Adding a Unified Extensive Firmware Interface (UEFI) card to a BIOS motherboard?

[leftright]

The SATA hard drive is a WD 6TB. Is there a PCI Express-based Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI)-compliant Host Bus Adapter (HBA) card which will enable the 64-bit version of Windows 8.1 Pro to use a known driver with correct support for large capacity drives? This secondary drive would only be used to store data. I need internal connections; external connections a plus. Extra bonus points if the card has external USB 3.0. RAID is not required.

The Dell T7400 motherboard’s available slots:

• A single PCI Express 2.0 x16
• A single PCI Express x8 slot wired as x4 PCIE

What would be a solid, stable, and dependable choice? Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

 

[drtweak]

UEFI isn't required to READ or USE large hard drives just to boot off of them.

I think the T7400 has the Dell SAS HBA 5 in it correct? or maybe the Dell PERC 5/6 built in? If it is the just the Dell SAS HBA 5 I have used 4TB drives on it without issue. The PERC 5/6 can only handle 2TB max and i know that for sure.

You could probably buy any good standard sata controller just for the 6TB drive. Most of them are only a 1/4X PCIe cards.

There are a lot of brands to choose form.

SYBA, SIIG, High Point, StarTech.

I have tired a lot of different ones (Non being SATA III though) with out issue. Use to be a big rosewill fan but they got out of the SATA market a while back. at least for new cards.

But that T7400 should pick up anything you put in there without issue. Just as long as you don't need to boot off a drive bigger than 2Tb you are fine.

 

[leftright]

UEFI isn't required to READ or USE large hard drives just to boot off of them.

I think the T7400 has the Dell SAS HBA 5 in it correct? or maybe the Dell PERC 5/6 built in? If it is the just the Dell SAS HBA 5 I have used 4TB drives on it without issue. The PERC 5/6 can only handle 2TB max and i know that for sure.

You could probably buy any good standard sata controller just for the 6TB drive. Most of them are only a 1/4X PCIe cards.

There are a lot of brands to choose form.

SYBA, SIIG, High Point, StarTech.

I have tired a lot of different ones (Non being SATA III though) with out issue. Use to be a big rosewill fan but they got out of the SATA market a while back. at least for new cards.

But that T7400 should pick up anything you put in there without issue. Just as long as you don't need to boot off a drive bigger than 2Tb you are fine.

After a closer look, I found that Dell uses the SAS 6/iR Integrated Workstation Controller with an LSI driver, v.1.34.3.82, last released on 3/26/2013 on the T7400’s motherboard. This SAS 6/iR has the same limitation as you mentioned regarding the PERC 5/6; 2TB recognition is the best it can do.

Using your suggestion, I found that SYBA’s SD-PEX50055 4-port (2x USB; 2x SATA III) PCIe, x4, Revision 2.0, (Full & Low Profile); Etron Chipset, ASMedia Chipset was the exact “needle in a hay stack” that I was searching for!

Thanks again for your knowledge and helping me find the best solution!

 

[drtweak]

Yup there ya go! I was looking at that when I was searching around but though i would just toss out some good brands instead. i have bought a few of their stuff before and it was pretty good.

 

[leftright]

Yup there ya go! I was looking at that when I was searching around but though i would just toss out some good brands instead. i have bought a few of their stuff before and it was pretty good.

Purchased the card and updated the drivers. Works like a champ! This little add-on card has put new life back into this old machine. Thanks again for your help! Take the rest of the day off with pay...:{)

 

[drtweak]

haha welcome!