Need eSATA card recommendations

C

CC_Pirate

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 1, 2005
Messages
463
Hi guys,

I just bought a 2TB external drive with eSATA and USB 2.0 connections. I'm gonna use it to back up two RAID 0 arrays I have in my HTPC. There is a lot of data, and USB 2.0 is becoming old school, so I'd like to take advantage of eSATA speeds. However my motherboard, Asus Maximus Formula, doesn't have eSATA onboard, so I need to buy a separate controller.

However, most of the ones on NewEgg, such as this one use a PCI-Express x4 slot, which my board doesn't have. I believe I've only got x1 and x16 PCI Express slots, and they are a different physical format than that x4 card.

What puzzles me is that it says on NewEgg (for the card above) that it is x8 and x16 compatible, but how can that be when the slots aren't similar physically?

Also, what card should I get that fits my motherboard? A regular PCI card? I'd like one with internal sata ports as well white I'm at it.

Thanks for all help!
 
Oh, I didn't know that I could just plug that short sucker into a bigger slot. If I can that solves a lot of concerns.
I'd like to have a separate controller card because I'm running out of sata ports.. Does one of those adapters work just as well as a separate controller card, with respect to transfer speeds and CPU usage?

Thanks for help Blue Fox.
 
Does one of those adapters work just as well as a separate controller card, with respect to transfer speeds and CPU usage
Click to expand...

That adaptor just uses your internal SATA ports and "extends" them outside the case.

I'm using a few of those Rosewell eSATA cards and they work just fine.
 
I understand. So there aren't any benefits in terms of performance by using either method (adapter or separate controller)?
 
CC_Pirate said:
I understand. So there aren't any benefits in terms of performance by using either method (adapter or separate controller)?
Click to expand...

You may run into some limitations if you were trying to actually run from those RAID 0 arrays outside of the case, but for back-ups it will be just fine.
 
Run into issues using what? The adapter?
I'm only connecting a single external drive using eSATA, but it has two drives in RAID 0 inside it. The machine shouldn't even have to know that tho, it will just look like a 2TB partition.
 
You will be just fine using that card for back-up.

I was just expressing a concern that if you tried to run a RAID 0 array from outside of the case you may run into bandwith problems with the card.

I should have left that part out because it doesn't fit your usage and it may have gotten you confused. :)

You will be just fine......I promise! :cool:
 
Well, I will be running RAID 0 array from outside the case.
Which provides the most bandwith, the separate card over the adapter, correct?
 
The bandwith of that card is up to 300MB/s and the internal SATA port is 300 MB/s.

Even if the PCIE 1.1 slot limits you to 250 GB/s, you'll be fine with the card.

The extra ports are an added bonus!
 
Found a PNY brand PCIE 1x eSATA/ SATA card at Best Buy a year ago for about $20. They probably still have them, works great with my external drive that has two 500Gb drives RAID 0.
 
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