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Go to StarTech.com4 Port PCI Express 2.0 SATA III 6Gbps RAID Controller Card with HyperDuo SSD Tiering
Add 4 Internal SATA III (6Gbps) ports to a computer through a PCI Express x2 slot
Product ID: PEXSAT34RH
- Supports HyperDuo SSD auto-tiering
- 4 AHCI SATA III (6Gbps) ports through PCI Express x2
- Fully compliant with SATA 3.0 specifications and backward compatible with SATA I/II (1.5/3.0Gbps) drives
- Supports hardware RAID 0, 1, and 1+0 modes configured through BIOS
- Compliant with PCI Express 2.0 standards
- Port Multiplier FIS-based and Command-based switching supported
- Natively supported single chipset design
- Simple HyperDuo configuration via card-BIOS level or intuitive GUI console (Windows® only)
- Supports Native Command Queuing (NCQ) and ATA/ATAPI commands
- Includes Low Profile/Half-Height installation bracket
- Supports HDDs/SSDs/Optical/Blu-Ray drives
- LED headers for HDD activity LED indicators
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Overview
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 = 10 |
This PCIe SATA 6gbps card is backed by a 2-year StarTech.com warranty and free lifetime technical support.
The StarTech.com Advantage
- Leverage SSD performance and standard HDD capacity with HyperDuo technology
- Maximize system capability with SATA III connection speeds
- Fit any standard or low profile chassis with included brackets
Applications
Use SSD tiering to optimize your system for I/O intensive applications such as Office Suites, Photo/Video Editing and Media Players
Upgrade an older PCIe-based system to SATA 6Gbps capability, to better utilize faster SATA drives
Add more internal SATA ports to a computer system, to connect additional storage drives and/or optical drives
Provide optimized off-site back-ups/vaulting, through built-in RAID 1 capability
Perfect for multi-drive internal RAID storage solutions
Technical Specifications
Product Numbers | ||
---|---|---|
Ingram Micro France | V932280 | |
Tech Data - France | 4428568 | |
UPC Code | 065030849951 |
Warranty Information | ||
---|---|---|
Warranty | 2 Years | |
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 | |
Performance | ||
ATAPI Support | Yes | |
Bootable | Yes | |
Hot Swap Capability | 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 1 (Mirrored Disks) | ||
RAID 0 (Striped Disks) | ||
RAID 10 (1+0, Striped set of Mirrored Subset) | ||
Type and Rate | SATA III (6 Gbps) | |
Connector(s) | ||
Connector Type(s) | 1 - PCI Express x2 Male | |
Internal Ports | 4 - SATA (7 pin, Data) Plug | |
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 10.13 Linux 3.5.x to 4.11.x LTS versions only |
|
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. Note: Connected drives cannot be used as System / Primary drive in Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016
|
|
System and Cable Requirements | Available PCI Express x2 slot (backward compatible with x4, x8, and x16 slots) | |
Environmental | ||
Humidity | 20% ~ 80% RH | |
Operating Temperature | 5°C ~ 50°C (41°F ~ 122°F) | |
Storage Temperature | -25°C ~ 70°C (-13°F ~ 158°F) | |
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] | |
Packaging Information | ||
Package Quantity | 1 | |
Shipping (Package) Weight | 145 g [5.1 oz] | |
What's in the Box | ||
Included in Package | 1 - PCIe SATA Controller Card | |
1 - Low Profile Bracket | ||
1 - Driver CD | ||
1 - Instruction Manual |
Compatibility









Windows Server® 2003, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016
Mac OS® 10.6 to 10.13
Linux 3.5.x to 4.11.x LTS versions only
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Accessories
8in Latching SATA to SATA Cable - F/F
Secure latching SATA cable designed for new system boards and SATA hard drives
12in Latching SATA Cable
Latching SATA connectors, for securely fastened hard drive installations.
18in Latching SATA Cable
SATA hard drive cable, with latching SATA connectors, for securely fastened hard drive installations.
18in SATA to Right Angle SATA Serial ATA Cable
Make a right-angled connection to your SATA drive, for installation in tight spaces
4 Drive 3.5in Trayless Hot Swap SATA Mobile Rack Backplane
Hot swap up to four 3.5in SATA hard drives in seconds
Black Aluminum 5.25in Professional SATA Hard Drive Mobile Rack Drawer
Swap SATA hard drives in and out of a PC or server, quickly and securely
3.5in Trayless Hot Swap SATA Mobile Rack for Dual 2.5in Hard Drives
Easily connect and swap two 2.5in SATA hard drives or SSDs through a single 3.5in front bay
Product Support
Drivers & Downloads
Firmware
-
Firmware.zip
Version: 2.3.0.1065
Manual(s):
-
PEXSAT34RH.pdf
English
Software
-
Marvell_MSU_Windows.zip
Version: 4.1.0.2031 -
Marvell_MSU_OSX.zip
Version: 4.1.0.2035
Compliance Letter(s):
Data Sheet(s)
- PEXSAT34RH_Datasheet.pdf
English
Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Buy
Although you can adapt a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) drive to connect to a standard SATA controller card, the card must support SAS commands in order to communicate with SAS drives. SAS drives have a different command set that is not present on SATA controllers.
This SATA controller card only supports standard SATA drives.
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This device supports the ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI) protocol. ATAPI is required for optical drives, including CD-ROM drives, DVD-ROM drives, and Blu-ray players. Because this device supports ATAPI, optical drives are also supported.
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Note: Not all StarTech.com devices support each of the RAID modes described below. For more information on the RAID modes that your device supports, refer to the manual or the StarTech.com product page.
Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) is a virtual disk technology that combines multiple physical drives into one unit. RAID can create redundancy, improve performance, or do both.
RAID should not be considered a replacement for backing up your data. If critical data is going onto a RAID array, it should be backed up to another physical drive or logical set of drives.
The following are terms that are normally used in connection with RAID:
- Striping: data is split between multiple disks.
- Mirroring: data is mirrored between multiple disks.
- Parity: also referred to as a checksum. Parity is a calculated value used to mathematically rebuild data.
Different RAID levels exist for different application requirements.
Refer to the following table for the list of RAID modes offered by some StarTech.com products:
RAID mode | Description | Operation | Advantages | Disadvantages | Recovery |
RAID 0 | Striped disks | Data is split evenly between two or more disks. | Large size and the fastest speed. | No redundancy. | If one or more drives fails, this results in array failure. |
RAID 1 | Mirrored disks | Two or more drives have identical data on them. | A single drive failure will not result in data loss. | Speed and size is limited by the slowest and smallest disk. | Only one drive is needed for recovery. |
RAID 3 | Striped set with dedicated parity | Data is split evenly between two or more disks, plus a dedicated drive for parity storage. | High speeds for sequential read/write operations. | Poor performance for multiple simultaneous instructions. | A single drive failure will rebuild. |
RAID 5 | Striped disks with distributed parity | Data is split evenly between three or more disks. Parity is split between disks. | Large size, fast speed, and redundancy. | The total array size is reduced by parity. | A single drive failure will rebuild. |
RAID 10 | 1+0; Striped set of Mirrored Subset | Four or more drives are made into two mirrors that are striped. | Larger size and higher speed than RAID-1, and more redundancy than RAID-0. | No parity. | Only one drive in a mirrored set can fail. |
JBOD | Just a Bunch Of Disks | Any number of drives are accessed independently by the operating system. | Software RAID modes can be used. | Hardware RAID may have better performance. | N/A |
Big | Spanning or Concatenation | Data is written on one drive until it is full, and then the next drive(s) until it or they are full. | Creates a very large and simple array. |
No redundancy. |
N/A |
Clone | RAID 1 + Spare |
Two drives have identical data, plus one drive is used for rebuilding in case of a primary array failure. |
Seamless operation when one drive fails in a RAID-1 array. | Spare drive is not accessible to the user. | Only one drive is needed for recovery. |
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Installation
Before you install the device, make sure that your operating system is current (for example, the most recent service pack is installed).
- Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website at http://www.startech.com/Support. The part number and product ID are on the product packaging.
Note: Windows usually saves the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:\Users\your_name\Downloads).
- After the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, click Extract All, and complete the instructions.
- In the list of extracted files, right-click the Setup.exe file and click Run as Administrator.
Note: If the Run as Administrator option is not available, you might be attempting to run the installer from within the zipped file. Extract the files using the instructions in step 2.
- Complete the instructions to install the device drivers, and restart your computer when prompted to.
Your computer will automatically complete the driver installation and your device should be ready to use.
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Before you install the device, make sure that your operating system is current (for example, the most recent service pack is installed).
- Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website at http://www.startech.com/Support. The part number and product ID are on the product packaging.
Note: Windows usually saves the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:\Documents and Settings\your_name\My Documents\Downloads).
- After the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, click Extract All, and complete the instructions.
- In the list of extracted files, double-click the Setup.exe file.
- Complete the instructions to install the device drivers, and restart your computer when prompted to.
Your computer will automatically complete the driver installation and your device should be ready to use.
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How to
To confirm that Windows detects your expansion card, complete the following:
- Press the Windows key+R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
- In Device Manager, under the appropriate heading, confirm that your expansion card is listed and that there isn't an exclamation mark next to it. For example, a USB controller card would be under Universal Serial Bus controllers.
Your expansion card is listed according to the name of the chipset. To determine the name of the chipset of your expansion card, navigate to www.StarTech.com and look on the Technical Specifications tab for your product.
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To confirm that the Mac OS detects your expansion card, complete the following:
- Click the Apple icon.
- Click About This Mac.
- Click More Info or System Report.
- Under the appropriate heading, confirm that your expansion card is listed and that there isn't an error. For example, a network card would be under Ethernet Cards.
Your expansion card is listed according to the name of the chipset. To determine the name of the chipset of your expansion card, navigate to www.StarTech.com and look on the Technical Specifications tab for your product.
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In order to use a hard drive plugged into a hard drive controller card as your operating system, you need to install the operating system onto the hard drive while it is plugged into the expansion card. To do this, complete the following:
Note: Not all hard drive controller cards have drivers that allow you to install the operating system onto the hard drive. All of the hard drive controllers that display this FAQ include this capability.
Before you begin, consult the documentation that came with the motherboard to make sure that the motherboard or BIOS supports booting from an expansion card.
- Back up any data on the hard drive.
- Make a copy of the drivers from the website onto a floppy disc, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive. The drivers that you download depends on the operating system that you want to install.
- Install the hard drive controller card onto your motherboard.
- Plug the hard drive into the controller card.
- Turn on your computer and open the operating system install wizard.
- Before you select the hard drive that you want to install the operating system onto, select the option to install third-party drivers.
- Point the driver installer to the floppy disc, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive.
- Install the drivers.
- Select the hard drive on the hard drive controller card as the location where you want to install the operating system.
- Complete the on-screen instructions to finish installing the operating system.
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Troubleshooting
When you troubleshoot issues with a hard drive controller card, there are some quick tests that you can complete to rule out potential problems. You can test to make sure that the following components are working correctly and are not the source of the issue:
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IDE, SATA, and eSATA cables
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Hard drives
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Hard drive controller card
To test your setup components, try the following:
-
Use the IDE, SATA, or eSATA cable, hard drive, and hard drive controller card in another setup to see if the problem is with the components or the setup.
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Use a different IDE, SATA, or eSATA cable, hard drive, and hard drive controller card in your setup to see if the problem persists. Ideally, you should test a component that you know works in another setup.
When you test your cables, it is recommended that you do the following:
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Test each cable individually.
-
Use short cables when you are testing.
When you test the hard drive and hard drive controller card, it is recommended that you do the following:
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To open the Device Manager, press the Windows key + R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter. Check the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers (for IDE) section, or the Storage controllers (for SATA) section.
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Do one of the following:
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If you do not see the hard drive controller card in Device Manager, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/support/faqs/technical-support?topic=expansion-cards#pci-pcie-cannot-boot-os-or-detect-windows.
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If the device is listed with an error, reinstall the drivers by completing the instructions on the website.
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If the hard drive is listed with unallocated space, the hard drive needs to be formatted. Right-click unallocated and click New Simple Volume. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reformatting.
Note: Formatting a hard drive erases all of the data on it. Make sure that you back up all of your data before you reformat the hard drive.
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To check Disk Management, press the Windows key + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter. Check to see if your hard drive is listed.
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If the hard drive is listed as healthy but does not have a drive letter, for example, C:, right-click healthy and click Change Drive Letter and Paths. Click Add, assign a drive letter, and click OK.
Note: A formatted hard drive does not show up in Computer or My Computer until it has a drive letter assigned to it.
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In order to rebuild a RAID array, you need to replace a physical drive with an identical drive on the same RAID controller. Although standard RAID levels are generally agreed upon throughout the industry, the implementation varies between manufacturers. RAID arrays are typically not accessible when they are moved to another controller, and data may be unrecoverable if the drives are out of order or have been formatted or accessed by another RAID controller.
If a RAID controller has failed, you should get the exact same model of RAID controller.
Note: If a drive or drives were damaged, it is possible that the RAID array may be permanently unrecoverable.
RAID should not be considered a replacement for backing up your data. If critical data is going onto a RAID array, you should back up the data on another physical drive or logical set of drives.
Rebuild a RAID array
With the following RAID modes, recovery is possible using the same StarTech.com product. Refer to the following table for the appropriate method to use to recover your RAID array.
RAID mode | Max # of failed drives | Procedure |
RAID 1 | Only one drive is needed for recovery. |
The array will rebuild and is accessible during the rebuilding process. |
RAID 3 | Single drive failure will rebuild. |
Note: Do not change the order of the drives.
|
RAID 5 | Single drive failure will rebuild. |
Note: Do not change the order of the drives.
|
RAID 10 | Only one drive in a mirrored set can fail. |
Note: Do not change the order of the drives.
|
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You should not upgrade your device's firmware if you do not have any issues with the functionality of your device. The only time you should consider an upgrade is if you are experiencing a problem with the device, and you have confirmed that the firmware addresses this problem. You can confirm this is the case by reviewing the documentation included with the firmware or by consulting with our Technical Support team. Incorrectly upgrading firmware can result in diminished performance so it is best to contact StarTech.com if you would like to perform this operation.
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* Product appearance and specifications are subject to change without notice.
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