RAID Controllers
If you do not intend to put your hard drives in a RAID array, then you do not need a RAID controller.

Dedicated hardware RAID controllers offer a much better solution for RAID than simple onboard controllers. These have better driver compatibility, work in both Windows and Linux, and support a wider range of array types. They also have dedicated processors, so that no extra load is put on the main CPU. For a high-end RAID solution where performance and stability are important, one of these is a must.

To help you select which one is best for you, match the type of connection available on your motherboard and the number of drives you need. Alternatively, talk to one of our customer service representatives and we can make sure you get the best product for your needs.

For more info on RAID arrays, check out our hardware article.

Other controllers
If you need additional ports above and beyond what your motherboard and case provide, we offer additional controller cards for most common port types.

This SATA II controller card from SYBA provides both an eSATA port as well as a traditional internal SATA header. That flexibility allows for an additional internal and external hard drive from the same card, or the internal port can be connected to a front eSATA port on select cases to provide hot-swappable eSATA functionality. That is especially helpful when paired with a motherboard that does not support hot-swap on its own, like the Intel S5520SC.

This add-on card provides four USB 3.0 ports: two via an internal header, and two more directly on the back of the card. The internal connection is useful if you have a chassis with front USB 3.0 ports - or some other front bay device that needs USB 3.0 - and a motherboard that doesn't have a free internal header already. Even if you don't need an internal header the rear-panel USB 3.0 ports provide easy access and make this card a great option for upgrading older computers that may not have come with USB 3.0 built-in.

To accommodate the full speed potential of these new connections it requires a PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slot (or larger) on the motherboard, along with a Molex power cable to ensure adequate amperage to your devices that draw power over USB.

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This StarTech brand card provides a pair of USB 3.1 ports. One is Type A, the same shape as older USB 1.0 / 2.0 / 3.0 ports, and is backward compatible with older devices without need for adapters. The other is the new Type C port, which is smaller and expected to be the new standard going forward.

Internally, this card requires a PCI-Express x4 (or larger) slot on the motherboard. It also needs a SATA power connection, in order to ensure plenty of power delivery to connected devices.

Some motherboards already have USB 3.1 ports, in which case a card like this may not be needed. If additional USB 3.1 ports are needed, though, this card should fit the bill. Check the specifications of the motherboard you are considering, or ask our consulting staff, if you are unsure how many USB ports you will already have access to.

This card from SIIG adds three Firewire 800 ports in a PCI-Express x1 (or larger) slot. It is an excellent option for adding Firewire 800 (also called 1394b) ports to a workstation, and supports multiple devices to help avoid needing additional cards.

The Elgato HD60 Pro is a HDMI capture card. It works by sitting between the video source and the monitor or TV to which it is displaying - so it has HDMI input and output ports for those two connections. It can both record and pass through video at up to 1920x1080 and 60fps (sometimes shortened to 1080p60). Elgato includes their own software, but this card also works well with popular applications like Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) and XSplit.

The Blackmagic Design DeckLink Mini Monitor 4K upgrades a workstation with HDMI and SDI outputs for connecting a reference monitor. This is ideal for displaying your video editing and color correction results full-screen with 10-bit color support, while keeping your main monitor(s) for handling the rest of your workflow.

Note that this is not a standard video output card. It outputs video ONLY from supported software packages and requires a monitor that can run at your project resolution/FPS.

Note: Note that this is not a standard video output card. It outputs video ONLY from supported software packages (Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, etc.) and requires a monitor that can run at your project resolution/FPS.

Puget Professional Advice:

William George (Puget Labs Technician) Says: This card has a somewhat noisy fan for cooling, so keep that in mind - and consider alternatives if you want to have a super-quiet computer.

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The LSI 9361-4i RAID Controller is a 4-port, 12Gbps SAS / SATA adapter incorporating LSI MegaRAID technology. It supports all major RAID modes via a dual-core LSI hardware controller chip, and by utilizing a PCI-Express 3.0 x8 slot it can handle tremendous data bandwidth. This allows using even fast solid-state drives effectively, and LSI's FastPath software on the card adapts the controller to provide the best performance when SSDs are present.

For mission-critical work, there is also an optional hardware add-on to protect data in the card's cache during an unexpected loss of power. This upgrade, called CacheVault, helps to shield data that was in the process of being written during power loss from corruption. If you do not utilize CacheVault, or some other form of protection from outages, then it is highly recommended to disable the Write Caching feature on this card. Doing so reduces write speeds dramatically, but the alternative is to leave your data open to corruption in the case of an unexpected loss of power.

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The Blackmagic Design DeckLink Studio 4K 6G-SDI upgrades a workstation with inputs and outptus for HDMI and SDI, as well as a breakout cable with numerous other inputs. The various inputs allow for recording video (only one active input at a time) while the outputs allow connecting a reference monitor. This is ideal for displaying your video editing and color correction results full-screen with 10-bit color support, while keeping your main monitor(s) for handling the rest of your workflow.

Note that this is not a standard video output card. It outputs video ONLY from supported software packages and requires a monitor that can run at your project resolution/FPS.

Note: Note that this is not a standard video output card. It outputs video ONLY from supported software packages (Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, etc.) and requires a monitor that can run at your project resolution/FPS.

Puget Professional Advice:

William George (Puget Labs Technician) Says: This card has a somewhat noisy fan for cooling, so keep that in mind - and consider alternatives if you want to have a super-quiet computer.