Recommend cheap, reliable SATA PCI controller for P3 mobo?

zjohnr

August 19, 2006 3:59:37 AM

First, I apologize for posting this. I hate posting a question I know has probably been discussed many times before and is boring to boot! But I'm reaching my info overflow limits in trying to find/search for the answer on my own.

My system is based on an Acorp 6A815EPD with dual 800MHz P3s. I've decided it's time to stop buying PATA drives. And if I'm going to go SATA, I'll need to buy a SATA controller that works on a v2.2 PCI bus. (At least that's the version which SiSandra lite thinks I have).

Since the 6A815EPD is a 133MHz FSB P3 mobo, there is no sense in spending a lot of money on a SATA controller. I have no delusions of going SATA to squeeze out more performance. And I definitely don't need (or want) to add any more RAID capability than my mobo already supplies.

I want as inexpensive a SATA controller card as I can get.

That said, a higher priority is to get one that will hopefully not be (too) flakely. For example, I want to keep my options open as far as hooking up a drive via eSATA at some time in the future. So I'd prefer to have a controller which would actually let me detach the SATA drives via the Windows XP "Safely Remove Hardware" mechanism.

So ... can anyone recommend a reliable PCI bus v2.2 based SATA controller card? Or if no card suggestions, maybe a pointer towards a better place to look for an answer to this question?

Clueless minds want to know! :oops:

-ignorant john

More about : recommend cheap reliable sata pci controller mobo

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koolaidkitten

August 19, 2006 4:24:16 AM

I've always had good luck with "Promise" cards.
they have a wide range of card configurations.
They usually don't break the bank either unless you trying to get one with Hardware RAID functions.
And I have always been able to easily add or remove SATA drives on the fly with mine *using Windows2003 tho*
not exactly cheap *usually 60-80$ range* but I personly dont want to trust my data to some el-cheapo $20.00 no name brand card.
Do a check on them, haven't bought one in a while, maybee they even cheaper now.

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nukemaster

Storage Expert

August 19, 2006 4:28:27 AM

Maxtor sata 150 card

Based on a promise chipset. easy setup

EDIT

for esata you can try
the Vantec UGT-ST200. With 1 port inside and one out as well hot swap

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koolaidkitten

August 19, 2006 4:31:08 AM

Quote:

Maxtor sata 150 card

Based on a promise chipset. easy setup

(cosigns)

If htey got one with 4 ports, i'd get that one.

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nukemaster

Storage Expert

August 19, 2006 4:43:25 AM

sorry only has 2....and 1 dual channel IDE as well

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zjohnr

August 19, 2006 8:09:05 PM

OK, so here's what I think is being recommended (... and thank you for the feedback!)

The Maxtor SATA 150 card is probably the MAXTOR K01PCSATA SATA/150/DMA/ATA-133 - 150 MBps PCI Storage Controller Card. Haven't found any useful info about it at www.maxtor.com so far ... possibly because it's relatively "old" tech at this point.

Also came across the Promise SATAII150 TX2plus which seems a match for the Maxtor K01PCSATA in that it is also has 2 (internal) SATA ports plus IDE. So far haven't been able to dig up any info indicating whether this is essentially the same card as the Maxtor branded one. (SATA port locations differ between the 2 cards, but of course that doesn't necessarily mean anything).

Finally there is the Vantec UGT-ST200 which comes with an eSATA socket, but no IDE.

At this point I'd pass on the Vantec and go with the cards that include the IDE interface. I've got so many IDE hard disks it just makes sense to lean towards having more options in this direction. Guess I'll take my chances with one of those (kludgy?) internal SATA to eSATA brackets if I want to enable eSATA on this box some sunny day.

Any thoughts on the above? ... especially about the Maxtor K01PCSATA versus Promise SATAII150 TX2plus? Any and all feedback is still very much welcome!

-john

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