Plenty BSODs after installing PCI card

[Technique]

I needed another SATA port as the 5 on my MOBO were all occupied. So i bought a new PCI card.

To be exact, i bought this PCI card:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280414578300?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I don't know whether it's best to connect a hard drive or optical drive to this, but i connected a hard drive. It hit the transfer rate badly.

Hard drive connected to PCI card:

Exact same hard drive connected to MOBO:

Either way, i've never had a BSOD with Windows 7 since i started running it in Aug 2010, but i started getting them after installing this card. Not every time, but some times.

I switched my DVD-ROM drive to this PCI card & the occasional BSOD still came, but then after a while the frequency really started picking up, so much so that i couldn't boot into Windows. As soon as Windows hit, i got a BSOD.

Just to be sure, i was connecting it into this port on my MOBO as indicated by the arrow (basically the bottom slot):

Why would i suddenly be receiving BSODs since installing this card?

As an aside (& so i don't have to make another new thread) .... i'm looking at turning my triple boot system into a dual boot after learning the benefits of running a virtual machine.

As a result ... if i was to dual boot 2x Windows 7 (don't ask why - it's not important) then which HDD would the BIOS be 'looking at' first in order of boot sequence? The one which had Win7 installed on it first, or the one which was the second install? Thanks.

[Crisp]

You brought a non-branded, cheap PCI sata card from eBay.

Problem?

Just send it back and get a refund.

[Technique]

Is that the answer to the question then?

Why would the BSODs come ...... because the card is cheap?

So if the seller sold the card to me for ?50, it should be ok? Even though it'd be the same card?

[Neu B]

You brought a non-branded, cheap PCI sata card from eBay.

Problem?

Just send it back and get a refund.

+1

[Technique]

Any take on the 2nd question?... Looking to get the machine sorted today hopefully

As an aside (& so i don't have to make another new thread) .... i'm looking at turning my triple boot system into a dual boot after learning the benefits of running a virtual machine.

As a result ... if i was to dual boot 2x Windows 7 (don't ask why - it's not important) then which HDD would the BIOS be 'looking at' first in order of boot sequence? The one which had Win7 installed on it first, or the one which was the second install? Thanks.

[theyarecomingforyou]

Any take on the 2nd question?... Looking to get the machine sorted today hopefully

The bootloader is dictated by the most recent install. For example, if you install Windows 8 and then install Windows 7 you will end up with the Windows 7 bootloader; the same would apply to multiple installs of the same operating system.

[n_K]

It's not the price that the person sold it to you for, it's the cheapness of the manufacturer. You get branded USB PCI card which work fine, very very rarely you might find one that doesn't work. If any fail QA though, they'll either be scrapped, recycled, or sold to another company that will sell them at a much cheaper price, you might see some on ebay. Then there's chinese clones of these cards, copy out all traces and chips and parts and make them as cheap as possible and flood the market with them (this happened with LCD power supplies and motherboard capacitors, which is why LCD PSUs only lasted a year or so before causing problems and capacitors on motherboards would leak and explode within 2 years).

You should look for an OFFICIAL BRANDED product and check the reviews of it!

[Technique]

Thanks guys.

[raid0]

As a technician I recommend you buying quality PC parts from reputable companies. I am not surprised you get lots of BSOD.

[Technique]

On that note: Can you recommend a PCI card?

On another forum, i had my knowledge exposed when they discussed SATA 3. So looks like i'll be looking for SATA3 ports. Also seems i should be looking for a PCIe card & not a PCI card. Would also be helpful (although not a necessity) if the card also had USB 3.0 externally.

[azspeedbullet]

PCI bus can not handle SATA 2/3 speeds..this might be another cause of the BSOD

[Technique]

PCI bus can not handle SATA 2/3 speeds..this might be another cause of the BSOD

So what do i do?

I figure as i've got 2 optical drives - one of them is the default boot option.

I have 2 SSDs, both of which are bootable drives with Win 7 installed on.

So both those drives plus the default optical drive should be connected to the MOBO SATA ports. That's 3 of my 5 available slots taken up.

I would guess the other 2 should both be taken up by the non-bootable HDDs which i'm just using for storage.

And then, any add on card should take the 'other' optical drive.

Either way, i need another SATA port, but i don't want BSODs, obviously. What to do then? What to buy?

[Technique]

So what do i do?

I figure as i've got 2 optical drives - one of them is the default boot option.

I have 2 SSDs, both of which are bootable drives with Win 7 installed on.

So both those drives plus the default optical drive should be connected to the MOBO SATA ports. That's 3 of my 5 available slots taken up.

I would guess the other 2 should both be taken up by the non-bootable HDDs which i'm just using for storage.

And then, any add on card should take the 'other' optical drive.

Either way, i need another SATA port, but i don't want BSODs, obviously. What to do then? What to buy?

I repeat the above...?

[+PeterUK MVC]

If you have a M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 then you have a eSATA port which you can buy a SATA to eSATA cable and loop it outside to inside for the extra port.

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1m-scan-sata-to-esata-external-cable-rb-451