Motherboards - PCI and controllers

[kogase]

I was reading a post on Google groups where a guy was saying that, basically, the SATA controllers in todays motherboards just kind of "hang off" of the motherboard's PCI bus, like an expansion card, and aren't properly integrated like normal PATA controllers are. He said this could lead to conflicts when you use a SATA controller in tandem with other PCI expansion cards, such as audio cards and what not. This made some amount of sense to me, because I'm having what seem to be hard drive related issues after installing an Echo Mia audio card, and I'm using a SATA drive. Is there truth to what this guy was saying? If so, what motherboards properly integrate SATA controllers in a way that won't lead to conflicts with my PCI expansion cards?

 

[Peter]

The most recent wave of chipsets from all the usual suspects have at least two SATA channels directly inside the chipset south bridge.

Besides, "conflicts" among PCI cards are a myth anyway. All you get is bandwidth congestion because PCI is a slow bus.

 

[kogase]

So what do you think about my problem? The system seems to hang (not freeze, but hang) sometimes while I'm browsing files with Windows Explorer, but the disk itself is fine. I didn't have the problem until I installed my Mia card. I'm running an A7N8X Deluxe. Do you know if that board has the SATA controller built into the southbridge as you put it?