What's the Difference between "M.2 to SATA adapt card" and "PCIE HBA Card"?

[DDonlien]

I'm trying to build a NAS from my old computer (B360 with i5 8500). But it's an itx board and has only 2 SATA port and 2 M.2 port.

On the recommendation page of FreeNAS, they recommend to use HBA Card to adapt PCIE to SATA port. But it's way more expensive than those M.2 to SATA adaptor and takes a PCIE slot (which I would like to preserve for 10Gig network card)

So is that OK for me to just use the cheap M.2 to SATA adapt card? Or is the HBA Card necessary?

 

Further more. If the HBA Card is necessary. Can I use a M.2 to PCIE adaptor to connect it?

[Dylanc1500]

You don't need the HBA card unless you run out of enough ports for drives. As long as the M.2 connector/s you plan on have a SATA connection you can use a connector adapter for it. 
 

They recommend it more so because some people will grab RAID cards (more expensive than a simple HBA card) thinking it's required, when it isn't, for FreeNAS. HBA stands for Host Bus Adapter, meaning it actually adapts from one bus to another such as SAS, SATA, PATA and so on.

[DDonlien]

2 hours ago, Dylanc1500 said:

You don't need the HBA card unless you run out of enough ports for drives. As long as the M.2 connector/s you plan on have a SATA connection you can use a connector adapter for it. 
 

They recommend it more so because some people will grab RAID cards (more expensive than a simple HBA card) thinking it's required, when it isn't, for FreeNAS. HBA stands for Host Bus Adapter, meaning it actually adapts from one bus to another such as SAS, SATA, PATA and so on.

Thanks! So if I use a M.2 to 6 SATA port adaptor, plug them all, the system (FreeNAS for example) will recognise them as if I have 6 SATA ports on motherboard? And I do the software raid in system?