Need help in finding compatible SATA 3 card

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anil_robo

anil_robo

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Summary: Ran out of SATA ports, need to add more. Configuration below:

System build: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-ii-overclock-graphics-card,3032.html
Motherboard: ASRock M3A770DE AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

Currently available slots:(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f43/anil_robo/DSC_0002_e_zpsd069a2d9.jpg)
3 available PCI slots
1 available PCI Express 2.0 x16 Slot (afraid there is not enough "room" to install a card there due to large graphic card hanging just above it - see picture in link above)
1 available PCI Express x1 Slot

Questions:
1) Which of the available slots should I use to install a SATA 3 card?
2) PCI is slowest, PCI express is faster, and PCI Express 2.-0 is fastest for this setup - correct?
 
Solution
Spectre694
The fastest is the the PCI-e x16 slot but that looks like you will be hurting the cooling of your GPU and you will never use the full x16 lanes with sata anyway. so next best choice is the PCI-e x1 (small green one up top) slot which will hold something like this http:// the PCI (white ones) is your slowest choice but would hold something like this http://
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Spectre694

Spectre694

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The fastest is the the PCI-e x16 slot but that looks like you will be hurting the cooling of your GPU and you will never use the full x16 lanes with sata anyway. so next best choice is the PCI-e x1 (small green one up top) slot which will hold something like this http:// the PCI (white ones) is your slowest choice but would hold something like this http://
 
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Solution
Spectre694

Spectre694

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Yes the PCI-E is bidirectional meaning that it can both read and write at full speed both directions. However, PCI-E 2.0 x1 (That card and your mobo) has a speed of 500MB/s meaning that between those four drives their collective reading and writing speeds can't exceed that in either direction. reality will be slightly less due to overhead.

ex. all drives at 125 MB/s at the same time or two drives at 250 MB/s other two at zero etc.
 
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anil_robo

anil_robo

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Hmm... maybe I should buy a 2-port SATA3 card, and then attach the new SSD to it, and then use the spare port for an infrequently used device, like CDROM or eSATA.
 
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Spectre694

Spectre694

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That depends what exactly is it you are trying to accomplish with it. What is your end goal here? For ex if you intend constant read and write to more than 2 SSD your mobo ports would be better due to the guarantee of SATA II speeds for all drives,
 
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anil_robo

anil_robo

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Goal: My SSD was running out of space (60GB only) and I was getting tired of "low disk space" warnings, and having to move files around constantly to make space. My goal was to get more space.
Update: New SSD is here (240GB). I have unplugged the eSATA port that exists at the front of my computer case (never used it, not even once) from the motherboard, and plugged in the new SSD in its slot. Then reinstalled Windows 7 on the new SSD. The write speeds are four times faster, and I have so much space left. So, not buying a SATA card anymore. Lesson learned: Need to have more SATA slots in the motherboard (when I build a new computer later).

Thanks Spectre694, you were really helpful.
 
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Spectre694

Spectre694

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Awesome man glad you got it figured out and it is working for you. You are right though you can never have enough SATA ports.
 
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