Big PC - 8 HD's, are Motherboard Sata connections better than PCIe 2.0e 2.0 card?

[Tuckerdude]

Hey folks...general question for you

I'm adding a total of 8 media drives to a new PC build and was wondering if I should connect them all to the motherboard (It has 10 Sata ports), or use a PCIe 2.0 card. Or should I split them 50/50...some on the mobo and some on the card? The machine will be serving up media to multiple users around the house (and sometimes remotely), and was wondering if there's an optimal configuration here. Is there a better balance using both? Or is there a speed-hit you take using a card?

Thanks for any help!

 

[mat200]

Hey folks...general question for you

I'm adding a total of 8 media drives to a new PC build and was wondering if I should connect them all to the motherboard (It has 10 Sata ports), or use a PCIe 2.0 card. Or should I split them 50/50...some on the mobo and some on the card? The machine will be serving up media to multiple users around the house (and sometimes remotely), and was wondering if there's an optimal configuration here. Is there a better balance using both? Or is there a speed-hit you take using a card?

Thanks for any help!

Hi Tuckerdude,

In general MB SATA connectors are better, of course it will depend on the version and through put design of the MB.
If you have a newer MB able to handle significant throughput through those SATA connectors on the MB you should do that.

 

[Tuckerdude]

Hey mat200...thanks for responding!

The motherboard is an Asus Rampage 5 Edition 10. I bought it about a year ago, so I'm thinking I will just stick with the on-bard SATA connectors. I like it better anyway, since it makes for a cleaner install inside the case.

Thanks again

 

[mat200]

Hey mat200...thanks for responding!

The motherboard is an Asus Rampage 5 Edition 10. I bought it about a year ago, so I'm thinking I will just stick with the on-bard SATA connectors. I like it better anyway, since it makes for a cleaner install inside the case.

Thanks again

Happy to help.

Wow, that's a SWEET looking board!

 

[Tuckerdude]

Yep....ain't computers fun!!!

 

[JR_ECE]

PCIe should be faster, but in reality you might not see the difference depending on your application. Speed comparisons will vary depending on the PCIe standard, SATA standard, and the hard drive in use.

This is a pretty quick read (although a bit dated, Oct 2016) that might help give you an idea if it's worth the cost of PCIe drives.

PCIe vs. SATA: Which Type of SSD Is Best for You?