Check Whether a Drive Works With Your NAS, PC or HBA
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A SATA drive works on a SATA port and on a SAS controller. A SAS drive works only on a SAS controller: it cannot be plugged into a SATA port, so it will not run from a PC's onboard SATA or in a SATA-only NAS bay. Pick your drive and your host below, and where a card and cable make it work the tool prices them from live listings.
Your drive and where you want to put it
The model lookup covers 339 model numbers whose maker data sheet states the interface: Seagate Exos, IronWolf, IronWolf Pro and BarraCuda, WD Gold and Ultrastar, and Toshiba MG. For any other drive, read SAS or SATA from its label.
SAS drive, PC with onboard SATA: needs an HBA and a cable
Connecting a SAS drive to a SATA controller will not work[2], so the motherboard's SATA ports are out. A SAS host bus adapter in a free PCIe slot runs the drive, with a breakout cable that ends in SFF-8482 plugs, the connector on a SAS drive[3].
Full cost today: $66.98 for one card and one cable, which connects up to four SAS drives.
If the drive is not bought yet, a SATA drive of the same size needs none of this.
Every case in one table
| Drive | Host | Answer | What it takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SATA | NAS with SATA bays | Works | Nothing |
| SATA | PC, motherboard SATA port | Works | Nothing beyond a SATA data cable |
| SATA | SAS HBA | Works | A breakout cable from the card's connector to SATA |
| SAS | NAS with SATA bays | Will not work | Nothing makes it work; use a SATA drive |
| SAS | PC, motherboard SATA port | Needs an HBA and a cable | A SAS HBA and a breakout cable to SFF-8482 |
| SAS | SAS HBA | Works | A breakout cable from the card's connector to SFF-8482 |
Every NAS model in this tool has SATA bays, by its maker's specification. SATA drives may be plugged into SAS controllers, and SAS drives cannot be plugged into SATA controllers[1].
Breakout cables for SAS drives, with live prices
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The rules behind the answers
- SATA drives may be plugged into SAS controllers. SAS drives cannot be plugged into SATA controllers.[1]
- Connecting a SAS drive to a SATA controller will not work. A SAS drive takes its power through the SAS connector.[2]
- The plug on a SAS drive is the SFF-8482 SAS plug connector, and Seagate describes SAS connectors, cables and the electrical interface as compatible with SATA drives.[3]
- The LSI SAS 9300-8i has two internal SFF-8643 mini-SAS HD connectors and supports both SAS and SATA devices. The cable takes a mini-SAS HD connector on the card end and the connector your drives or backplane need on the other.[4]
- UGREEN's NAS compatibility page says SAS drives are not supported.[5]
What the cost covers
The cost shown is one host bus adapter plus one breakout cable, each the cheapest listing in stock that passes the site's listing check. One cable connects up to four drives, and an eight-port card takes two cables. The card's connector is read from the listing, and the cable is matched to it.
The cost does not include a free PCIe slot, which the card needs, or drive power: a SAS breakout cable usually carries a power plug for each drive, and the check line under the cable says whether the listing mentions it.
Sources
- Seagate knowledge base: Connecting SATA drive to SAS controller checked 2026-10-13
- Seagate knowledge base: Serial-Attached SCSI Installation Instructions checked 2026-10-13
- Seagate Exos 7E10 SAS product manual 100870879, Rev. E checked 2026-10-13
- LSI SAS 9300-8i host bus adapter user guide, DB15-000984-03 checked 2026-10-13
- UGREEN NAS compatibility list: drive notes checked 2026-10-12
The rules on this page were reviewed on October 13, 2026. Prices and stock are from Amazon.com as of October 13, 2026.