msata drive question

[Commander_Z]

Hi everyone,

 

So I've got some spare pc parts; cpu, psu, and a mobo lying around that i want to use in a storage server.

 

the mobo is  Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H

 

It has two Sata 2 ports and 4 Sata 3 ports as well as a PCI-Ex4 slot.

 

my question is, can i use an msata drive as the boot drive to install freenas on, and still be able to use all 6 Sata ports for HDD's?

 or would using a USB drive be a way easier solution???

 

I couldnt find on gigabyte's site about compatibility, or even if there is a potential issue with using the x4 slot for a boot drive??

 

Thanks

[Sakkura]

That motherboard does not have an mSATA slot, so you can't plug it in normally. You might be able to use an adapter, eg. to plug it into a PCIe slot.

[Commander_Z]

That motherboard does not have an mSATA slot, so you can't plug it in normally. You might be able to use an adapter, eg. to plug it into a PCIe slot.

ohk, yeah, i think i got confused with how this could work

[Mighty_Miro_WD]

Hi there @Commander_Z!

 

You cannot plug a mSATA drive in the SATA port of your motherboard directly. However, you can attach a mSATA device to a standard SATA port using an adaptor, though, check the specifications carefully to ensure compatibility with your particular mSATA drive as there are different types. Specifically, there are those that use SATA and those which use PCI Express, although both use a connector, which is physically identical. 

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers!