I have had dreadful experience with no name cards from Amazon (all packed
up after the warranty ran out) and really need a decent 6 port job that
will work.

After poking around in the mire of AI and other reviews I have ended up
with the following:

StarTech 6-Port SATA III 6Gbps PCIe Card, Non-RAID (6P6G-PCIE-SATA-CARD)

SilverStone Technology ECS06, 6 Ports SATA Gen3 (6Gbps) Non-RAID PCI
Express Gen3 x2 card, SST-ECS06

IO Crest SATA III PCIe Controller Card

The IO Crest was an AI suggestion but it's not a name I know.

I am inclined to go with the Silverstone card but unsure if that's a good choice.

I don't think any of these are hot swap, all the no-name cards on Amazon
claim to be hot swap but my experience is they are stone cold dead after a while.

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his friends for his
life.
(Jeremy Thorpe, 1962)

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Jeff Gaines <jgnewsid@outlook.com> wrote:

I have had dreadful experience with no name cards from Amazon (all packed
up after the warranty ran out) and really need a decent 6 port job that
will work.

After poking around in the mire of AI and other reviews I have ended up with the following:

StarTech 6-Port SATA III 6Gbps PCIe Card, Non-RAID (6P6G-PCIE-SATA-CARD)

Uses ASM1166.

SilverStone Technology ECS06, 6 Ports SATA Gen3 (6Gbps) Non-RAID PCI
Express Gen3 x2 card, SST-ECS06

ASM1166

IO Crest SATA III PCIe Controller Card

There are several, but this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/IO-Crest-Non-RAID-Controller-Supports/dp/B07NFRXQHC?

uses a weird combo of an ASM1806 PCIe switch and 2x Marvell 88SE9215 with
some strange PCIe gen1 shenanigans (see the review with photo). Run away.

The IO Crest was an AI suggestion but it's not a name I know.

I am inclined to go with the Silverstone card but unsure if that's a good choice.

ASM1166 should be solid - Asmedia design the SATA controllers in recent AMD chipsets.

I'd get a stick-on heatsink for the controller chip, as overheating under
load can cause issues. You might want to ensure there's enough airflow
around the card too, as the solid backplates don't allow venting out the
back.

I can't see much reason to prefer Startech over Silverstone or vice versa.
The Startech gives you activity LED headers per drive if you want that. Silverstone has them on the board but behind a solid backplate where you
can't see them.

I don't think any of these are hot swap, all the no-name cards on Amazon claim to be hot swap but my experience is they are stone cold dead after a while.

AIUI the SATA physical layer can cope with hot swap, but drivers/etc may not. It may cause the OS to get confused, but I don't expect it will cause
damage.

Theo

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 18/08/2026 14:49, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I have had dreadful experience with no name cards from Amazon (all
packed up after the warranty ran out) and really need a decent 6 port
job that will work.

After poking around in the mire of AI and other reviews Iÿ have ended up with the following:

StarTech 6-Port SATA III 6Gbps PCIe Card, Non-RAID (6P6G-PCIE-SATA-CARD)

SilverStone Technology ECS06, 6 Ports SATA Gen3 (6Gbps) Non-RAID PCI
Express Gen3 x2 card, SST-ECS06

IO Crest SATA III PCIe Controller Card

The IO Crest was an AI suggestion but it's not a name I know.

I amÿ inclined to go with the Silverstone card but unsure if that's a
good choice.

I don't think any of these are hot swap, all the no-name cards on Amazon claim to be hot swap but my experience is they are stone cold dead after
a while.

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.

I thought most MB got loads SATA ports?


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 18/08/2026 in message <1161uuu$1ukmv$1@dont-email.me> Raj Kundra wrote:

On 18/08/2026 14:49, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I have had dreadful experience with no name cards from Amazon (all packed >>up after the warranty ran out) and really need a decent 6 port job that >>will work.

After poking around in the mire of AI and other reviews Iÿ have ended up >>with the following:

StarTech 6-Port SATA III 6Gbps PCIe Card, Non-RAID (6P6G-PCIE-SATA-CARD)

SilverStone Technology ECS06, 6 Ports SATA Gen3 (6Gbps) Non-RAID PCI >>Express Gen3 x2 card, SST-ECS06

IO Crest SATA III PCIe Controller Card

The IO Crest was an AI suggestion but it's not a name I know.

I amÿ inclined to go with the Silverstone card but unsure if that's a >>good choice.

I don't think any of these are hot swap, all the no-name cards on Amazon >>claim to be hot swap but my experience is they are stone cold dead after >>a while.

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.

I thought most MB got loads SATA ports?

Not enough to service my 8 bay Silverstone case and a DVD :-)

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
Are you confused about gender?
Try milking a bull, you'll learn real quick.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 18/08/2026 18:02, Andy Burns wrote:

Jeff Gaines wrote:

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.

From general experience of those brands, StarTech first choice,
SilverStone next.

I agree


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Raj Kundra wrote:

On 18/08/2026 14:49, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I have had dreadful experience with no name cards from Amazon (all
packed up after the warranty ran out) and really need a decent 6 port
job that will work.

After poking around in the mire of AI and other reviews Iÿ have ended
up with the following:

StarTech 6-Port SATA III 6Gbps PCIe Card, Non-RAID (6P6G-PCIE-SATA-CARD)

SilverStone Technology ECS06, 6 Ports SATA Gen3 (6Gbps) Non-RAID PCI
Express Gen3 x2 card, SST-ECS06

IO Crest SATA III PCIe Controller Card

The IO Crest was an AI suggestion but it's not a name I know.

I amÿ inclined to go with the Silverstone card but unsure if that's a
good choice.

I don't think any of these are hot swap, all the no-name cards on
Amazon claim to be hot swap but my experience is they are stone cold
dead after a while.

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.

I thought most MB got loads SATA ports?

I have seen shitty OEM boards with only 3 ports, so a DVD drive and 2
hard drives (or SSD).

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 18/08/2026 in message <xn0pto65xbqac9200o@news.individual.net> Jeff
Gaines wrote:

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.

Just to say thank you for all the input :-)

I've ordered the Silverstone card, I have other kit from them that I've
been pleased with (including the case it will go in) which tipped the
balance.

It is on its way from somewhere in Europe, the Hot Swap bay is in the air between China and UK and a pair of trousers I ordered recently are
somewhere between China and the UK but due to be delivered by Evri :-)

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
How does a gender neutral bog differ from a unisex bog ?
It has a non-binary number on the door.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 19/08/2026 08:43, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 18/08/2026 in message <xn0pto65xbqac9200o@news.individual.net> Jeff Gaines wrote:

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.

Just to say thank you for all the input :-)

I've ordered the Silverstone card, I have other kit from them that I've
been pleased with (including the case it will go in) which tipped the balance.

It is on its way from somewhere in Europe, the Hot Swap bay is in the
air between China and UK and a pair of trousers I ordered recently are somewhere between China and the UK but due to be delivered by Evri :-)

are the trousers for the "brown trouser moments" when something goes
wrong with the server build? :-D

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On 29/08/2026 in message <116va54$3ft3u$1@dont-email.me> SH wrote:

On 19/08/2026 08:43, Jeff Gaines wrote:

On 18/08/2026 in message <xn0pto65xbqac9200o@news.individual.net> Jeff >>Gaines wrote:

Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.

Just to say thank you for all the input :-)

I've ordered the Silverstone card, I have other kit from them that I've >>been pleased with (including the case it will go in) which tipped the >>balance.

It is on its way from somewhere in Europe, the Hot Swap bay is in the air >>between China and UK and a pair of trousers I ordered recently are >>somewhere between China and the UK but due to be delivered by Evri :-)

are the trousers for the "brown trouser moments" when something goes wrong >with the server build? :-D

:-)

--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
The fact that there's a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven says
a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)