Under $40 for a 6 ports SATA PCIe expander based on ASM1166 chip…can anyone talk me into/out of it?
Using for a simple Plex server, not a full blown RAID datahoarder setup…unsure if should go this or a LSI/HBA, which seems overkill when I only want an additional 2-4 ports… any insight much appreciated!
Ebay link: PCIe SATA Adapter 6 Port SATA III to PCI Express 3.0 X4 Internal Expansion Card
thanks for the response…this was my first conclusion but considering these smaller cards with less heat & power draw, also LSI cards have sleep state issues I believe?
Seems the HBA/LSI are over represented on the forums due to the homelab/super server hobbyists when in many cases a card such as the one i listed would do?
The ASM1166 used on this PCIe adapter is exactly the same chip used on some of the M.2 6-port SATA adapters. So they'd have the same functionality. But if there was any possibility of it overheating under heavy load there would be less likelihood of it overheating on the PCIe card because there's room for a bigger heatsink. It shouldn't though, because it only draws 2 watts.
I'm not sure what the following link is saying. It seems to be saying the ASM1166 only uses 2 PCIe lanes, not all 4 on either a x4 PCIe adapter or a M.2 adapter. Which means it starts limiting throughput with more than 4 SATA drives connected. But if you're not building a heavy duty server running RAID, that shouldn't matter.
https://forums.unraid.net/topic/41340-satasas-controllers-te…
The good thing about stuff built using standard chips from mainstream suppliers, like the ASM1166 is, is that unless the adapter manufacturer did something really stupid, it should work well.
thanks for response (again!)
less likelihood of it overheating on the PCIe card
thats why i am at this point now
But if you're not building a heavy duty server, that shouldn't matter.
yep, just a simple plex server…which is why i cant decide between the tried and tested (but hot and power hungry) 9207/9211 HBA or the (somewhat questionable) ASM1166 solutions!
This guy has done some heavy testing on them and seems to be happy with ASM1166 adapters.
https://forum.level1techs.com/t/short-review-edging-asmedia-…
(Note that you probably can't use the adapter pictured in that article. The one that fits a pair of M.2 SATA x6 adapters on a x8 PCIe adapter. It requires bus bifurcation. Which if you don't know you've got it on your motherboard, you probably don't. It just shows you what's possible though.)
thanks a bunch mate, good reading - and a vote of confidence for these cheap adapters!
Can get a generic LSI 9211-8I for a similar price off Ali Express. That is what I would do