Purchase reasons for this card are:
- Insufficient internal SATA ports (onboard who has still free, should stay with onboard!)
- SATA-III chipset (unlike some other cards that have been around for years in the market, using an ancient SATA II chip gets out already with 2TB hard drives)
Anyone who suffers from chronic SATA port deficiency is well advised with this card. For little money (10!), It offers two SATA ports and various configuration options (external or internal). The conversion takes place here via jumper, which on the one hand appear cumbersome, on the other hand it provides security. You can not connect an eSATA disk to the "wrong" port suddenly saw through the internal plate. Since the card itself already ensures that only one port is connected.
I use the card for a DVD drive, a caddy and two eSATA drives, leftover from the pre-USB3-time.
In order for the internal 8 SATA ports are free for 1xSSD and 7xHDD. Onboard is always better for speed-critical applications.
Minor downside:
- The internal ports not snap. SATA cable with clamp are ergo useless and you have to watch out that the plug does not jump out (go really easy out).
- At boot I now get two Info screens of the two cards, which were devices are connected and recognized. Have not found a parking the.
- On the map while the jumper positions are so printed, but it is not there which pins 1 and 3 which is. One has to guess or read tracks (on the back of the card you can see which pins lead to the eSATA ports).
Given the price you can but really because not complain, so full marks.
The product image shows the jumpers in the eSATA position, which was for me the delivery status. So if you are a port internal benefits will simply umstöpseln its four jumpers.
UPDATE: On Linux, you need the optical drive on this controller the kernel parameter: libata.atapi_passthru16 = 0