Graphics card blocking SATA ports

[Burninator]

I want to buy some hard drives in the near future and I noticed that my graphics card blocks 4 of the 6 SATA ports on my mother board. My mother board is a ASUS P5K Premium and my graphics card is an EVGA 8800 Ultra. It's a huge graphics card (the ladies like it) and the black shroud blocks 4 SATA ports. My other two SATA ports are being used by my DVD drive and hard drive.

What are my options?

[mykalberta]

Other than getting a new vid card or getting a sata add on card you are sol.

[Flacker]

Not SOL at all!! You can get right angle SATA connectors that will still plug in with the video card in. It may involve removing the card to install them initially.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Other than getting a new vid card or getting a sata add on card you are sol.

There is no way I am buying a new video card. That one was expensive. What is the performance like on a SATA add on card?

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Burninator

There is no way I am buying a new video card. That one was expensive. What is the performance like on a SATA add on card?

Buying new cables is too easy?

[photon]

Step 1: Buy a dremel.

I think you see where this is going.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Flacker

Not SOL at all!! You can get right angle SATA connectors that will still plug in with the video card in. It may involve removing the card to install them initially.

Hmmm...I think my mother board may have came with one of those. I will give it a shot when I get home tonight, but there is not much space behind that card at all. What a dumb design.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by photon

Step 1: Buy a dremel.

I think you see where this is going.

I thought about that yesterday when I was looking at the situation. Most the plastic near the back on that monstrosity that is my graphics card seems useless anyways.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Hmmm...I think my mother board may have came with one of those. I will give it a shot when I get home tonight, but there is not much space behind that card at all. What a dumb design.

I have a similarly massive card and the right angle connectors work with my motherboard/gpu. At least that way they can be raided by the onboard controller if your MB has one.

[photon]

Yeah nowadays you have to do some pretty good homework sometimes with respect to buying components, I usually check around before buying a specific motherboard to see if there's those kinds of issues.

Another option might be to put an aftermarket cooler on the board, I usually do this to get more quiet cooling anyway, and often they're shaped a lot different and give more space rather than just having a big black shroud that blocks everything.

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Hmmm...I think my mother board may have came with one of those. I will give it a shot when I get home tonight, but there is not much space behind that card at all. What a dumb design.

I have close to the same setup and most mobos come with left or right angle cables. If not - Memory Express have them for like $5 each.

[keratosis]

Originally Posted by Flacker

Not SOL at all!! You can get right angle SATA connectors that will still plug in with the video card in. It may involve removing the card to install them initially.

Originally Posted by Coys1882

I have close to the same setup and most mobos come with left or right angle cables. If not - Memory Express have them for like $5 each.

Had to do this as well, worked like a charm.

[Azure]

Those right-connectors seem to stay in their spot a lot better anyways.

[Burninator]

Thanks everyone. The 90 degree SATA connector worked perfectly. That method will open up two more SATA ports. I guess I would need a SATA cable that angled the other way if I ever needed to access the other two SATA ports.