Extra Hard Drive - only PCI card slot available?

[Mel_P]

Hello - I have a A68HM PLUS motherboard which only has 2 SATA sockets.

I have the SSD with the OS on and a DVD connected so no capability for another HDD.

The Graphics card (RX570) "hides" the other PCI express (PCIex1_1) slot underneath it and the only other slot available is an "old fashioned" PCI slot.

I thought - aha - a PCI-SATA card - and StarTech do one BUT it only seems to have capability up for Windows® 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8! However, l looking at comments / feedback on the web the card is recognised by device manager BUT not recognised by Windows 10 (perhaps not surprising?). No newer driver is provided by the supplier. Card must have been around a long time!

Can anybody make another suggestion please? (apart from disconnecting the DVD drive - which I admit I don't use much)

Thanks, Mel

 

[bremen1874]

The manual and pictures show it with four SATA ports. Two facing up bottom right and two facing to the rear to the left of the main power connector.

If not, disconnecting the optical drive is probably your best bet. If you need one, replace it with a USB version that'll also be useful in the future if/when you upgrade.

 

[Mel_P]

SNAP! just found that as well - DUUURRR! Came back up to my PC to congratulate myself!!!!!

Had this for a while and never noticed them! Only when I wanted to install another drive for extra storage did I need another SATA port. THANKS Bremen1874 for not taking as long as me to look at the manual - what to do if all else fails. These sockets are well hidden by the graphics card and its case / heat exchanger!

Mel

 

[bremen1874]

Only having two SATA ports seemed unlikely (but not impossible).

 

[Mel_P]

Thanks. for looking this out - yes they do seem to come in 4s
Mel