Sata III PCI-E card

[alexdpars]

Hi guys,

I am building a new workstation with server hardware that I found for cheap on aliexpress (what in hell is wrong with me you say?). 

Here are the specs:

2X xeon X5670 6 core 12 threads (still waiting for them but for now I use the two E5506 that came with the motherboard)

ASUS Z8NA-D6

20 gb of ram (one memory slot is dead :()

1 crucial mx500 1tb as main storage for us and few hard drives.

I run windows server 2019.

I bought a little pci-E sata card with two port for my SSD since my mobo only support SATA II. However I don't get the full potential of the ssd. I got 320 MBs read 280 write (still better than sata II).

I was wondering if it was just my card being shitty or is it some limitation of the motherboard.

If someone have suggestion for the dead memory slot I'd like to hear it.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Windows7ge]

What's the model number of the SATA card?

[alexdpars]

I'd also like to know what should I replace the card with? I know that there is raid controller compatible with this motherboard but I don't think any of them have sata port on it like this one I guess that to have sata III you have to aleready have sata III ports on board.

[alexdpars]

On post screen it says Highpoint Rocket 620.

it look like this one but can't find the exact one at this moment.

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/32885946190.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.87d743ceWVFshS&algo_pvid=bcd0d255-5746-4984-9297-7fefabba0350&algo_expid=bcd0d255-5746-4984-9297-7fefabba0350-13&btsid=0be3769015823041903906680efc9b&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

[GDRRiley]

1 minute ago, alexdpars said:

I'd also like to know what should I replace the card with? I know that there is raid controller compatible with this motherboard but I don't think any of them have sata port on it like this one I guess that to have sata III you have to aleready have sata III ports on board.

many raid cards use sas cables which can be broken out to sata.

You would want a HBA or raid card in IT mode.

[Windows7ge]

2 minutes ago, alexdpars said:

I guess that to have sata III you have to aleready have sata III ports on board.

This would be false.

 

1 minute ago, alexdpars said:

On post screen it says Highpoint Rocket 620.

it look like this one but can't find the exact one at this moment.

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/32885946190.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.87d743ceWVFshS&algo_pvid=bcd0d255-5746-4984-9297-7fefabba0350&algo_expid=bcd0d255-5746-4984-9297-7fefabba0350-13&btsid=0be3769015823041903906680efc9b&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

It may very well be a PCI_e slot speed limitation. The card is only x1.

[Kilrah]

Yep, it's a x1 card, and that's a PCIe2 plattform (and card) so 500MB/s per lane. So counting the overhead it checks out pretty well.

 

You'd need a card with a wider PCIe bus.

[bimmerman]

LSi has a number of SAS HBA cards, using PCIe 2.0 x8. They're in the ~$80-100 range online. I forget the model numbers specifically, but they use SAS to SATA breakout cables at 6gbps (SATA 3) speed.

[alexdpars]

5 minutes ago, bimmerman said:

LSi has a number of SAS HBA cards, using PCIe 2.0 x8. They're in the ~$80-100 range online. I forget the model numbers specifically, but they use SAS to SATA breakout cables at 6gbps (SATA 3) speed.

That one is interesting so it would turn my sas ports into 6gbps port ?

[alexdpars]

Do you guys think that would be a good option ?

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Asus-PIKE-2008-Controller-PIKE2008-LSI-8-Port-SAS-II-SATA-6-0-Gbps-RAID-Card/133227297099?hash=item1f04f7394b:g:-jMAAOSwIpxdvjP8

 

Sounds like it does the same job but for a lower price (LSI ones where 130$ + CAD) and it would also avoid me using my 16x slot for it as I might end up putting a graphic card in it.

The only concern I have is to know if it will fit in my case. I guess that I could buy higher stand off for the motherboard if it doesn't clear ?