If you want to expand your storage but there are limited SATA slots on your motherboard, then you can use a SATA expansion card to connect more SATA hard drives. Generally, the SATA expansion card lets you connect multiple SATA interface devices at a single time.
You will definitely need a SATA Expansion card if you are using an old motherboard. In older mobos, there are limited slots to connect storage devices. However, in motherboards, especially the ones that are meant for gaming, there are plenty of (up to 6) slots for connecting hard drives and SSDs.
So why there would be a need to add more SATA slots on a motherboard? Well, if you are a video editor who edits 4K videos or a guy with a workstation PC, you will need plenty of storage in your computer. Especially if you are a hosting company or a business that stores large files (video + audio) of your clients, then a motherboard with 6 SATA slots could be nothing.
So you are left with just one single solution, and that is to add a SATA Expansion card to your computer.
SATA Expansion Cards and their Types
Now there are 3 different types of SATA expansion cards in the market.
SATA Hub Port Multiplier
This is one of the most economical ways to increase the number of SATA slots on your motherboard. This is a SATA expansion card that you can connect to an existing SATA port. At the other end of the card, there are up to five output ports to connect SATA devices. The only downside with this type of expansion card is the lower bandwidth. When there is just a single gateway to handle five SATA devices at the same time, there would be bottleneck issues.
SATA PCIe Expansion Card
PCIe slots promote higher bandwidth as compared to common storage slots. SATA PCIe expansion card is one of the most reliable solutions to add more SATA ports on the motherboard. PCIe x1 slot on your motherboard is ideal for supporting these types of expansions cards. You can connect up to 8 SATA devices with this expansion card.
SAS SATA Expansion Card
If you really care about the higher bandwidth when expanding your storage, then SAS SATA expansion is the right option to have on your motherboard. This might be an ideal solution for enterprise-based desktops or servers that want to expand their storage. However, to connect this card to your motherboard, you will need SAS to SATA converter cable.
The Final Lines
So, we hope you now know how to add more SATA ports to a motherboard. It’s pretty simple, first, you will have to choose the type of SATA expansion card according to your budget and need. After that, all you need is to plug in the card on your motherboard, and you are done.
If you own a home desktop PC, then it’s worth going for a SATA PCIe Expansion card. It’s the right choice to increase your SATA slots without compromising on the bandwidth. And if you are a NAS or professional who needs a future-proof solution, then SAS SATA Expansion has no parallel.
