How many SATA ports are really usable on ASRock Z170 mini-ITX

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kalakala

Distinguished
Mar 2, 2016
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Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac manual page 4 (page 11 of pdf) under 'Storage' states:
• 6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors by Intel® Z170, support
RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel Rapid
Storage Technology 14 and Intel Smart Response
Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
• 1 x SATA Express 10 Gb/s Connector*
* Support to be announced
* If M2_1 is occupied by a SATA-type M.2 device, SATA3_0,
SATA3_1 and the SATA function of SATA_EXP0 will be dis-
abled.
• 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket, supports M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module
and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s)
Click to expand...

Do I understand correctly, that if M.2 drive is installed, then those 2 extra SATA ports (circled in red here) won't be usable, rendering the very first point in the list a lie?
In other words - given the M.2 drive is installed - how many SATA3 disks can be additionally installed - 4 or 6?
 
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W
Yes, but there might be an option to re-enable it in the BIOS, however you'd lose bandwidth and therefore lose speed on all three connectors. And that's assuming that the BIOS has that option, IDK if really does or not, some do while others don't. I'm not familiar with the BIOS on ASROCK motherboards.
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weberdarren97

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Aug 10, 2015
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Yes, but there might be an option to re-enable it in the BIOS, however you'd lose bandwidth and therefore lose speed on all three connectors. And that's assuming that the BIOS has that option, IDK if really does or not, some do while others don't. I'm not familiar with the BIOS on ASROCK motherboards.
 
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iamacow

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Feb 11, 2015
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so your Sata Express (1 x SATA Express 10 Gb/s Connector) and 2x SATA 3.0 will be disabled. Since that board doesn't list any SATA3 my guess is that only your SATA express is disabled leaving you with 6 SATA 6 ports.

Another way of reading it is that they are jut saying the 2 SATA 3.0 ports on the express will be disabled and basically making the whole connector useless. that what it sounds like from the text.
 
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kalakala

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Ah, finally made it to pdf page 29 stating it clearly:

These six SATA3
connectors support SATA
data cables for internal
storage devices with up to
6.0 Gb/s data transfer rate.
If the Ultra M.2 Socket
(M2_1) is occupied by a
SATA-type M.2 device,
SATA3_0, SATA3_1 and
the SATA function of the
SATA Express connector
will be disabled.
Click to expand...

Badly worded feature list IMHO. Thanks everybody, case closed.
 
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