Cheapest path to SATA-3?

[asquirrel]

I'm hoping I overlooked something. I built my PC about 5 years ago and it's still going strong (i7 920 is a helluva processor). I salivate at the thought of getting an SSD (and my work laptop having an SSD in it doesn't help). The problem is my Mobo only supports SATA 2. Seeing as the SSDs I am looking at are 80-90% of the SATA 3 limit, if not bouncing off it, running one on SATA2 would be an epic waste.

 

So here is my question:

1. Are there any HBAs that are $50-60 (the ones I can find are $200+) that take PCIe 2x or so and give me 1-2 ports of SATA 3?
2. Does Asus have a motherboard buyback program I don't know about (you give us your old mobo, we'll sell you a discount new one)?
3. Is there some other path I'm not thinking of? My current system is too good to throw away and replacing the mobo means replacing at least the CPU (LGA 1366 socket), so that's a $500 investment, realistically.

Options? Things I haven't thought of?

[79wjd]

An ssd on sata 2 still feels incredibly fast.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124045&cm_re=pcie_to_sata-_-16-124-045-_-Product

[LapX]

I think a PCI-e SSD might be the solution although I'm pretty sure they are not exactly cheap.

[hojnikb]

I'm hoping I overlooked something. I built my PC about 5 years ago and it's still going strong (i7 920 is a helluva processor). I salivate at the thought of getting an SSD (and my work laptop having an SSD in it doesn't help). The problem is my Mobo only supports SATA 2. Seeing as the SSDs I am looking at are 80-90% of the SATA 3 limit, if not bouncing off it, running one on SATA2 would be an epic waste.

 

So here is my question:

1. Are there any HBAs that are $50-60 (the ones I can find are $200+) that take PCIe 2x or so and give me 1-2 ports of SATA 3?
2. Does Asus have a motherboard buyback program I don't know about (you give us your old mobo, we'll sell you a discount new one)?
3. Is there some other path I'm not thinking of? My current system is too good to throw away and replacing the mobo means replacing at least the CPU (LGA 1366 socket), so that's a $500 investment, realistically.

Options? Things I haven't thought of?

 

Far from true. Yes, your sequential speeds will be cut in half, but thats not the point of ssds anyway. Its their access times and random performance, that makes them shine. And with SATAII they are still very fast.

Buying crappy SATAIII cards is the most idiotic thing and a collosal waste of money, because they are not native solutions and thus perform like crap (especially marvell solutions).

 

So, stick with SATAII for the time being and upgrade to SATAIII (or express) when you replace your platform.

[asquirrel]

I think a PCI-e SSD might be the solution although I'm pretty sure they are not exactly cheap.

Aye. I was hopeful when I saw they existed, and sad when I saw the pricetags >.<

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

My old netbook only supports SATA2, and the 840 EVO in that feels just as snappy as the one in my other laptop which runs SATA3.

Unless you're transferring huge files between SSDs, you won't feel the difference.

Just get the SSD and upgrade the MoBo and CPU when their time comes.

[OmarM89]

the OCZ arc100 ssd  and the intel 520 are very cheap and powerful ssds , cant go wrong with either , and they will be good on sata II , you can keep them when you switch to sata III and they will be good enough as a boot drive