[RanSEE]

Thanks. I have an 8TB RAID mirrored for 4TB that runs as eSATA off the main computer. I have a 4TB Zyxel NAS that I use for backup of the RAID, that's on the network, but only turned on once a week for backup or occasionally if I need the RAID contents available to the wireless network. I haven't found a reliable method of getting the contents of the second port accessible to the first port, which is why it's configured as it is with the second port disabled. Lotsa fun, huh?! Anyway,I had emailed Gigabyte support with the same basic question.

Their answer: the second port is a spare for normal installations and has a few limited uses in server applications (and who's gonna use this board for a server??).

Pretty much what we figured. Mostly marketing. Two is better than one. Right!?!? So, under normal conditions, disable the second port in BIOS setup and only use one.