adding eSATA

[bonanza]

For IP35-E (and other non-eSATA mobo) :
Can I have eSATA that extended (to rear-bracket) from internal SATA ? Will it work exactly like a 'real' eSATA ?

Thanks.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

There are many SATA to eSATA adaptors on the market. You can fit the bracket at an un-used PCI/PCI-E bay. Cost is under $9. NewEgg/MWAVE should have a few for purchase.

 

[bonanza]

thanks.

What I am not sure is, will this kind of "eSATA" able to hot-plug/hot-swap ?

 

[lopri]

You will need to install the AHCI drivers properly. Otherwise it might not be plug-n-play. Once you install the drivers, you might see the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in the tray even for the internal drives - no need to be alarmed. It's just the way it's meant to be. And your eSATA will be like USB as in plug-n-play.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Yup...plugging directly into the SATA will probably disable hot plugging (no disconnect icon). You may need to investigate a PCI-E or PCI card.

 

[Farfle]

Bonanza, if the enclosure you purchased has an eSATA connection, then it should have come with a PCI backplate. This backplate plugs directly into one of your MB's onboard SATA connections. Right when you boot the system up it treats the HD just like if it was an Internal Drive. You can install an OS on it and boot from it quite easily. We have a requirement at work to have a removable Hard Drive that we lock up in the safe each night. This option works great as it's easy for us to disconnect and reconnect the drive. Plus, the computer we used this on was a slim form factor computer, so it had no capability for a 5.25" enclosure. I'm very pleased with our purchase.

 

[BoboKatt]

In regards to eSATA, if you board does not fully support the feature -- when you do buy an enclosure and install the cable and bracket that allows you to hook up directly to an internal SATA port, will the drive still behave like eSATA?

What I mean is that currently on my eVGA 680i, there is an option in my BIOS that allows me to treat any SATA port on my board as "eSATA" by simply changing an option. When I shut down my computer, the enclosure with the SATA drive shuts down as well. Is this as a result of the eSATA feature of my board or is simply the enclosure shutting down itself? This also applies to it starting up automatically when I boot my system on.

I ask since the enclosure has its own power supply so I always wondered how it would be able to deal with syncing the external SATA drive with my computer.

 

[Paperdoc]

The answer is: there is no clear answer for all boards. There are some features in eSATA that are optional and MAY be included in a regular SATA controller, or may not. It depends on what the controller manufacturer decided to do. The two most important items like this are support for hot swapping, and support for longer eSATA data cables to allow for reaching an external device.

You can try using the cheap adapter that converts an internal sATA port to one that is easy to access on the back plate, although this does not make it an eSATA port. Then see how it works. If it works reliably, the cable length issue is a non-issue. If you do not need hot swapping, that also is a non-issue. Or, if you need it and it works, maybe the controller maker built that feature into their standard SATA controller. Worst case is it does not work and you have wasted $10 on an adapter when you now need to buy a proper eSATA controller. If the adapter came free with the external case, then you've only wasted time trying it out.

 

[aiya24]

my enclosure came with the adapter and it didn't work on my IP35-E. my guess is because it isn't using the ICH9R southbridge, but i could be wrong. looks like i'll need to invest in an pci-e eSATA card.

 

[Heidfirst]

aiya24, did you install as AHCI or just as regular IDE emulation?

 

[Binky]

Try jumpering the HD that is inside the enclosure down to the slower speed. I'm blanking on the setting, but I think you jumper it down to SATA150.

 

[aiya24]

Originally posted by: Heidfirst
aiya24, did you install as AHCI or just as regular IDE emulation?

if you mean when i installed windows and installed drivers using the F6 method, then no.

in the manual says you can change it in the bios but only for IP35 boards not -E.

 

[lopri]

You should install either RAID or AHCI drivers. And like Binky points out, double check whether the controller or the enclosure both support 300Mb. If not, you may need to change the jumber on your drive to make it 150Mb.

 

[aiya24]

the -E doesn't support RAID so i guess i'm out of luck of that.

the HDD in my enclosure is a 250GB sata150 and the enclosure itself supports sata up to 300Mb. it worked fine on last board, DFI nF4 Ultra-D, when i used the included adapter.

 

[Heidfirst]

Originally posted by: aiya24
the -E doesn't support RAID so i guess i'm out of luck of that.

ICH9 should support AHCI though afaik

 

[aiya24]

Originally posted by: Heidfirst

Originally posted by: aiya24
the -E doesn't support RAID so i guess i'm out of luck of that.

ICH9 should support AHCI though afaik

and the only way for me to do that is by?

if it means i have to reinstall windows, i can live without eSATA :Q

 

[LR6]

The IHC9 does not use AHCI

 

[Heidfirst]

supposedly neither does ICH8 & yet it can ...
& I believe that Vista will install generic AHCI drivers.

Gigabyte seem to think so too:
"To enable hot plug capability for the SATA connectors controlled by the ICH9 South Bridge, you must install Windows Vista (on ICH9, hot plug is supported in Windows Vista only) and configure the SATA connectors for AHCI mode."
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Pro...roductName=GA-P35-DS3L