M2 Adapter vs HBA advice

QuickToThePointless on 15/01/2025 - 12:43
Last edited 15/01/2025 - 12:59

Wanting to add additional HDD’s to new motherboard which has 2xM2 slots and spare PCI Expansion slots but am unsure which is best way to go (First M2 slot has NVME SSD)

M2 to SATA adapter(ebay.com.au) OR HBA Card(ebay.com.au)

Motherboard specs here(scorptec.com.au)

Unsure about sleep states, reliability etc etc…also need to know if using the M2 to SATA adapter will knock out one of the mobo SATA ports if fitted to second M2_2 slot?

It’s only for a simple Plex server, not a full blown RAID datahoarder setup….cheers!

Computing Computer Component Motherboard SSD

Comments

    • QuickToThePointless on 15/01/2025 - 12:58

      sorry i dont understand your question?

        • QuickToThePointless on 15/01/2025 - 13:01

          ok sorry, but you can just use SAS>SATA brakeout cables i believe, with card flashed to IT mode

            • QuickToThePointless on 15/01/2025 - 13:07

              @c64: one that slots into PCI Expansion you mean?

              I know they are also an option and thats why i need advice…unsure which is best/most reliable for simple media server, cheers

            • QuickToThePointless on 16/01/2025 - 11:42

              @c64: many forums pointed me back to the HBA solution…apparently far more reliable and a lot of junk components on M2 adapters and PCIe SATA..do you have any real world experience in these?

              Thanks for reply, much appreciated.

        • QuickToThePointless on 15/01/2025 - 13:04

          a similar card, with SATA splitter cables included here(ebay.com.au)

          • smashman42 on 15/01/2025 - 15:36

            @QuickToThePointless: I've got a unit like that, but mines like a NAS/home server unit with 8 hot swap 3.5" bays and 6 hot swap 2.5" bays running multiple VMs & stuff as well as PVR and just data.

            You can get simple PCIe SATA cards, and if you like the SAS to SATA cables neatness, you can get SATA cables like that (I'm using a bundled 6 SATA cable thing like that for the 6 2.5 bay icydock —> https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B094Q3VW4S/ref=ppx_yo_d…

            • QuickToThePointless on 16/01/2025 - 11:44

              @smashman42: Thanks for reply, much appreciated….you mean you have a HBA card?

              have you had any experiences with M2 / PCIe SATA adapters?

              cheers

              • smashman42 on 17/01/2025 - 07:56

                @QuickToThePointless: Yeah, got an 8 port internal HBA for the 3.5" bays and the 2.5" icydock in the 5.25 bay is run off the mobo's 6 ports

                Never used something to convert the M2 slot back into a PCIe slot, tho I have a PCIe to M2 card to give a mobo an extra M2 slot for data recovery/cloning purposes.

                I have used normal PCIe add in cards with extra SATA ports, they're basically just smaller consumer HBAs.
                Watch out though, they sell them for Chia setups where they need stuff all bandwidth so put way too many SATA ports on a x1 slot, so if using more than 4 SATA ports get a PCIe x4 card IMO eg: a single SATA SSD or a RAID5 of 3-4 normal HDDs would saturate a single PCIe x1 port, so more than 4 SATA isn't a hot idea but it'll still technically work.

  • Syaoran74 on 15/01/2025 - 13:04

    I think the issue with the linked card is those are external facing ports

  • Talaii on 15/01/2025 - 14:59

    From reviews I've seen of the M.2 adapters, they can flex a lot if there's strain on the cables - the PCB is a lot thinner than is typically used for a full-size expansion card. More of an issue with the SFF-8087 version, but I'd only purchase them over a PCIe card if you didn't have the option of using full-sized PCIe.

    The SFF-8087 cables also (in my opinion) make cabling a lot simpler/neater vs lots of individual SATA cables - but it does depend on how many drives you plan to use.

    • QuickToThePointless on 16/01/2025 - 11:45

      yep…apparently HBA far more reliable and a lot of junk components/PCB's on M2 adapters and PCIe SATA…do you have any real world experience in these?

      Thanks for reply, much appreciated.

      • Talaii on 16/01/2025 - 12:38

        Only with a traditional PCIe HBA, never used those m.2 adapters. I just recall seeing a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jZmrMpoCyM) where, when using a similar adapter (though with SFF-8087, not single SATA ports), it breaks - presumably something broke when he tried to attach the cables, you can see the whole board bending as he plugs them in. Leaves me inclined not to take the risk myself.

  • GordonD on 15/01/2025 - 17:29

    The first question would be what spare PCIe slots do you have. Specifically, what width (number of PCIe lanes) are they. You know the spare M.2 socket is x4. Is there a spare x4 PCIe slot?

    (If you have an unused m.2 wifi socket it is a x1 socket that you can get a 2x SATA card to go into.)

    • QuickToThePointless on 16/01/2025 - 11:51

      i havent done the build yet, waiting on CPU delivery etc but mobo has:

      2xPCIE x 16
      1xPCIE x 1

      PCIE_1 PCIe 4.0 supports up to x 16 (from CPU)
      PCIE_2 PCIe 3.0 supports up to x 1 (from Chipset)
      PCIE_3 PCIe 4.0 supports up to x 4 (from Chipset)

      Plan to put TV tuner in x1 slot
      Plan to keep x 16 slot free as I may want to add GPU down the track
      Which leaves x 4 slot for HBA

      I have a limited understanding of PC components and specs, as such I have no absolute confidence in mixing and matching for a solution to add additional drives…hence I am asking the good folk such as yourself on Ozbargain for advice!

      Thanks for reply, have a great day!

      • GordonD on 16/01/2025 - 14:46
        +1

        So you've got the choice of a PCIe x4 slot, or a M.2 x4 slot, which is just a PCIe x4 slot with a different connector that takes different sized cards. Having a choice is great. Try one, and if there's any problems, try the other.

        Plan to put TV tuner in x1 slot

        Have you seen HDHomeRun TV tuners. Couldn't recommend them highly enough. Had various models for years, and they work reliably and faultlessly. They plug into the LAN rather than into a PCIe socket in a computer, so they have the advantage that they are accessible to any computer on the LAN. You also don't need to put the computer that you want to watch/record TV on near the TV aerial point. While I'm typing here I'm watching one TV program in a window in the top right corner of the screen, and at the same time another computer in another room is recording another TV program using another of the 4 tuners in the HDHomeRun.

        • smashman42 on 17/01/2025 - 08:02

          +1 to HDHomeRun.

          I've got a 4 channel unit on ethernet & its been flawless for years, while I had so many probs with USB and PCIe tuners back in the day (tho PCIe was way better than USB I'll admit, tho that was pushing a decade ago before the HDHR)

  • Syaoran74 on 16/01/2025 - 11:07

    How many hard drives did you have? have you maxed out the motherboard slots?
    If so a HBA would be solid.

    Personally for my own NAS server, I'm using the m.2 slots for storage but could do 10g one day.
    Whilst I have the first x16 bifurcated to 4 m.2 with drives, adapted an x1 slot to display (Its been handy to have) and will probably get an 16i HBA once I exceed the 6 SATA ports.
    My OS drive was on SATA as well to save the m.2s

    • QuickToThePointless on 16/01/2025 - 11:57

      I have 5x HDD + SSD on existing build from 2011. Upgrading now as it wont post with DRAM warning light so i reckon mobo RAM circuitry is fried.

      My new mobo has 4 SATA slots, 2xM2 slots and my new PSU has 7x SATA power connections (one M2_1 will have NVME SSD for OS/apps/Plex artwork etc)

      I would like capacity to max that out, so want a reliable/cost effective solution for additional SATA ports.

      I have a limited understanding of PC components and specs, as such I have no absolute confidence in mixing and matching for a solution to add additional drives…hence I am asking the good folk such as yourself on Ozbargain for advice ( and I dont really understand what you explained above, excuse my ignorance)

      Thanks so much for your reply, have a great day!

      • GordonD on 17/01/2025 - 09:49

        it wont post with DRAM warning light so i reckon mobo RAM circuitry is fried

        That warning light could indicate that its one of the RAM modules that has developed a fault. Or even just that there's a poor contact and one of the RAM modules needs reseating. Faulty RAM is actually more likely that faulty RAM circuitry on the motherboard.

        Have you tried reseating the RAM modules and rebooting, then if that still doesn't work booting with one RAM module by itself, then the other by itself?

        • QuickToThePointless on 17/01/2025 - 12:14

          yep thanks…been an ongoing problem but this time no combo of ram/reseating would get it to boot.

          its a 2011 i3 2100 system that needs upgrading this year anyway as it cant do windoze 11, cheers!

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