All very confusing.
– Hashim
1 hour ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Since you say in your comment: "I'm looking for extra SATA ports because I've run out of them on my motherboard.":
One solution to this, would be to use a Sata Host Bus Adapter, which will expand your possible number of drives. There are many types of these, ranging from 2 ports upwards 16 on a single 8 lane card.
1
I don't see why my answer got a downvote? The OP asks for a way to increase their sata-space and HBA does exactly that.
– Elmo
2 hours ago
I don't know why it was downvoted, but +1 for mentioning the term. You could have more detail though.
– Bob
1 min ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Since you say in your comment: "I'm looking for extra SATA ports because I've run out of them on my motherboard.":
One solution to this, would be to use a Sata Host Bus Adapter, which will expand your possible number of drives. There are many types of these, ranging from 2 ports upwards 16 on a single 8 lane card.
1
I don't see why my answer got a downvote? The OP asks for a way to increase their sata-space and HBA does exactly that.
– Elmo
2 hours ago
I don't know why it was downvoted, but +1 for mentioning the term. You could have more detail though.
– Bob
1 min ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Since you say in your comment: "I'm looking for extra SATA ports because I've run out of them on my motherboard.":
One solution to this, would be to use a Sata Host Bus Adapter, which will expand your possible number of drives. There are many types of these, ranging from 2 ports upwards 16 on a single 8 lane card.
Since you say in your comment: "I'm looking for extra SATA ports because I've run out of them on my motherboard.":
One solution to this, would be to use a Sata Host Bus Adapter, which will expand your possible number of drives. There are many types of these, ranging from 2 ports upwards 16 on a single 8 lane card.
edited 2 hours ago
answered 2 hours ago
Elmo
344
344
1
I don't see why my answer got a downvote? The OP asks for a way to increase their sata-space and HBA does exactly that.
– Elmo
2 hours ago
I don't know why it was downvoted, but +1 for mentioning the term. You could have more detail though.
– Bob
1 min ago
add a comment |
1
I don't see why my answer got a downvote? The OP asks for a way to increase their sata-space and HBA does exactly that.
– Elmo
2 hours ago
I don't know why it was downvoted, but +1 for mentioning the term. You could have more detail though.
– Bob
1 min ago
1
1
I don't see why my answer got a downvote? The OP asks for a way to increase their sata-space and HBA does exactly that.
– Elmo
2 hours ago
I don't see why my answer got a downvote? The OP asks for a way to increase their sata-space and HBA does exactly that.
– Elmo
2 hours ago
I don't know why it was downvoted, but +1 for mentioning the term. You could have more detail though.
– Bob
1 min ago
I don't know why it was downvoted, but +1 for mentioning the term. You could have more detail though.
– Bob
1 min ago
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
There are four basic "levels" of adding more SATA ports:
A USB-SATA adapter is cheap and easy, and quite fast with modern UASP (USB-attached-SCSI) support. However, they may not be good long-term as many of them do not support TRIM and they are still slightly slower than internal SATA 3.0 (6 Gbps). Additionally, you end up sharing USB bandwidth. The simpler ones only support 2.5" drives as they do not provide 12V power. These contain a built-in SATA controller; some docks support multiple ports/drives.
A SATA Port Multiplier is possibly the cheapest option, and effectively shares the bandwidth from a single upstream SATA port. These are not always supported and I would generally discourage using them unless absolutely necessary (i.e. the other options are unsuitable). Unless you can find documentation (often in the SATA controller's spec sheet) and preferably also empirical evidence of support, you're better off avoiding port multipliers. These use (extend) the onboard controller.
A SATA HBA, also known as a "SATA PCIe card", is a reasonable option for adding small numbers of additional ports. These add an extra SATA controller via PCIe, and do not interact with the onboard controller. Some also offer "RAID" but it's usually just a form of fakeRAID and you're better off using pure software RAID. Look up the SATA controller model for more details. These are typically available in PCIe x1 lane and up.
The hardcore option is a SAS HBA. These are generally designed for enterprisey uses and are typically more robust than SATA HBAs. You may need a specialised cable, but you should be able to connect SATA drives with no issues. These additionally support SAS port multipliers, which are more reliable and better supported than their SATA counterparts. Again, look at the controller model for details (and be aware that many server OEMs rebadge them). Many also come with RAID (often hardware RAID) support. These tend to be PCIe x4/x8 and up.
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
There are four basic "levels" of adding more SATA ports:
A USB-SATA adapter is cheap and easy, and quite fast with modern UASP (USB-attached-SCSI) support. However, they may not be good long-term as many of them do not support TRIM and they are still slightly slower than internal SATA 3.0 (6 Gbps). Additionally, you end up sharing USB bandwidth. The simpler ones only support 2.5" drives as they do not provide 12V power. These contain a built-in SATA controller; some docks support multiple ports/drives.
A SATA Port Multiplier is possibly the cheapest option, and effectively shares the bandwidth from a single upstream SATA port. These are not always supported and I would generally discourage using them unless absolutely necessary (i.e. the other options are unsuitable). Unless you can find documentation (often in the SATA controller's spec sheet) and preferably also empirical evidence of support, you're better off avoiding port multipliers. These use (extend) the onboard controller.
A SATA HBA, also known as a "SATA PCIe card", is a reasonable option for adding small numbers of additional ports. These add an extra SATA controller via PCIe, and do not interact with the onboard controller. Some also offer "RAID" but it's usually just a form of fakeRAID and you're better off using pure software RAID. Look up the SATA controller model for more details. These are typically available in PCIe x1 lane and up.
The hardcore option is a SAS HBA. These are generally designed for enterprisey uses and are typically more robust than SATA HBAs. You may need a specialised cable, but you should be able to connect SATA drives with no issues. These additionally support SAS port multipliers, which are more reliable and better supported than their SATA counterparts. Again, look at the controller model for details (and be aware that many server OEMs rebadge them). Many also come with RAID (often hardware RAID) support. These tend to be PCIe x4/x8 and up.
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
There are four basic "levels" of adding more SATA ports:
A USB-SATA adapter is cheap and easy, and quite fast with modern UASP (USB-attached-SCSI) support. However, they may not be good long-term as many of them do not support TRIM and they are still slightly slower than internal SATA 3.0 (6 Gbps). Additionally, you end up sharing USB bandwidth. The simpler ones only support 2.5" drives as they do not provide 12V power. These contain a built-in SATA controller; some docks support multiple ports/drives.
A SATA Port Multiplier is possibly the cheapest option, and effectively shares the bandwidth from a single upstream SATA port. These are not always supported and I would generally discourage using them unless absolutely necessary (i.e. the other options are unsuitable). Unless you can find documentation (often in the SATA controller's spec sheet) and preferably also empirical evidence of support, you're better off avoiding port multipliers. These use (extend) the onboard controller.
A SATA HBA, also known as a "SATA PCIe card", is a reasonable option for adding small numbers of additional ports. These add an extra SATA controller via PCIe, and do not interact with the onboard controller. Some also offer "RAID" but it's usually just a form of fakeRAID and you're better off using pure software RAID. Look up the SATA controller model for more details. These are typically available in PCIe x1 lane and up.
The hardcore option is a SAS HBA. These are generally designed for enterprisey uses and are typically more robust than SATA HBAs. You may need a specialised cable, but you should be able to connect SATA drives with no issues. These additionally support SAS port multipliers, which are more reliable and better supported than their SATA counterparts. Again, look at the controller model for details (and be aware that many server OEMs rebadge them). Many also come with RAID (often hardware RAID) support. These tend to be PCIe x4/x8 and up.
There are four basic "levels" of adding more SATA ports:
A USB-SATA adapter is cheap and easy, and quite fast with modern UASP (USB-attached-SCSI) support. However, they may not be good long-term as many of them do not support TRIM and they are still slightly slower than internal SATA 3.0 (6 Gbps). Additionally, you end up sharing USB bandwidth. The simpler ones only support 2.5" drives as they do not provide 12V power. These contain a built-in SATA controller; some docks support multiple ports/drives.
A SATA Port Multiplier is possibly the cheapest option, and effectively shares the bandwidth from a single upstream SATA port. These are not always supported and I would generally discourage using them unless absolutely necessary (i.e. the other options are unsuitable). Unless you can find documentation (often in the SATA controller's spec sheet) and preferably also empirical evidence of support, you're better off avoiding port multipliers. These use (extend) the onboard controller.
A SATA HBA, also known as a "SATA PCIe card", is a reasonable option for adding small numbers of additional ports. These add an extra SATA controller via PCIe, and do not interact with the onboard controller. Some also offer "RAID" but it's usually just a form of fakeRAID and you're better off using pure software RAID. Look up the SATA controller model for more details. These are typically available in PCIe x1 lane and up.
The hardcore option is a SAS HBA. These are generally designed for enterprisey uses and are typically more robust than SATA HBAs. You may need a specialised cable, but you should be able to connect SATA drives with no issues. These additionally support SAS port multipliers, which are more reliable and better supported than their SATA counterparts. Again, look at the controller model for details (and be aware that many server OEMs rebadge them). Many also come with RAID (often hardware RAID) support. These tend to be PCIe x4/x8 and up.
answered 2 mins ago
Bob
44.7k20135170
44.7k20135170
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@Ramhound I decided to make the edit when I skimmed your answer and saw that it talks about eSATA, so I assumed you'd been confused. My question never made any mention of eSATA, and it has always stated in the very first paragraph: ...because I no longer have any free SATA ports on my system. In my mind
PCIe-SATA
has always been synonymous withPCIe to SATA
for me, as is the case in English with the hyphen standing for "to", but I made the edit to make this less ambiguous.– Hashim
2 hours ago
@Ramhound I can't find any source that makes that clear, but if it is the case then I wasn't aware of it and that's my bad. In any case, the bulk of my question - including my original mention that I've run out of SATA ports - makes that clear. While I appreciate the time you've spent on providing an otherwise good answer for eSATA, you could have saved yourself it if you'd only read the question I posted properly, which I've noticed is something you and many others on this site do often. Questions on this site don't consist solely of the title, but the title and the body text.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
"Are you looking to provide additional SATA ports to your system?" The answer to that question is located in the first paragraph of my question and always has been, yet you asked it regardless, after posting an answer that answers a separate question because of your misunderstanding. I'm not trying to offend anyone or belittle the time you spent on your current answer, but it seems to be self-evident you didn't, otherwise you wouldn't have any reason to ask me the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
As for "unfriendly", I'd argue it's more unfriendly and disingenuous to passive-aggressively accuse me of changing the question "entirely" by my removal of a hyphen, which is a laughable idea, while refusing to acknowledge that the fault was yours because you simply didn't take the time to read through the body of the question.
– Hashim
2 hours ago
1
@Ramhound It's 3AM here, I've wasted far too much of my time responding to you already and I have no intention of "chatting" about it. I sincerely hope this is the last time I have to deal with the issue of you behaving brashly and rushing to answer a question on SU, but I won't be holding my breath. I suspect that you'll just report all comments on this question to be wiped and continue as per usual. Feel free to prove me wrong.
– Hashim
1 hour ago