Non-RAID PCI SATA Controller

  • Thread starter Thread starter Less Entropy
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Less Entropy

Hello:

My son's three year old PC has an ASUS P4T533-C mainboard.
All of the IDE slots are already populated. We are considering
the purchase of a PCI SATA controller so that he can add another
drive in a removable drive mounting. This removable drive
arrangement will be used for backup/archive.

We are probably going to use removable drive mounting hardware
from StarTech. They also have a PCI SATA controller (PCISATA2EXT)
that provides one internal and one external SATA connection. I've
heard good things about StarTech's mounting hardware, but I don't
know anything about their PCI controllers.

http://www.startech.com/

Does anyone know of other preferable PCI SATA controllers that provide
an internal and an external SATA connection? Having the external SATA
will probably be handy "down the road" for connection to an external
drive.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have.

--Less
 
"Less said:
Hello:

My son's three year old PC has an ASUS P4T533-C mainboard.
All of the IDE slots are already populated. We are considering
the purchase of a PCI SATA controller so that he can add another
drive in a removable drive mounting. This removable drive
arrangement will be used for backup/archive.

We are probably going to use removable drive mounting hardware
from StarTech. They also have a PCI SATA controller (PCISATA2EXT)
that provides one internal and one external SATA connection. I've
heard good things about StarTech's mounting hardware, but I don't
know anything about their PCI controllers.

http://www.startech.com/

Does anyone know of other preferable PCI SATA controllers that provide
an internal and an external SATA connection? Having the external SATA
will probably be handy "down the road" for connection to an external
drive.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have.

--Less
Click to expand...

This almost looks like the same PCI card. It is a bit cheaper.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=15-102-102&DEPA=0

There are many cards based on the SIL3112 or SIL3114 chips.
Shop around, as some of the cards are available at a low price.

For example, here is a SIL3114 card with four ports (but no
external).

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=15-124-020&depa=0

I found this one as well. You can only see which chip is used, by
looking at the pictures of the PCI card. I've never seen any
feedback about the SIS180.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=15-108-103&DEPA=0
http://www.sis.com/products/sis180.htm

There is also a Marvell chip for SATA, but it would likely be
much more expensive. The Marvel chip has up to eight SATA ports
on it.

SIL has shipped at least a million of those chips, so you'll be
in good company.

Paul
 
Paul:

Your message was very helpful to me. I spotted several
PCI boards based on the SIS180. You're right--one can
tell from the pictures.

The price on StarTech's WEB page is MSRP. Resellers are
significantly less.

I may stick with the StarTech product. Since I'm using
their enclosures, I figure that their tech support people
will be especially obliged to help me--if all of the key
pieces are from them. (All of the StarTech support people
that I have talked to "before any purchase" have been
quite helpful.)

Thanks again for your help.

--Less
 
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