[MCTG] External Multi-Terabyte Tape Drive for ATX Tower Computer?

[Bryan Bird]

hey stewart,

in my experience consumer ATX boards generally don’t implement Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), but i’m not sure what you’ve got there. your “mysterious” headers might be SlimSAS (SFF-8654) that break out to SATA lanes or PCIe (check your BIOS). i wouldn't assume SAS unless it has a SAS controller.

if no SAS, get yourself an HBA with SFF-8644, an SFF-8644↔SFF-8644 cable (or 8644↔8088 if you've an older drive).

go fibre channel if you have that need (share the tape drive, or long runs) and have a larger budget.

yours in storage,
bryan

> On Oct 28, 2025, at 09:46, Stewart Dickson <Stewart.Dickson at mathart.org> wrote:
> 
> Mendocino Coast Tech Guild - to facilitate technical education and community business startup.
> Hi,
> 
> 
> I just bought my 'retirement' computer.  (Mi job was eliminated at Wolfram Research)
> 
> It is a ASRock ATX motherboard with these mysterious hidden SATA connectors.
> 
> Anyway, I'm looking for a multi-terabyte tape backup system and I can only find drives
> 
> with SCSI interfaces.
> 
> Does anybody know how to connect such an (external) box to a motherboard like this?
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> 
> -Stewart, https://mathart.org/related_links.html
> 
> 
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