10 Best PCIe SATA Expansion Cards (November 2026)

Most motherboards ship with four to six SATA ports, and the trouble starts when a storage build outgrows them. Buy the wrong card and a six-drive array crawls behind a single PCIe lane, a card that cannot boot refuses to host your operating system, or a x4 card sits unused because the only free slot is x1. The Best PCIe SATA Expansion Cards depend on how many drives you need, which slot is free, and whether the card must act as a boot device or just as a storage controller.

The short answer: the Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card suits upgrades of older PCs that need a bootable add-on, the GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port suits NAS and software-RAID builds that want a fast ASM1166 controller, and the Moonqkuses 4-Port SATA Card suits compact cases that want a complete cable and tool kit. The rest of the list covers 16-port and 20-port bulk storage cards, branded StarTech options, and an M.2 slot converter from SilverStone.

TL;DR: top picks at a glance

• Best overall: the Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card, a Marvell 88SE9215 card that can host a bootable system disk and includes four cables plus full-height and low-profile brackets.
• Best for six-drive NAS builds: GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port, an ASM1166 card with a PCIe 3.0 x2 uplink rated at 277MB/s per port.
• Best for compact cases: Moonqkuses 4-Port SATA Card, a Marvell 88SE9215 card with a heatsink and a 99 g body in a 3.15 by 4.72 inch footprint.
• Best for 16-drive arrays: ACTIMED 16-Port SATA Card, an ASM1064 plus port multiplier design that ships with 16 cables and a power splitter.

Best PCIe SATA Expansion Cards Comparison (November 2026)

#	Product	Best for	Ports	Host interface	Chipset
1	Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card	Boot-drive upgrades	4	PCIe x1 (fits x4, x8, x16)	Marvell 88SE9215
2	GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port	Six-drive NAS builds	6	PCIe 3.0 x2 bus, x4 physical	ASM1166
3	Moonqkuses 4-Port SATA Card	Small-case four-drive builds	4	PCIe x1, x4, x8, x16	Marvell 88SE9215
4	ACTIMED 16-Port SATA Card	16-drive arrays	16	PCIe x1, x4, x8, x16 slots	ASM1064 + 3x multipliers
5	MZHOU 6-Port SATA Card	Six drives in x1 slots	6	PCIe x1	ASM1166
6	StarTech 4-Port SATA Card	Branded four-port reliability	4	PCIe 3.0 x2	ASM1164
7	YBBOTT 6-Port SATA Card	Six drives in x4 slots	6	PCIe x4, x8, x16	ASM1166
8	StarTech 10-Port SATA Card	Ten-drive archives	10	PCIe 2.0 x2	ASM1062 + 2x JMB575
9	SilverStone ECS07	M.2 slot conversion	5	M.2 PCIe (NVMe)	Not listed
10	Trotwei Blue 20-Port SATA Card	20-drive bulk storage	20	PCIe x1	ASM1064 + 4x JMB575

1. Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card: Best PCIe x1 SATA Card for Bootable Upgrades

• Ports: 4 SATA III (6Gbps)
• Controller: Marvell 88SE9215
• Slot: PCIe x1 (also fits x4, x8 and x16)
• Included: 4 SATA cables, full-height and low-profile brackets
• Warranty: 2 years

Pros:

• It can host a bootable system disk, which suits older PCs with no usable onboard SATA.
• The fanless Marvell 88SE9215 design makes no noise and weighs only 0.22 lb.
• Four 6Gbps cables and both bracket sizes are in the box, so it fits mini-ITX and tower cases without extra parts.
• Operating system coverage runs from Windows XP through Windows 11, plus macOS, Linux and NAS systems, with driver-free installation on most.

Cons:

• All four ports share one PCIe x1 lane, so four SSDs running at once will not each reach full SATA speed.
• It is a non-RAID card, so any array has to be handled in software.
• Four ports is a hard ceiling compared with the six-port GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port or the larger cards further down.

Best for: Someone reviving an older desktop who wants one or two extra SATA drives and the option to boot from the card.

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What sets the Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card apart is the combination of explicit boot support and a complete kit. Several cards in this list are storage-only controllers, and the GLOTRENDS card states outright that it will not boot an operating system. Here the connected SSD or HDD can serve as the system disk, which makes it the most flexible simple option for a machine whose motherboard has failed SATA ports or none at all.

The 2-year warranty is longer than the one-year terms on the Moonqkuses, MZHOU and YBBOTT cards, and it matches the StarTech cards. The Marvell 88SE9215 is the same controller family used by the Moonqkuses 4-Port SATA Card, so performance should be comparable, but Ziyituod's pack-in of both bracket heights is the more practical kit for oddly sized cases.

It is the wrong choice if you are building a NAS with five or more drives. The single x1 lane becomes the bottleneck, and the GLOTRENDS card, with its PCIe 3.0 x2 uplink and six ports, is the better fit. If you want a vendor with long-published support documentation, the StarTech 4-Port SATA Card covers the same port count.

2. GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port: Best ASM1166 SATA Card for Six-Drive NAS Builds

• Ports: 6 SATA III (6Gbps)
• Controller: ASM1166, PCIe 3.0 x2 bus on a x4 physical connector
• Throughput: Up to 277MB/s per port
• Included: 6 cables (350mm), 1:5 power splitter, regular and low-profile brackets
• Extras: 6 drive activity LEDs

Pros:

• The PCIe 3.0 x2 uplink gives six ports far more headroom than any x1 card in this list.
• Each port is rated at 277MB/s, enough for six hard drives to work at once without a shared-lane bottleneck.
• Six LEDs show power and read/write activity per drive, which helps when diagnosing a bad bay in a closed case.
• The kit includes a 1:5 SATA power splitter plus both bracket sizes, so a six-drive build needs fewer extra parts.

Cons:

• It is a storage controller only and does not boot an operating system.
• The BIOS or UEFI must be set to AHCI before first install, which trips up some first-time builders.
• Hardware RAID is not supported, so it relies on unRAID, TrueNAS, ZFS, Proxmox or Windows Storage Spaces.

Best for: A home server builder who wants six software-managed drives in a free x4, x8 or x16 slot.

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The GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port earns its place by pairing a modern ASM1166 chip with a wider bus than the MZHOU and Ziyituod cards. Six drives share a x2 PCIe 3.0 connection instead of one lane, so a parity check or large backup job runs closer to what the drives themselves can deliver. The most common praise is that it installs easily without drivers; the point where opinion splits is value. Real-world transfer figures vary by drive, and spinning disks rarely exceed what the card allows anyway.

It is aimed squarely at NAS and server use. The activity LEDs and the supplied power splitter suit multi-bay cases, and the card works with Windows (except XP), macOS, Linux, Ubuntu and ESXi. A PCIe 3.0 x1 version of the same card is also offered for boards where no x4 or larger slot is free.

Skip it if you need the card to carry your boot drive: the Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card is the listed product that does. If you only need four drives, GLOTRENDS is more card than the job requires, and the Moonqkuses or StarTech four-port models are simpler. For six drives in a x4 slot the YBBOTT card uses the same chip, but the GLOTRENDS kit adds the activity LEDs and clearer bus documentation.

3. Moonqkuses 4-Port SATA Card: Best Heatsinked Marvell Card for Small Cases

• Ports: 4 SATA 3.0 (6Gbps)
• Controller: Marvell 88SE9215 with heatsink
• Slot: PCIe x1, x4, x8 and x16
• Size: 3.15 x 0.51 x 4.72 inches, 99 g
• Included: 4 cables (40cm), low-profile bracket, screwdriver, screws, anti-static bag

Pros:

• The heatsink moves heat away from the controller, which helps in cramped, poorly ventilated cases.
• Port multiplier support, both FIS-based and command-based switching, is stated for the controller.
• The 40cm cables are longer than the 350mm leads in the GLOTRENDS kit, easing routing in larger towers.
• A screwdriver, screw kit and anti-static bag are bundled, so installation needs nothing extra.

Cons:

• Hardware RAID is not supported.
• The warranty is 12 months, shorter than the Ziyituod and StarTech cards.
• Four ports on a single shared lane limits sustained throughput with multiple SSDs.

Best for: A small-form-factor builder who wants a four-port card with a heatsink and a complete tool kit.

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The Moonqkuses 4-Port SATA Card is close in design to the Ziyituod card, since both use the Marvell 88SE9215. What separates them is the kit and the thermal approach. Moonqkuses lists a heatsink and ships a screwdriver and screws, while Ziyituod stresses a fanless design and a longer warranty. If you plan to run all four ports under sustained load, the heatsink is a sensible reason to pick this one.

Boot support is promoted in the product name, and the OS list covers Windows XP, macOS and Linux. It is a sound fit for upgrading an older office PC or a compact media machine where the extra drives are mostly reads.

It is not the card for a growing array. Once you pass four drives, the GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port or the ACTIMED 16-Port SATA Card makes more sense. And if a longer warranty matters, the Ziyituod and StarTech cards both carry two years.

4. ACTIMED 16-Port SATA Card: Best Multiplier-Based Card for 16-Drive Arrays

• Ports: 16 SATA III (6Gbps)
• Controller: ASM1064 with three port multipliers and a heatsink
• Slot: Fits x1, x4, x8 and x16 slots
• Included: 16 SATA cables, 15-pin power splitter, low-profile bracket, driver CD, manual
• Drive support: 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA drives

Pros:

• Sixteen ports on one card is by far the most capacity in the list outside the 20-port Trotwei Blue.
• All 16 cables and a power splitter are included, which saves sourcing a large cable batch.
• An aluminium heatsink sits over the chipset, a necessary feature when multipliers fan out so many ports.
• It handles both 2.5-inch SSDs and 3.5-inch hard drives and works with Linux, Windows and macOS.

Cons:

• Sixteen drives share the host link through port multipliers, so simultaneous heavy transfers will be slow per drive.
• The per-port bandwidth and PCIe generation are not stated in detail.
• Only one low-profile bracket is mentioned, with no full-height option listed.

Best for: A cold-storage or archive builder who needs many drives attached and rarely reads them all at once.

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The ACTIMED 16-Port SATA Card is about density. It uses an ASM1064 host controller feeding multipliers, which is how a single slot ends up with 16 connections. The trade-off is inherent: total bandwidth is divided among everything attached. That suits write-once, read-occasionally storage, such as a video archive fed by a 16 channel encoder where recordings are written steadily and seldom read back all at once.

The kit is generous, with 16 cables, a power splitter, a driver CD and a manual. It is rated for up to 256TB of total storage, which is a capacity claim rather than a performance one.

Do not choose it for a fast working array. For six drives with real throughput, the GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port is the better design. If 16 is not enough, the Trotwei Blue 20-Port SATA Card goes further, while the StarTech 10-Port SATA Card is the cleaner choice at ten drives.

5. MZHOU 6-Port SATA Card: Best ASM1166 Card for Six Drives in x1 Slots

• Ports: 6 SATA 3.0 (6Gbps)
• Controller: ASM1166
• Slot: PCIe x1 (also described as fitting x4, x8 and x16)
• Included: 6 SATA cables, low-profile bracket
• Warranty: 1 year

Pros:

• It brings six ports to a board where only a PCIe x1 slot is free.
• The ASM1166 is the same controller as in the GLOTRENDS and YBBOTT cards.
• Six cables and a low-profile bracket are included.
• Plug-and-play installation needs no drivers, and hot swap is stated as supported.

Cons:

• Six drives behind a single lane leave little headroom for simultaneous transfers.
• Build quality draws mixed opinions.
• Operating system support is limited to Windows and Linux, with no macOS listed.

Best for: Someone with a small board whose only free slot is x1 and who wants six drives for light use.

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The MZHOU 6-Port SATA Card solves a specific problem: many mini-ITX and compact boards offer just one x1 slot, and most six-port cards want x4. Because it connects through a single lane, it is better for media libraries and backups than for active workloads. Users report that SMART tests run as expected and that it slots into x1 easily, but build quality opinions are not uniform.

Against the GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port it gives up bus width and activity LEDs; in return it works where that card, with its x4 connector, will not. The GLOTRENDS x1 variant narrows that gap.

Avoid it for a performance-sensitive array. If you need only four ports, the Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card is simpler and adds boot support.

6. StarTech 4-Port SATA Card: Best Branded ASM1164 Card for Cross-Platform Use

• Ports: 4 SATA III (6Gbps), stacked connectors
• Controller: ASM1164, PCIe 3.0 x2, up to 16Gbps combined
• Standards: SATA 3.2, AHCI 1.4, NCQ, port multiplier support
• Included: Full-profile bracket installed, low-profile bracket in the box; SATA cables sold separately
• Warranty: 2 years

Pros:

• The PCIe 3.0 x2 link gives four ports up to 16Gbps combined, a clear step up from x1 four-port cards.
• Windows 7 and later, macOS 10.10 and later, and Linux 2.6.32 and later are supported.
• Storage Spaces, macOS RAID Assistant and mdadm are all supported for software arrays.
• At 1.76 ounces and 2.8 by 2.2 by 0.6 inches, it is very small.

Cons:

• SATA cables are not included.
• There is no boot support stated, unlike the Ziyituod and Moonqkuses cards.
• It needs a x2 or larger slot, so it will not fit x1-only boards.

Best for: A buyer who wants a documented, 2-year-backed four-port card for a Mac, Windows or Linux workstation.

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The StarTech 4-Port SATA Card differs from the cheaper four-port cards through its wider bus and stronger platform documentation. Its ASM1164 sits on a PCIe 3.0 x2 link, whereas the Ziyituod and Moonqkuses cards use Marvell controllers on x1. For four SSDs working at once, that extra bandwidth matters.

The cables are the catch. Where the Moonqkuses and Ziyituod cards pack four, you must source your own here. If you want everything in one box or need a bootable card, the Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card is the better match.

7. YBBOTT 6-Port SATA Card: Best x4 ASM1166 Card with Soft RAID Support

• Ports: 6 SATA 3.0 (6Gbps)
• Controller: ASM1166 with heatsink
• Slot: PCIe x4, x8 and x16 (not x1 or PCI)
• Included: 6 SATA cables, SATA power distribution cable
• Warranty: 1 year

Pros:

• The ASM1166 with a heatsink matches the chip used on the GLOTRENDS card.
• It needs a x4 or larger slot, so six ports are not squeezed through a single lane.
• A power distribution cable is included for powering several drives from one connector.
• Windows Server 2008 R2 through 2019 and modern Linux kernels are listed.

Cons:

• It does not fit PCIe x1 slots.
• Hard RAID is not supported; only software RAID works.
• The Linux list stops at kernel 4.x and Windows 7 is not named.

Best for: A server builder with a spare x4 slot who wants six ports and software RAID.

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The YBBOTT 6-Port SATA Card is a straightforward alternative to the GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port. Both use the ASM1166, but GLOTRENDS adds activity LEDs, a 1:5 splitter and a stated 277MB/s per port figure, while YBBOTT concentrates on the cables and a heatsink.

Do not buy it for an x1 board; the MZHOU 6-Port SATA Card is the listed fit there.

8. StarTech 10-Port SATA Card: Best Port-Multiplier Card for Ten-Drive Archives

• Ports: 10 SATA III (6Gbps), stacked connectors
• Controller: ASM1062 with two JMB575 five-port multipliers
• Bandwidth: PCIe 2.0 x2, up to 8Gbps combined
• Standards: SATA 3.2, AHCI 1.3, NCQ, TAA compliant
• Warranty: 2 years

Pros:

• Ten ports fill the gap between six-port cards and the 16-port ACTIMED.
• No bifurcation is required and there is no built-in RAID to complicate motherboard compatibility.
• It supports Windows 7 and later, macOS 10.10 and later, and Linux 2.6.32 and later.
• At 2.08 ounces and 4.7 by 2.1 by 0.7 inches, it is compact for ten ports.

Cons:

• Ten drives share only up to 8Gbps, so simultaneous use is slow.
• SATA cables are sold separately.
• PCIe 2.0 is older than the PCIe 3.0 links on the GLOTRENDS and StarTech 4-Port cards.

Best for: An archive or backup server needing ten drives on a brand with a 2-year warranty.

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The StarTech 10-Port SATA Card is the sensible middle path between small cards and the 16-port and 20-port multipliers. Compared with the ACTIMED, it has fewer ports but a clearer spec sheet, a 2-year warranty and TAA status.

Avoid it for fast arrays: the GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port gives each drive far more bandwidth.

9. SilverStone ECS07: Best M.2 NVMe Slot Converter for Five SATA Drives

• Ports: 5 SATA Gen3 (6Gbps)
• Interface: M.2 PCIe (NVMe) slot
• Standard: SATA Specification Revision 3.2
• Features: Aluminium heatsink, device sleep, SATA plug-in detection
• Size: 3.17 x 0.97 x 0.41 inches, 0.04 kg

Pros:

• It turns an unused M.2 slot into five SATA ports, ideal for boards with no spare full-size slot.
• The aluminium heatsink helps stability under load.
• Device sleep and plug-in detection are supported.
• Installation is plug and play with no driver needed.

Cons:

• SATA cables are not listed as included.
• The blue LEDs are very bright for some builders.
• Its chipset is not listed, and Windows is the only operating system named.

Best for: A small-form-factor builder with a free M.2 slot but no free PCIe slot.

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The SilverStone ECS07 is the only card here that does not occupy a PCIe slot, so it is the answer for boards where the GPU takes the only one. Buyers describe it as a neat little host bus adapter that works on AM5, and the main complaint is the LED brightness.

Choose a PCIe card like the GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port if you need a sixth drive or a documented bus.

10. Trotwei Blue 20-Port SATA Card: Best Bundled-Cable Card for 20-Drive Bulk Storage

• Ports: 20 SATA 3.0 (6Gbps)
• Controller: ASM1064 with four JMB575 multipliers
• Slot: PCIe x1
• Included: 2 sets of 8-to-8 and 1 set of 4-to-4 bundled SATA cables
• Extras: 20 status LEDs, 6.1 x 4.7 x 1 inch body, 0.34 kg

Pros:

• Twenty ports from one x1 slot is the highest count in the list.
• Bundled cable sets keep wiring far tidier than 20 separate leads.
• One LED per port shows connection status at a glance.
• Windows, Linux, Ubuntu, ESXi, Synology and NAS systems are listed.

Cons:

• Twenty drives share a single x1 lane, so aggregate speed is very low.
• At 6.1 inches long and 1 inch tall it needs a roomy case.
• No RAID, and the warranty terms are vague.

Best for: A bulk archive builder with a single x1 slot and many drives.

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The Trotwei Blue 20-Port SATA Card is a capacity play, and the bundled cables plus per-port LEDs make 20 drives manageable. It outdoes the ACTIMED 16-Port SATA Card on count, though that card has the clearer accessory list.

Do not buy it for speed. For active use, the GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port is far better.

Buyer's Guide: How to Choose the Right PCIe SATA Expansion Card

The core trade-off is ports against bandwidth. Cards with more ports usually rely on port multipliers or a narrow PCIe lane, so every extra drive reduces what each one can deliver. A few drives on a wide bus perform best; many drives on a narrow bus suit archives.

Before choosing, check these project details:

• Free slot: Note whether you have a x1, x4 or larger slot, or only an M.2 slot.
• Drive count: Decide how many drives you need now and later.
• Boot role: Confirm whether the card must host your system disk.
• RAID plan: Hardware RAID is not offered by any card here, so plan for software RAID.
• Cables and power: Check whether cables and a power splitter are included.

Port Count and Host Bandwidth

Four ports on a x1 lane, like the Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card and Moonqkuses 4-Port SATA Card, are fine for modest use. The StarTech 4-Port SATA Card and GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port use x2 links and fit sustained transfers better.

Beyond six, you enter multiplier territory. The StarTech 10-Port SATA Card, ACTIMED 16-Port SATA Card and Trotwei Blue 20-Port SATA Card suit archives where capacity matters more than speed.

Controller Chip and Port Multipliers

The Marvell 88SE9215 powers the two cheaper four-port cards, while the ASM1166 appears on the GLOTRENDS, MZHOU and YBBOTT six-port cards. The ASM1164 is on the StarTech four-port.

Multiplier designs use chips like the JMB575 to fan out ports. They work well but share bandwidth, so avoid them for active arrays.

Slot Type and Bracket Fit

A x1 slot works with the MZHOU 6-Port SATA Card and Trotwei Blue 20-Port SATA Card, while the YBBOTT 6-Port SATA Card needs x4 or larger. Compact cases need a low-profile bracket; Ziyituod includes both heights, as do the GLOTRENDS and StarTech cards.

If no slot is free, the SilverStone ECS07 uses an M.2 slot instead. When capturing footage for surveillance, a micro SD card for security camera often handles local recording at the camera, with a PCIe card handling the central archive.

Boot Support and RAID Expectations

Ziyituod, Moonqkuses and Trotwei Blue state boot support, while GLOTRENDS says its card will not boot an operating system. Others are silent, so assume storage only.

None offers hardware RAID. The StarTech cards document support for Storage Spaces, RAID Assistant and mdadm, a good guide to what software setups work.

Frequently Asked Questions About PCIe SATA Expansion Cards

Can I Boot From a PCIe SATA Expansion Card?

Some cards can. The Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card and Moonqkuses 4-Port SATA Card both state bootable system disk support. The GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port states it does not boot an operating system.

Do These Cards Support Hardware RAID?

No card in this list offers hardware RAID. The GLOTRENDS and YBBOTT cards both say only software RAID works. Use ZFS, unRAID, TrueNAS or Windows Storage Spaces.

How Many Drives Can One Card Handle?

Counts range from four on the Ziyituod card to 20 on the Trotwei Blue 20-Port SATA Card. The ACTIMED 16-Port SATA Card sits between. More ports mean less bandwidth per drive.

Will a SATA Card Work in a PCIe x1 Slot?

Yes, with the right card. The Ziyituod, MZHOU and Trotwei Blue cards fit x1 slots. The YBBOTT 6-Port SATA Card does not.

Do I Need Drivers?

Most cards are plug and play. The Ziyituod, GLOTRENDS and SilverStone cards describe driver-free installation. The ACTIMED card includes a driver CD if needed.

What If I Have No Free PCIe Slot?

The SilverStone ECS07 uses an M.2 NVMe slot to give five SATA ports. It suits compact boards. Check that the slot supports PCIe devices.

Final Verdict: Which PCIe SATA Expansion Card Should You Buy?

Best PCIe SATA Expansion Cards for most buyers start with Ziyituod 4-Port SATA Card: a Marvell 88SE9215 card with four ports, boot support, both bracket sizes and a 2-year warranty. Its main weakness is that four drives share one PCIe x1 lane, so heavy simultaneous use will be slower than on the wider cards.

For alternatives by use case, the GLOTRENDS SA3026C 6-Port suits six-drive NAS builds with its PCIe 3.0 x2 link and 277MB/s per port, while the Moonqkuses 4-Port SATA Card suits tight cases. The StarTech 4-Port SATA Card is the pick for a documented cross-platform workstation, and the MZHOU and YBBOTT cards cover six drives in x1 and x4 slots respectively.

The specialist picks cover large or unusual builds. The StarTech 10-Port SATA Card, ACTIMED 16-Port SATA Card and Trotwei Blue 20-Port SATA Card trade speed for capacity, and the SilverStone ECS07 adds SATA ports through an M.2 slot. If you are still undecided, count the drives you need, check which slot you have free, and pick the card with the widest bus that fits.