Tom's Hardware > Forum > Motherboards & Memory > Asus > Dual hard drives/Dual OS...Not enough sata ports

Dual hard drives/Dual OS...Not enough sata ports

Forum Motherboards & Memory : Asus - Dual hard drives/Dual OS...Not enough sata ports

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ExOblivioneJR   07-22-2009 at 06:00:58 AM

I want to install a 2nd sata hard drive on my system with Ubuntu on it. The problem is that my video card covers 2 of my sata ports. I have 6 ports total but to use 5 and 6 require ahci or raid to be enabled. Which, if either, should I use so that I can have a dual boot system. I have 2 sata DVD drives and that occupy 2 ports and my original hard drive on 1 (using a low profile sata plug).

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r_manic   07-22-2009 at 08:13:03 AM
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Can't you just use a low profile SATA cable for your other hard disks? Or does your video card completely cover those ports?

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photonboy   07-22-2009 at 08:17:44 AM
- 0 +

Either get rid of a DVD drive to free up the SATA plug or get an add-in PCI or PCIe SATA card.

http://www.ncixus.com/products/291 [...] es%20Inc./

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ExOblivioneJR   07-22-2009 at 10:23:12 AM
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My sata ports are set up like this (dashes = ports)

 

- 6
- 5
1 -- 2
3 -- 4

 

My video card covers 1 and 3. I'm using a low profile cord on 3. Ports 5 and 6 require ahci or raid drivers to be enabled for them to work. And I'm out of pci/pci-e slots on the motherboard. I guess the primary question I'm asking is if I enable ahci or raid on ports 5 and 6 to make them usable will I still be able to go with a dual boot system?

 

Note: Ports 5 and 6 are above and to the right of 2 and 4, not above and to the left like this post shows.


Message edited by ExOblivioneJR on 07-22-2009 at 10:26:10 AM
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redgarl   07-22-2009 at 10:03:55 PM
- 0 +

Why not using your dual booth on the same hard drive with 2 partitions? That's what I do.

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ExOblivioneJR   07-25-2009 at 10:31:06 AM
- 0 +

I've actually found a much easier solution. Not sure why I didn't think of it before now. I just ordered a left angle sata cable. Left angle + right angle = win. Thanks to everyone for all the input and sorry for wasting your time :-).

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