Which of these should I buy for reading a SAS drive from Windows Desktop?

I commented in your other thread, i use a Dell SAS6i for this, check there for more info.

you might want to look for a card with a PCI bracket included (for simplicity)
bracket included: ebay 281054422041
not included: ebay 251159155235

SFF-8484 to SFF-8482
ebay number 180783410272

Or you can use a forward breakout cable and an adapter such as these two (together)
ebay numbers 121021469296 and 170982131156
 
Dalfo002 said:
I commented in your other thread, i use a Dell SAS6i for this, check there for more info.

you might want to look for a card with a PCI bracket included (for simplicity)
bracket included: ebay 281054422041
not included: ebay 251159155235

SFF-8484 to SFF-8482
ebay number 180783410272

Or you can use a forward breakout cable and an adapter such as these two (together)
ebay numbers 121021469296 and 170982131156
Click to expand...

Thanks it looks like http://www.ebay.com/itm/18078341027...l?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=180783410272&_rdc=1 would be the best deal even though it is a simple cable for $15

So just to be clear, this cable along with http://www.ebay.com/itm/25115915523...l?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=251159155235&_rdc=1 should be all I need to hook a SAS drive up to a Windows Desktop?
 
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That cable won't work by itself. SAS disks have solid connectors vs the split connector on SATA disks. You'd need an adapter like HP part 398291-001
 
The dell SAS6i has two SFF-8484 ports, providing 4 SAS lanes each, the cable i linked (the one in your response link) only provides for connecting one of those lanes to a drive. The SFF-8482 connection on the drive end of the cable is the interface used on SAS drives (keyed so that a SATA drive will fit in SAS cabling but an SAS drive will NOT fit in SATA cabling, as you found out). The power connector on the back of the drive end of the cable will accept a standard SATA power cable.

personally i would go with the two part forward breakout cable and port adapter (the last pair of items i pointed out) so that you can use the HBA to expand your storage options later on without incurring extra costs.
 
Dalfo002 said:
The dell SAS6i has two SFF-8484 ports, providing 4 SAS lanes each, the cable i linked (the one in your response link) only provides for connecting one of those lanes to a drive. The SFF-8482 connection on the drive end of the cable is the interface used on SAS drives (keyed so that a SATA drive will fit in SAS cabling but an SAS drive will NOT fit in SATA cabling, as you found out). The power connector on the back of the drive end of the cable will accept a standard SATA power cable.

personally i would go with the two part forward breakout cable and port adapter (the last pair of items i pointed out) so that you can use the HBA to expand your storage options later on without incurring extra costs.
Click to expand...

OK I'll get the 2 things linked in my last post. I don't plan to expand this is for data recovery only.

edit: The $15 cable is here, now just waiting on the card! Sent the old SAS-to-SATA adapter that didn't work back to newegg for a $7 refund after restock fee & return shipping =\
 
Last edited:
Dalfo002 said:
The dell SAS6i has two SFF-8484 ports, providing 4 SAS lanes each, the cable i linked (the one in your response link) only provides for connecting one of those lanes to a drive. The SFF-8482 connection on the drive end of the cable is the interface used on SAS drives (keyed so that a SATA drive will fit in SAS cabling but an SAS drive will NOT fit in SATA cabling, as you found out). The power connector on the back of the drive end of the cable will accept a standard SATA power cable.

personally i would go with the two part forward breakout cable and port adapter (the last pair of items i pointed out) so that you can use the HBA to expand your storage options later on without incurring extra costs.
Click to expand...

So all the gear finally arrived earlier this week. I was planning to stick it in one of my old XP machines, since taking apart my main desktop is a PITA and the PCI section is already super cramped.

Well turns out that isn't possible because its not the right type of PCI. I am not looking forward to taking apart my main desktop, but hopefully it at least matches THAT!
 
If you did in fact get the SAS6i, it would be a PCI-express x8 interface on the card. The card will physically fit, and should function, in an x8 or x16 slot. If you modify the card, or modify the socket on the motherboard, you should be able to get the card working in whatever PCI-express slot you have available (including 1x or 4x). I have had success cutting down PCIx cards to fit in PCI slots, but i have yet to try cutting down a PCIe card to fit in smaller PCIe slots, though everything i have read suggests that this can be done when performed very carefully.
 
By specification x8 cards should work in x16 (physical) slots. If they don't it's most likely the mainboards fault.
 
Anything PCIe device can run in any PCIe slot, just depends on how many lanes it requires for full bandwidth. x16 slots are not limited to video cards.
 
I'm pretty sure the only pc I have with pci-e has a big, fat 2-slot video card in that slot. This is going to be even more fun than expected! Why oh why... couldn't I have just used an old P4 box... Data recovery could take days as well so I'm going to be out of my main rig. SOB.
 
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