Sata?

[Wildrat]

I have this Intel D975XBX2 mobo. It has 4 black sata ports for Intel Matrix if used, 3 blue sata ports for Marvell if used and 1 red for an external SATA device. Ihave 3 SATA HDD and just got two SATA DVD writers. If I understand this SATA business correctly I can only put one device on each port? Intel says I cannot connect dvd burners to the blue ports, says to connect them to the black ones, only one problem I have my 3 SATA HDD connected to three black portssata 0-2, which leaves 1 black port and two DVD burners. I do not have a RAID configuration. What can I do? I wonder if connecting one to the last Black port/SATA 3, and the other one to the red port which the instructions say is for an external device.
I welcome and thank you for any suggestions.

 

[oldjoe]

You understand correctly.....One device per port.
I see two alternatives. Set up your HDD's in some sort of RAID configuration (not advisable) using the Marvell ports or install a SATA PCI card for the 2nd SATA Optical device.

 

[Wildrat]

That's what I thought, I guess I should have got the ide dvd drives. Oh Well, I'll figure it out tomorrow. Kinda a pain though, eight sata ports and can only really use four.

 

[Wildrat]

Well I learned another thing about this SATA PAIN. In my flawed mode of thinking I decided since I had the 4 black ports/SATA 0-3 and 0-2 have my three HDD connected, that left SATA 3 open. So, I disconnected one Burner from SATA 4 and put it on SATA 3, then pulled the cable on the other burner till I can get a card. Well I booted the computer and there was the new Lite-On drive then the system rebooted by itself, and did so a couple more times until I pulled the cable for the burner on SATA 3. Now things are working correctly again. This MoBo is fine but all those SATA ports are about useless if you can't use them on a system not setup for Marvell RAID. So like the other fella said about needing a PCI to SATA card so I can hook up my two new SATA burners is what I will have to do, and hopefully that card will solve the new problems. I guess if I need a burner I will have to hook up one of the IDE burners in the mean time. If anyone wants to know which MoBo I am using it is the Intel D975XBX2 and it has 8 SATA ports, and if you read what Intel says on their documentation that comes with the board they allow you to believe you can hook up any SATA device to any port if not using RAID. I am learning otherwise though, but the board is still a nice board, I just want to be done with the hardware so I can start loading software and then get on with using the computer for important things like checking up on different forums, and checking my Email for SPAM.

 

[oldjoe]

4 common SATA ports are standard for all new MOBO's......not just Intel. You have a rock solid board that should serve your needs.

 

[Wildrat]

I have been using an old P4 Gigabyte board that had no SATA ports for about 4 years now and have not kept up with what's new. My old board handled the SlySoft products with no problems as well as my multitude of software as long as I did not have to many programs open such as: DreamWeaver, Flash, PhotoShop, and Fireworks. It handled 3 of them at one time although a bit slow at times.
What happened is that Comp USA is going out of business and my wife got this board for me. It was nice of her and I like this board. Since I got the board I figured everything else could be up to yesterdays tech.
Like I said the only thing that seemed a bit misleading to me because of my lack of knowledge on SATA and RAID even though I read Wikipedia and understood what they stated, the documentation and pretty pictures that came with the board is what was a cryptic to me.
I saw eight SATA plugs on the board and the docs to me led me to believe that if I did not use RAID I could use all the ports fore SATA devices like my new Lite-On LH-20A1L-06 burners. Now I know, now I need a card and don't know which to get hence my other post in this area.