From owner-freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Feb 11 10:47:14 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3F5081065715 for ; Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:47:14 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from markir@paradise.net.nz) Received: from smtp3.clear.net.nz (smtp3.clear.net.nz [203.97.33.64]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 016848FC2E for ; Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:47:13 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from markir@paradise.net.nz) Received: from zmori.markir.net (121-73-165-228.dsl.telstraclear.net [121.73.165.228]) by smtp3.clear.net.nz (CLEAR Net Mail) with ESMTP id <0KEW000FND9KQJ20@smtp3.clear.net.nz> for freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org; Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:32:09 +1300 (NZDT) Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:32:08 +1300 From: Mark Kirkwood In-reply-to: <200902110833.n1B8XbLo096837@lurza.secnetix.de> To: Oliver Fromme Message-id: <4992A928.6080308@paradise.net.nz> MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit References: <200902110833.n1B8XbLo096837@lurza.secnetix.de> User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.19 (X11/20090117) Cc: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: SATA PCI adapter recommendation X-BeenThere: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion of FreeBSD hardware List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:47:15 -0000 Oliver Fromme wrote: > Hi, > > I plan to put a SATA drive in an old PATA-only PC, so I'm > looking for an appropriate adapter card. A cheap card > should suffice, I do not need RAID, and it does not have > to be SATA-300. (This machine has only standard PCI slots > anyway, so it wouldn't be able to saturate SATA-300.) > > I'm currently looking at these, all of which are about > 20 Euro around here: > > 1. Based on Silicon Image Sil-3x12 chip: > http://www.digital-data.de/download/datasheets/111816_Datasheet.pdf > > 2. Based on Initio INIC1620 chip: > http://www.digital-data.de/download/datasheets/111817_Datasheet.pdf > > 3. Some VIA chip (probably VT6421A, but not 100% clear): > http://www.delock.de/view/pdf/70156/A/1943/ > > I've read a few scary things about SIL chips on the lists, > so I guess I'd better try to avoid that one. > But how about the Initio and VIA ones? Do they work well > with FreeBSD? Any good or bad experiences? > > Finally, a small question: I assume that all of those > SATA controllers do have their own BIOS, so I can boot > from them, right? It would be annoying to have to keep > an old PATA disk in that box just to be able to boot. > > I'd forget those and buy a 3ware card - supported and reliable. Possibly a little more expensive... but they are available 2nd hand on ebay, which should help: http://cgi.ebay.com/hardware-raid-card-3ware-8006-2LP-2-port-SATA-RAID_W0QQitemZ140300178432QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Drives_Storage_Internal?hash=item140300178432&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50 regards Mark