SATA Express compatibility

[sid41299]

I'm looking to buy a new motherboard, a Gigabyte GA-B150M-D3H. The official brochure page (https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-B150M-D3H-rev-10#ov) lists its storage interface as SATA Express. I currently use a Seagate Barracuda 500GB which uses a SATA interface. I would like to know whether I can continue using the HDD with the new 'board. If not, suggestions for alternate 'boards are welcome.

Cheers,
Sid

 

[ShadyHamster]

Sata Express is the single right angled connector on the motherboard.
Yes, you can still use your old HDD.
You can even plug normal HDDs into the 2 right angled ports on the Sata Express connector.

 

[Sakkura]

A SATA Express port consists of two regular SATA ports plus a little extra port next to them. Normally the SATA ports in the SATA Express port can be used for regular SATA drives if there isn't a SATA Express device plugged in. The motherboard specs for your board does say the SATA Express port doesn't support regular SATA drives though.

Fortunately there are another 6 regular SATA ports that you can use instead.

 

[atomicWAR]

Yeah using a SATA with one of the express connectors is fine (or 2 SATA devices using each side of the same SATA express connector). All SATA express really does is double the bandwidth SATA 3 is capable of by using 2 connections as one. Almost like a built in raid 0. So compatibility is not an issue. Basically it can be 2 SATA connections or one SATA express (only there are no SATA Express hard drives on the market or even coming, basically M.2's 3200 Gbps killed SATA express's 12 Gbps by being better tech)