Computer Hope

Hardware => Hardware => Topic started by: moonape on July 06, 2009, 12:21:37 AM

Title: Do SATA II PCI Cards Exist?
Post by: moonape on July 06, 2009, 12:21:37 AM

Is there such a thing as a SATA II PCI Card? (not PCI Express). I have not been able to find one.

Title: Re: Do SATA II PCI Cards Exist?
Post by: Calum on July 06, 2009, 02:18:05 AM

Off the top of my head I'd think there would be at least a few around.
However if there aren't, the reason would be bandwidth.  PCI's standard bandwidth is 133Mb/sec, SATA is 150Mb/sec, and SATA II is 300Mb/sec.
In other words, the original SATA standard saturates the PCI bus, so there's no point in having a SATA II card.
SATA and SATA II are compatible with each other however, so if that's your concern then it's not a problem.
Hope this helps.

Title: Re: Do SATA II PCI Cards Exist?
Post by: moonape on July 06, 2009, 02:47:02 AM

That is exactly the answer I was looking for, I just bought 2 SATA cards & thought I would have to get rid of them them & get SATA II. It's a good thing I couldn't find any SATA II PCI cos I would've wasted my money. 8)

Title: Re: Do SATA II PCI Cards Exist?
Post by: quaxo on July 06, 2009, 03:14:10 AM

Actually, they do make them, but like Calum said...

There are also PCI express versions as well. NewEgg has both. PCI Express, if you have the slot for it, should be able to take that much bandwidth.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=sata+II+pci&x=0&y=0 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=sata+II+pci&x=0&y=0)

-=EDIT=-
The rates Calum gave should be megabytes (MB) not megabits (Mb). But otherwise correct, PCI is slower than SATA, but PCI Express isn't (250MB/s-16,000MB/s depending on the PCI express type).

Here's a PCI one for example:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815102102 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815102102)

Title: Re: Do SATA II PCI Cards Exist?
Post by: moonape on July 06, 2009, 10:49:11 AM

My Motherboard is an ABIT AN7, it has 2 SATA sockets & 5 PCI slots so I need to upgrade, eventually. 8)

Title: Re: Do SATA II PCI Cards Exist?
Post by: Calum on July 06, 2009, 11:02:42 AM

Quote from: quaxo on July 06, 2009, 03:14:10 AM

The rates Calum gave should be megabytes (MB) not megabits (Mb).

Thinking now when I'm more awake, I do know that they're MB rather than Mb.  Thank you for the correction, no idea what I was thinking when I wrote that.

Title: Re: Do SATA II PCI Cards Exist?
Post by: quaxo on July 06, 2009, 11:06:50 AM

Quote from: Calum on July 06, 2009, 11:02:42 AM

Thinking now when I'm more awake, I do know that they're MB rather than Mb.  Thank you for the correction, no idea what I was thinking when I wrote that.

Your numbers were right, so figured you just made typos or something and actually knew better. ;D

Title: Re: Do SATA II PCI Cards Exist?
Post by: Calum on July 06, 2009, 11:17:21 AM

I knew better, but morning Calum said "ug ug, where's coffee?" and typed b instead of B.
It could've been much worse ...