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hot swappable pci sata add-on card
I am hoping someone can help me with this.
I have a Dell XPS pc and added a EZ Swap drive from Vantech. Apparently, my SATA controller on the MB is not hot swappable compatible. So, can I add a SATA pci add on card that would be? If so, any suggestions? Thanks in advance! |
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hot swappable pci sata add-on card
jawdoc wrote:
I am hoping someone can help me with this. I have a Dell XPS pc and added a EZ Swap drive from Vantech. Apparently, my SATA controller on the MB is not hot swappable compatible. So, can I add a SATA pci add on card that would be? If so, any suggestions? Thanks in advance! Is that the complete model number of the Dell box ? There must be a ton of XPS boxes. I want to look it up first. Paul |
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hot swappable pci sata add-on card
On Apr 9, 3:41*am, Paul wrote:
jawdoc wrote: I am hoping someone can help me with this. I have a Dell XPS pc and added a EZ Swap drive from Vantech. Apparently, my SATA controller on the MB is not hot swappable compatible. So, can I add a SATA pci add on card that would be? If so, any suggestions? Thanks in advance! Is that the complete model number of the Dell box ? There must be a ton of XPS boxes. I want to look it up first. * * Paul XPS 410 Thanks |
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hot swappable pci sata add-on card
jawdoc wrote:
On Apr 9, 3:41 am, Paul wrote: jawdoc wrote: I am hoping someone can help me with this. I have a Dell XPS pc and added a EZ Swap drive from Vantech. Apparently, my SATA controller on the MB is not hot swappable compatible. So, can I add a SATA pci add on card that would be? If so, any suggestions? Thanks in advance! Is that the complete model number of the Dell box ? There must be a ton of XPS boxes. I want to look it up first. Paul XPS 410 Thanks The motherboard is pictured here. What I won't know, is what slots are already occupied. http://support.dell.com/support/edoc..._EN/techov.htm How swap capability should have existed from day one, when SATA came out. Instead, what happened, is the initial drivers for SATA 1.5Gbit/sec interfaces, lacked the capability. If I was looking for this capability, I would look for SATA 3.0Gbit/sec interfaces or look for a card with ESATA (proper external plugs) on the add-in card faceplate. The problem with this, is PCI cards tend to be limited to SATA 1.5Gbit/sec interfaces, without a lot of new (reliable) entrants in the market. Silicon Image, and their SIL3112 and SIL3114 were one source of solutions, and I don't know if you'd find hot swap there or not. Instead, I'd look for a PCI Express x1 card, and use that. All you need to use that, is at least one free PCI Express slot. A x1 card can fit in a x1, x4, or x16 slot, if any of those are available. Something like a SIL3132 should do the job. (You can get drivers from siliconimage.com, if you don't like the drivers provided. amselectronics.com doesn't have any info on this card.) AMS PCI-E Host Controller (2-Port eSATA) Model SP-PCIE3132 - Retail $35 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815342001 http://www.siliconimage.com/support/...id=2&osid =4& Of the cards in the Newegg list, I don't particularly like to see cards with two internal and two external ports, when in fact the chip on the card only drives two ports. There are 3 Gbit/sec signals on those connectors, and "stubbing" off the signal lines on the interface, can degrade their performance. I prefer the card maker to just decide whether they're making an internal or external connector card instead. The above card is a few more bucks, but at least it is not compromising the design. (Example of card with four connectors, but only two work at a time.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815316001 You might also verify you have the right cables. You can get cables with ESATA connectors on each end. Or cables with SATA on one end and ESATA on the other. There are a surprising number of different combinations. The SIL3132 supports port multiplier, so your two port card can support up to ten external disks, with port multiplier boxes that cost around $100 each or so. http://www.cooldrives.com/cosapomubrso.html http://www.sataport.com/ (nicer plastic box plus power adapter) http://www.sata-io.org/portmultiplier.asp For PCI cards, the reviewers here note that hotswap didn't work with this card. And this and another Masscool card, didn't fit properly in a PCI slot. Looking through the short list on Newegg, didn't uncover any better PCI ones. The chip on this card is SIL3114. "MASSCOOL PCI Card, 1 external eSATA + 2 internal SATA Model XWT-RC061" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815280005 Paul |
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