Sata Controller help

[Shooty*]

Hi guys,
Just got a new mobo delivered from ebuyer. Not happy. Advertised as 4 sata ports, it only has two. Don't REALLY want to faff around with returns and all that unhappy stuff if possible. Can anyone recommend a decent, CHEAP pci or pcie sata controller card? I've looked on scan and other places, but the variety is boggling, and the cost of some of them is beyond belief.

I don't need any external ports. 2 or more internal are required, ideally 4.

Thanks

[Mossy]

I won't say it but I can try to help

Have you had a look at LN20106

Obviously for the free delivery you would have to order something else with it.

Regards

[Shooty*]

yeah, I know: that'll learn me

[MadduckUK]

just return it, ebuyer will arrange collection and everything

[Dreaming]

just return it, ebuyer will arrange collection and everything

+1

you have no idea how constraining it can be two years down the line when you don't have enough ports and need to upgrade a whole motherboard just for something like that. Perfect example is my Athlon XP board which is working as a file server but doesn't have any SATA ports, I assumed I wouldn't need any and now what do I know .

[Shooty*]

DUde, seriously, I have EVERY idea: i'm making a server to replace my DNS323 as it can only hold 2 drives. And I've come to like WHS a lot.

[Unique]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/VT6421A-PORT...dp/B000MR7SNS/

if you prefer to use the pci slot and keep the pci-e spare, the above is £8.44 delivered. it has 3 sata sockets, but you can only use 2, either 1 internally and 1 externally (as it's configured OTB) or two internally. it also comes with a PATA/IDE channel, so you can use 2xsata and 1xpata at the same time, and comes with a sata cable. the external port is a sata one, not proper esata. it have jumpers to change the port from external to internal, but it doesn't mention in the instructions how the jumpers work. the live ports OTB are the external and the internal directly opposite it. the one one the side is mirrored with the external one and is deactivated as it comes. you can't boot from this card and its SATA150. it's just a cheap and cheerful card

i also have a pci-e card similar to the one paulm listed, which i got from scan, but as the one with two internal ports wasn't in stock when i needed it, i got the similar one with one internal and one external, and you can boot from that card apparently

[Shooty*]

Meh, did both. RMA'd it and got the Scan thing as well, with some case fans. The case fans didn't come with screws... *grumble, grumble*. Well, the Akasa did, but not the cheapy 80mm ones.

THEN discovered that ebuyer item listing is wrong, and case doesn't take 120mm fans, so have spent a fun morning with a drill.

Oh, and about the mobo: I bought a cheap bundle on ebuyer, and have now been told that the bundle was advertised wrongly: It originally listed an M2N68-AM (I think) and the one I was sent was an M2N68-AM SE2. They are now saying that the listing was wrong (the photo was the non-se2, as was the description, so big Duh) and that it was always meant to be the SE2 in the bundle. It's been changed now. So I can either keep the SE2, and they refund me £partially or I send the whole thing back and get full refund.

I COULD get arsey with this and say I was purchasing in good faith, it's not my fault they listed it wrong, etc, but TBH, I don't like giving tech help or ordering people a hard time. I'm nasty on the phone all day to people who deserve it (lawyer).

Hey ho. A less than flawless transaction, all round.

*sigh* and now, despite the very helpful ladies on the telephone, I won't get my new bits until mid-next week. But... Oh! Look! Scan have a better CPU, cheaper, and the same mobo, cheaper! Replacement now a refund, and had Scan shipping confirmation within an hour of ordering (slow day, chaps? )