MASSCOOL PCI Card, 4 internal SATA Model XWT-RC040

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- Inexpensive- Little and low profile (fits appropriate under my large video card)- Linked four 500 GB drives in a Vista 64-bit program. Soon after updating the BIOS, was capable to connect 1TB drives. - Flimsy connections Be cautious when connecting the SATA cables AND closing your situation since the situation panel may well push the SATA cables. - Updating BIOS was a discomfort I had a difficult time creating a bootable disk. Nero wasn't burning a CD properly and I don't have a floppy drive so I had to make a USB boot drive. This link worked for me: http://www.bay-wolf.com/usbmemstick.htm. Along with the directions and hyperlinks of previous reviewers (moviemadnessman, twEEker), I was capable to update the BIOS (b5403.bin) and connect drives additional than 1TB. Hope this aids.

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Has lots of sata connections none that I have seen yet Excellent buy for the money

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It was cheap, it's one particular of the handful of that has 4 SATA ports, it comes with two cables It doesn't fit in a common PCI slot. I recognize that many connections are meant to be tight fits, but this basically isn't machined proper. I had to file it down with a rough nail file to get it to fit.Then it wouldn't boot, it hung on my 750GB hitachi drives. Unable to update bios in dos or windows, no assistance for linux or vista. Unusable, so RMA'd Save your time and appear elsewhere.

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Really low-cost and a nifty small card. It permits various software RAID possibilities, and also "pass via" to just use the drives devoid of RAID.The included cables alone are worth the price of the card. You want to go to the Silicon Image internet site and download computer software for the Silicon Image SIL 3114 chipset. Get these 4 issues: The DOS based UPDFLASH.EXE flash updater computer software (the Windows version DOES NOT Work), BIOS version 5.four..3 (r5403.bin), version 1.5.1.ten of the drivers for your OS (XP, Vista, etc.), and the software package, version 1.5.1.ten.Then you need to make a DOS bootable CD or floppy disk, and copy the UPDFLASH.EXE and r5403.bin files to it. Then shutdown your laptop or computer and connect a tiny drive ƑTB will not perform) to the card. With no a drive connected, the flash update won't operate. Boot from your CD or floppy, and sort "UPDFLASH.EXE r5403.bin" with no the quotes. When it ask if you want to continue, hit Y, and then wait till it returns with a confirmation that the BIOS was upgraded. Turn off your computer and get rid of remove the CD or floppy. Finally, boot into windows, and when the New Hardware Identified Wizard runs, point it to the drivers you downloaded, and the card need to be active. Immediately after that completes, install the RAID computer software by double clicking the 3114-W-I32-R_15150.msi (for XP, or the suitable version for Vista). This will install the RAID computer software.Now you can shutdown and install your 1TB drives. When you reboot, every little thing must work, and you can configure a RAID array with the computer software.

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4 sata ports in effectively placed locations I purchased this card to add to my SAN server so I could add an additional four 1TB drives to it, but the card (as stated by other evaluations) can not function with larger than 500GB drives without becoming flashed. I have tried to flash it a number of times, and it often fails to flash. I am RMAing it to Masscool for a hopeful replacement of a later model. Ought to be operating with 1TB drives out of the box at this point. I wonder if the replacement will perform, and nevertheless be a four port PCI

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This is the second one of these cards I have in my file server. The 1st I have had operating trouble totally free for more than a year now. nothing at all I haven't utilised the onboard RAID utility. I am operating a software RAID in Ubuntu. Quick, cheap, reputable, and lots of ports. One of the handful of cards I've observed with far more than 2 internal SATA II ports. If you require some aditional SATA ports in your machine, this card is for you.

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Functions just fine on my old AMD Athlon XP technique operating Windows 2000. Wonderful way to expand to another tough drive. none

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When fixed, as below, functions excellent. Had to use 400 grit sandpaper folded in half to gently and cautiously widen the notch.

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I bought my first card about a year ago and installed it in my Windows Residence Server. Two 1TB and one particular 500gb WD drives attached and working wonderful. I ordered my second card a month ago and installed it in my media center computer. Smooth sailing until a single port failed to see my drive. Tested the drive on another pc it was fine. Applied an additional drive on the similar port, card did not see it. RMA'd the card. Got the new one currently. Now check out Cons for the rest of the story. New card in drivers loaded. Boot computer with all drives hooked up to the identical ports as original card. The new card doesn't recognize my two WD500GB drives configured RAID0 or my other two drives and say's that they are not formatted. Even worse when I try to format a drive the format approach fails. I guess I know have lost the information on my 4 drives and can't format them to start over. Called Masscool and the tech had no notion how to repair the difficulty. I’m waiting on a call back or an email for what I hope is the answer to my issue. If not I hope Newegg will let me swap this card for a much better card. I looked for the card on Newegg but I don't see it anymore. I hope that's not a poor sign.

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it has 4 sata ports and is a pci but the pros end there anything the thing was to huge to fit in my pci port this issue is genuinely negative

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I had no trouble with either the cable or card fitting, as other individuals have mentioned. I located it incredibly obnoxious that, for XP users, you had to load the drivers off a boot disk. I located it much more obnoxious that no boot disk was supplied (How tough would it have been to make the driver disk bootable?). The final straw was that, with the card in, my technique would lock up prior to it could get to the boot disk. Take the card out & the boot disk worked, but, without having the hardware, you can’t load the drivers. & p.s. the manual was out of date, the driver folders had been renamed in the CD. This was exasperated, and in all probability brought on, by the apparent truth that Masscool only has one particular driver CD, applied for all of its solutions. Proficiently generating any uncertainty 10X. If this card had worked I would have had no complaints. If it worked it would have been a wonderful deal. And naturally it operates for some. Just anticipate the possibility that you will waste time installing, uninstalling, return shipping, and getting your refund. And, if you are particularly dumb, waste your income, due to the fact you waited until immediately after the 30 day return had expired just before you installed the card... like I did.

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four port. sata150doesn't function out of the boxcan\'t boot with harddrives attatched till flashedcannot flash in windows without having harddrives what a game of #*$#. install, boot, hang. two diverse brand harddrives and neither let the machine boot unless you take them off the card. when you do, you cant flash in windows. SO THIS Means YOU Will need A FLOPPY DISK TO FLASH IN DOS. fail. fail. fail. nonetheless, when you go via this stuff(use silicon images web site for how-to) the card functions fine. (btw, its the identical chipset theyve been working with since sata initial began, its confirmed to be decent)three stars only mainly because installation is a pain.

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My original evaluation wasn't applied, so this is a new assessment, based on my longer knowledge with this card.It adds 4 internal SATA ports (albiet 1.5 speed rather of three.) for a somewhat cheap value.Adds potential to use RAID in case your motherboard doesn't have RAID choices (I have not personally tested this, though, so I can't vouch for it). Doesn't function with newer drives out of the box. The firmware of the BIOS is outdated, and will commonly trigger the personal computer to hang even though booting if you attach a drive larger than 500GB.2 sets of two ports may make it challenging to get to all ports easily. The 2 ports on the long side mean your cables pretty much certainly have to wrap more than the card in some way, which may cause undue strain and ultimately snap the ports. To resolve this, you need to have to flash the BIOS. It is simplest to use a true floppy disk for this. Go to the Silicon Image web site (http://www.siliconimage.com/products/product.aspx?pid៰) to get the drivers for your personal computer, as properly as the most recent BIOS (the windows updater doesn't perform, no matter what you do. At least not on Vista. Grab the DOS updater). You should make a bootable floppy (easiest with the real factor, but workarounds exist on-line), and put the updated BIOS and the UPDFLASH.EXE file onto it. Then boot the personal computer from the floppy with the card installed (and a 500GB or smaller sized drive attached) and when prompted, form "UPDFLASH.EXE [bios].bin", where [bios] is your bios version (I applied the base BIOS, which was b5403.bin as of this critique). You will be prompted to confirm, and if all goes properly, you will have updated the BIOS.At this point, you can now use challenging drives (up to 1 TB personally tested; 1.five+ may possibly also function).

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Worked 1st time plugged in and drives instantly recognized... Working with the windows drive management on all 500GB drives running 2TB excellent on it!Inexpensive AND Brilliant! NONE I dont know what everybody is complainin about its a ฤ card and your grippin due to the fact you may possibly have to flash it so it can run your 750GB drives? Stop being lazy or go out and devote ๠-100 on a High Point card!

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Got this for a Freenas server I was putting together with some old computer parts. I required a PCI/SATA solution thinking about the board I'm utilizing is an old socket 462 with only pci slots on it. This was most likely the cheapest card with 4 ports even though I only want two but better to have the added ones in-case the other ports go back and the card is still very good. Or I will need additional storage. N/A The drives I got were two 500's so I did not have any problems with having to flash the bios as other have had to do with bigger drives. I was worried at initially about the top quality of the item but was confirmed wrong when I very first booted my system. Not only had been the drives observed by bios Freenas also recognized the drives and I was able to setup sw raid1 with no concerns. There is also hw raid offered on the card which my technique recognized as well; not certain how nicely it performs though.

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speedy install - uncomplicated to use - low price tag Had to track down the Windows 7 64Bit Driver at http://www.siliconimage.com/products/product.aspx?pid៰, worked fine following the correct driver installed.

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Enables me to add 4 SATA ports to my technique. Max transfer speed is about ㆒MB/Sec.Can not boot from CD/DVD using this card. comes with raid bios, I have to flash the bios to non raid bios to use it as just a STAT Link adapter.Working with it to attach LG BluRay Reader and one eSata port.

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Great card !!! I am employing 2x2TB tough driver with this card now. Can't think this low-cost card can even help 4 x 2TB challenging disk. It take me 5 hours to flash this card bios. To flash bios of this card you should have smaller like 80G disk . And it only can flash in DOS. I thought i could not flash this card bios but following switch a sata port a few time this card finally get to function. I use 5.5. bios. Speed copy among internal sata port to this card port about 70M/s . Very good.

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hooked up to vista 32bit, installed driver, plugged in a 1.5tb hard drive with no any issue. It came with the updated bios for the bigger tough drives. none

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Plug-n-play, works as expected An eSATA connector on the back would have been good... I use this card to attach an LG BluRay reader/writer to my media center and have had no issues at all. Appears a lot rapidly and has brought on no compatibility issues even becoming added into an "older" program.

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inexpensive and ok for old drives Outdated firmware with unsupported AM29010 EEPROM. Need to have AM29010B or superior in order to flash to operate with 750GB drives. It does assistance hot plug, but you may possibly have to go into Administrative tool to import the storage devices. Drives that works as is are CDROMs and GB drives. Don't have any 500GB drives to verify.

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Functions. Plugged into old Shuttle SS40G w/ win2k pro, no problems fitting into slot. Pain to navigate CD to come across appropriate driver but installed perfectly 1st try, ran perfectly initially attempt, and so on. No troubles at all.. Not free of charge.

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Jebus Cristo!!!! I just barely got it to work and it seems to be operating properly and fast. DOES NOT LIKE OPTICAL DRIVES. I was attempting to run an optical drive off this factor simply because my video-card covered 3 of my SATA connections and my only IDE connection. Would not perform with optical drive no matter what i did. Lately bought a SATA HD and decided to try it 1 final time and POOF! it functions.....

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Tried all choices to setup but did not function. had lot of IRQ errors computer give plug and play error just about every time and just hangs None

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Plugged it in to an XP box, let the wizard search for drivers, it identified them, installed them, presto, I was running. I never ever even opened the enclosed driver CD.Low-cost.Functions wonderful, no issues at all. Just SATA 1, but certainly I knew that when I bought it. Not utilizing RAID functions, just working with it to connect extra challenging drives.The written directions had some bizarre process about copying the drivers from the enclosed CD to a floppy disk - I don't even HAVE a floppy, didn't they go out with the dinosaurs? I was annoyed when I saw that, and decided to ignore it and just let the Windows XP new hardware wizard take a shot. It located the driver on the net and installed it and it worked perfect.To the reviewer who claimed this card doesn't operate with XP, all I can say is that it works fine, at least in non-RAID mode. I haven't tried employing the RAID functionality.