StarTech PCI Express SATA RAID Card

The PEXSAT34RH 4-Port PCI Express 2.0 SATA Controller Card with HyperDuo adds 4 AHCI SATA III ports to a computer through a PCIe slot (x2), delivering multiple internal 6Gbps connections for high-performance hard drives and Solid State Drives (SSDs).

Featuring HyperDuo technology, the SATA card offers SSD auto-tiering which lets you balance the performance advantages of SSD storage with the cost-effectiveness and large capacity of standard hard drives. By combining SSD and HDD drives into a single volume (up to 3 SSD + 1 HDD), HyperDuo discreetly works in the background to identify and move frequently accessed files to the faster SSD drive(s) for improved data throughput - up to 80% of SSD performance! (Note: The HyperDuo automatic storage tiering feature is compatible with computers that use a BIOS.)

The PCIe SATA controller card supports Port Multiplier (PM), enabling multiple SATA drives to be connected to one port over a single cable, for a total of 7 drives (Up to 4 drives through PM on one port, and a single drive to the remaining 3 ports). Plus, the SATA controller card offers an effective hardware RAID solution, with native RAID (0, 1, 1+0) support.

Throughput Benchmark

Drive configuration Throughput Drive size 1 x HDD 112.81 MB/s 2 TB 1 x SSD 490.28 MB/S 120 GB 1 x HDD + 1 x SSD HyperDuo (Safe Mode) 489.28 MB/s 2 TB 1 x HDD + 2 x SSD HyperDuo (Safe Mode) 715.13 MB/s 2 TB Drives Used:
SSD: OCZ Vertex 3 Series 2.5 120 GB (VTX3-25SAT3-120G)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Green 3.5 2 TB (WD20EARS)

Software Used:
IO Meter, 256KB Sequential Read, queue depth = 10This PCIe SATA 6gbps card is backed by a 2-year StarTech.com warranty and free lifetime technical support.

Connector(s) Connector Type(s) PCI Express x2 Male Internal Ports SATA (7 pin, Data) Plug Environmental Humidity 20% ~ 80% RH Operating Temperature 5C ~ 50C (41F ~ 122F) Storage Temperature -25C ~ 70C (-13F ~ 158F) Hardware Bus Type PCI Express Card Type Standard Profile (LP bracket incl.) Chipset ID Marvell - 88SE9230 Industry Standards PCI Express 2.0 Serial ATA 3.0 specification Interface SATA Port Style Integrated on Card Ports 4 Packaging Information Package Quantity 1 Shipping (Package) Weight 145 g [5.1 oz] Performance ATAPI Support Yes Bootable Yes LBA support 48-bit Max Drive Capacity Currently tested up to 4TB per drive Number of Drives Supported Through Port Multiplier 1 to 4 Number of Ports That Support Port Multiplier 4 (can only use 1 PM at a time) Port Multiplier Yes RAID Yes Supported RAID Modes JBOD - (Just a Bunch of Disks) RAID 0 (Striped Disks) RAID 1 (Mirrored Disks) RAID 10 (1+0, Striped set of Mirrored Subset) Type and Rate SATA III (6 Gbps) Physical Characteristics Product Height 20 mm [0.8 in] Product Length 70 mm [2.8 in] Product Weight 50 g [1.8 oz] Product Width 120 mm [4.7 in] Software OS Compatibility Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10
Windows Server 2003, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016
Mac OS 10.6 to 10.12
Linux 3.5.x to 4.4.x LTS versions only
Note: Connected drives cannot be used as System / Primary drive in Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016 Special Notes / Requirements Note The maximum throughput of this card is limited by the bus interface. If used with PCI Express Gen 1.0 enabled computers, the max throughput is 2.5 Gbps per lane. If used with PCI Express Gen 2.0 enabled computers, the max throughput is 5 Gbps per lane.

Only one port can use the Port Multiplier feature at a time. Supports up to 4 drives connected via Port Multiplier, 7 drives total.

Port Multiplier not supported in Mac OS.

System and Cable Requirements Available PCI Express x2 slot (backward compatible with x4, x8, and x16 slots) What's in the Box Included in Package Driver CD Instruction Manual Low Profile Bracket PCIe SATA Controller Card