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SATA data splitter - Is that a thing?

Garlic
By Garlic
in Storage Devices
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I am building a system, and I need it to contain 3 HDDs in RAID 5 and two small SSDs to boot operating systems from. My problem is that my mobo is one SATA port short, and I am wondering if I can simply connect the SSDs to the same SATA port and be done with it? I’ll never need to use them both at the same anyway, but I need to be able to select which one to boot from at startup.


Is this a viable option?

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I do not think so, I can search it right now however you could just get a PCIe to SATA adapter and connect them that way. I know most motherboards have 5-6 sata ports, is it not enough to just occupy them?

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9 minutes ago, Garlic said:

I am wondering if I can simply connect the SSDs to the same SATA port and be done with it?

No. You should be looking into purchasing a used LSI RAID card from eBay along with a Mini SAS to SATA cable. I'd specifically recommend the 9207-8i or 9211-4i/8i. If you're planning on using a software RAID, you'll want a card flashed to IT mode.

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they exist, but they depend on the support of your sata controller.. which just about none do.

 

on the flip side, there's two other options:

- a cheap sata card, like this one: https://www.delock.com/produkte/1117_SATA---eSATA/89270/merkmale.html

- run one of the disks off a usb 3.0 to sata adapter. it's not ideal, but ti defenately works.

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This PCI Card might do what you want it to, for $25 USD

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AZ9T3OU/

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There's port multipliers, which convert 1 sata port into 5 sata ports, usually.  The SATA controller needs to support port multipliers, and you get reduced speed on all 5 sata ports, because they all share the bandwidth of that sata port (560 MB/s split into 5)

 

May be cheaper to buy a separate sata controller card and plug it into a pci-e x1 or higher slot.

 

Another option would be to buy a sata to usb adapter ... and keep the drive external connected to usb.

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A PCIe x1 to SATA card looks like it will do just what I need 👍🏻 I have already ordered the Delock one, it will fit my SFF case nicely.

 

Thank you for your help.

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