I've read through the threads on add-on SATA cards, and I'm asking for advice in a new post because some of those posts go back a ways, and many of those cards are no longer in production.

 

I've maxed out the six SATA connectors on my Biostar A760G M2+ motherboard.

It has a PCI express 2.0 16x slot, a PCI express 1x slot, and a pair of ordinary PCI slots.

At this time, I want to add one card, to add as many SATA ports [8 appears to be likely] as possible.  What card or cards are *CURRENT* that I can buy that can go in the PCI express 2.0 16x slot? 

 

I understand the newer cards are set up for RAID that needs to be disabled by either flashing firmware or BIOS settings.  I'm fine with doing that.  I understand some of the cards need one or two breakout cables to connect up to 4 SATA drives to one [some other] port on the card.  I'm fine with that.  But I just need to know what to expect with the new card. 

 

In other words:  "Buy the [whatever] card, you'll need to disable RAID with [bIOS/firmware downgrade], and you'll need a pair of breakout cables." 

 

Bonus question:  Once the PCI express 2.0 16x slot is filled, is there any other SATA card that I can get to use in the PCI express 1x slot? 

 

Again, I've searched, but I'm looking for advice on current products that fit what I'm looking for.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

What card or cards are *CURRENT* that I can buy that can go in the PCI express 2.0 16x slot? 

 

An 8-port card that works well with UnRAID:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816101358

 

A 24-port card that MAY work with UnRAID: 

http://www.provantage.com/highpoint-technologies-rocketraid2760a~7HPTI03W.htm

 

... follow this thread to see if it in fact works:  http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=27460.msg241775#msg241775    [Note in Reply #43 that the OP has ordered one of these cards to test]

 

 

Bonus question:  Once the PCI express 2.0 16x slot is filled, is there any other SATA card that I can get to use in the PCI express 1x slot? 

 

There are a lot of options for the PCIe x1 slot; but I'd suggest you limit the card to a 2-port model, so the bandwidth isn't restricted to the individual drives.  This one works well with UnRAID:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816124045

 

Note that with an 8-port card in the PCIe x16 slot; a 2-port card in the PCIe x1 slot; and the 6 onboard SATA connections, you can support up to 16 drives.  With modern 4TB drives, this gives you a maximum capacity of 60TB !!  For most purposes, this is probably "enough" 

 

... and if it's not, 5TB WD Red drives are due by the end of the year 

... For most purposes, this is probably "enough" 

 

Indeed.  I don't actually see myself exceeding the 6 onboard + 8 ports on the card, but thought I'd toss the question out there anyway.  I've made good use of UnRAID's easy upgrading by swapping in larger capacity drives as they become available, and repurposing the old drives.  As it is, I still have one 1TB drive in there, everything else is 2TB.

 

Thanks much for the info.  That will get me going on my upgrade.

 

-Mark

With the AOC-SASLP-MV8 am I facing a firmware downgrade or a BIOS config to disable RAID, or both, or anything?  And it uses the breakout cables, correct?

 

Also, I see there is also the AOC-SAS2LP-MV8 (note the "2" in there).  It is listed as an x8 card where the SASLP is listed as an x4 card.  Is there any advantage to using the SAS2LP card instead?

With the AOC-SASLP-MV8 am I facing a firmware downgrade or a BIOS config to disable RAID, or both, or anything?  And it uses the breakout cables, correct?

 

Also, I see there is also the AOC-SAS2LP-MV8 (note the "2" in there).  It is listed as an x8 card where the SASLP is listed as an x4 card.  Is there any advantage to using the SAS2LP card instead?

 

I don't use the MV8, so I'm not sure;  but I don't believe you have to downgrade the firmware -- I think there's a BIOS setting you have to change to disable the card's onboard BIOS, but otherwise that's it.

 

Yes, the SAS2LP would be a better card, thanks to the higher-speed interface (x8 vs. x4).

http://www.amazon.com/Supermicro-AOC-SAS2LP-MV8-8-Channel-Adapter-Channel/dp/B005B0Z2I4

I have the same mother board and the MV8 and I didn't downgrade the firmware to .15. I'm running the .21 firmware and long with the newest build of 5.0 and I don't have any problems. I just disabled disable INT-13 in the SASLP card's BIOS and walla boots up every time with no RAID configuration issues.

 

My machine does take a few seconds longer to boot than it did before the card addition, but other than that my only drive on that card so far hasn't had one issue.

 

 

The simple way is to go what you can afford. My thought is the majority of unRAID enthusiasts ate using m1015s.

 

You will benefit from the wealth of knowledge and experience here on this forum if you pick something the majority uses in their system.

 

Good luck

My thought is the majority of unRAID enthusiasts ate using m1015s.

 

Not sure I'd agree with this at all.  It is discussed a lot on this forum, and is certainly a popular card if you're virtualizing UnRAID, as it's supported by ESXi.  But a lot of folks use the Adaptec card ... in fact it's what Limetech is using in their new server 

 

(Although Tom's just using the AOC-SASLP-MV8  PCIe x4 card instead of the slightly more costly "2" version ... I suspect because the PCIe x8 interface bandwidth really isn't needed for 8 drives)

 

My main point is to use a card that is used by the masses.

 

Sure I'm a m1015 fan. Multiple vendors keep hardware and software manufacturers honest. Gives us consumers a nice selection at a reasonable price.

 

If I'd got a deal on a boatload of the adaptec cards that's what is be using too. Supply and demand.

 

What can one afford? 

 

I would get a motherboard with high density data/sas and SSD if I had enough expendable income.

 

What model adaptec ate you referring to?

My main point is to use a card that is used by the masses.

 

The SASLP-MV8 is certainly "used by the masses" ... it's been very popular on UnRAID systems for a long time.    The newer SAS2LP-MV8 is basically the same card with the interface updated to x8.

 

By the way, the RocketRAID 2760 has now been confirmed to work with UnRAID ... see the thread I referenced earlier for the latest update on how well this card performs => but the bottom line is VERY WELL !! 

 

... so there's now a single-card, very high bandwidth, solution for a 24-drive interface 

One more connect.

 

Eventually virtualization will be the standard. What were seeing now is the very beginning of virtualized machines. The days of pcs are changing rapidly. We're all going to have a Home theater system that extends to our handhelds. The cloud is getting massive. Who can afford to use all the energy and space when you can use the cloud?  I

 

Storage is one if the key components of a virtualized solution. I'm not sure if the adaptec card supports VMWARE as well as LSI?. 

It's not at all clear that virtualization will be "standard" in the home anytime soon.

 

In any event, the OP is certainly not going to be running ESXi on his Biostar motherboard 

 

As for the question that was asked, "What card or cards are *CURRENT* that I can buy that can go in the PCI express 2.0 16x slot?"  ...

 

... as I noted earlier, I think the best choices are either

 

(a)  an AOC-SASLP-MV8 (or it's "brother" "2" model with higher bandwidth);

 

or

 

(b)  the HighPoint RocketRAID 2760a

 

... depending on whether or not your goal "... to add as many SATA ports [8 appears to be likely] as possible ..."  is mitigated by the cost of the 2760a.

 

You guys keep saying Adaptec then refering to a SuperMicro AOC-SASLP-MV8.  Did you really mean SuperMicro when you said Adaptec or were you refering to the Adaptec 1430 that is no longer manufactured?

 

You guys keep saying Adaptec then refering to a SuperMicro AOC-SASLP-MV8.  Did you really mean SuperMicro when you said Adaptec or were you refering to the Adaptec 1430 that is no longer manufactured?

 

Slaps-self-on-head !! 

Yes -- clearly I meant SuperMicro when I said Adaptec in Reply #8.    As near as I can see, however, that's the only time I did it.

 

Update:  I bought the SuperMicro AOC-SAS2LP-MV8.

 

Before I take my unRAID offline and install it, I have some questions.

-My Biostar-motherboard unRAID is running version 4.5.6.  From the other threads I see that talk about the AOC-SAS2LP-MV8, it looks like I'll have to run a newer version of unRAID to use this card.

 

Q1:  Is that correct (that I'll need to upgrade to a newer version of unRAID), and what unRAID versions will this card work with?

 

Q2:  When using a compatible version of unRAID, does the AOC-SAS2LP-MV8 need a special firmware flash to work with unRAID?  If so, what firmware is that?

 

Q3:  Is there a simple way to upgrade unRAID?  I'd like to keep the Linux add-ons that are on my unRAID system (things for video conversion when streaming and that sort of thing.)

 

I just figure it's smarter to ask before I take down an otherwise perfectly working unRAID setup.

 

 

Update:  I bought the SuperMicro AOC-SAS2LP-MV8.

 

Before I take my unRAID offline and install it, I have some questions.

-My Biostar-motherboard unRAID is running version 4.5.6.  From the other threads I see that talk about the AOC-SAS2LP-MV8, it looks like I'll have to run a newer version of unRAID to use this card.

 

>>>> snip >>>>

 

Q3:  Is there a simple way to upgrade unRAID?  I'd like to keep the Linux add-ons that are on my unRAID system (things for video conversion when streaming and that sort of thing.)

 

I just figure it's smarter to ask before I take down an otherwise perfectly working unRAID setup.

 

You might start by reading the first post in this thread. 

 

      http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=25556.0

 

However, it does assume that you are starting from ver 4.7.  Plus, you might want to consider starting another thread as your questions are really moving outside of the topic of this thread.