what's the diff between PCI express x1 and 2.0?
 

First what I am trying to do is add more SATA ports to my motherboard and not spend $300 to do it.

I have a GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UP4 TH LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard running win 7 64 bit and I am looking at new egg for controllers and I see some cheap controllers but they say PCI Express x1 or some say PCI Express 2.0.

For example:
Newegg.com - SYBA SY-PEX40052 PCI-Express x1 Low Profile Ready SATA III (6.0Gb/s) HyperDuo SSD and SATA 6G HDD Controller Card
and this
Newegg.com - SYBA SY-PEX40039 PCI-Express 2.0 SATA III (6.0Gb/s) Controller Card

they look like they go in the same slot so what's the difference? Looking at the MB it says there are three PCI Express x1 slots. I know you are thinking to yourself "just buy the one that says goes in your motherboard" but I am curious as to what the difference is.

I'd like to add something to the PCI Express 3.0 slot but the cheapest thing I find is this for $300

Newegg.com - LSI LSI00301 (9207-8i) PCI-Express 3.0 x8 Low Profile SATA / SAS Host Controller Card

Any brilliant thoughts?

They are the same. PCI-E x1 is the slot type PCI-E 2.0 is the revision.

so why 2 versions of essentially the same thing made by the same manufacturer?

and is either of these controller chips better than the other

ASM1061 Chipset (Asmedia 1061 SATA Host Controller) on a $23 board
or
Marvell 9128 Chipset on a $30 board

The revision is a bump in maximum bandwidth.

Per wiki
PCI Express - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I see. Ok thanks for the info.