Cheap RAID controller with passthrough mode recommendations.

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Kardonxt

2[H]4U
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I'm looking for recommendations for a card that supports 8 drives in passthrough \ JBOD mode. This will be for a system running Windows Server 2016.

LSI 9211-8i flashed to IT mode seems to be a poplar option. I see the 9240-8i is also relatively common yet 1/2 the price on ebay. Will either of these cards be a good fit and if so is there a compelling reason to pay more for the 9211? (Performance is unimportant)

Any other recommendations?

Thanks in advance!
 
Kardonxt said:
I'm looking for recommendations for a card that supports 8 drives in passthrough \ JBOD mode. This will be for a system running Windows Server 2016.

LSI 9211-8i flashed to IT mode seems to be a poplar option. I see the 9240-8i is also relatively common yet 1/2 the price on ebay. Will either of these cards be a good fit and if so is there a compelling reason to pay more for the 9211? (Performance is unimportant)

Any other recommendations?

Thanks in advance!
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Either option should work for you. Be sure to get them from a good seller. It is a lot easier to get them already flashed. I don't generally see 9240 cards being cheaper, though I haven't looked in a while. I wonder if the difference is whether or not they are flashed. you also need to do a bit of research to be sure you get the right card. They are different configurations for internal/ external etc. I have a couple of 9211-8i cards that work great (once I put a piece of electrical tape on one of the pins...)

This youtuber has great info in his videos. He is dry but informative.

https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtofServer/videos
 
I have that LSI 9211-8i, and run both of my Exos drives off it. Ive had it for around 4 years now in 2 seperate systems and plugged a ton if different drives into it without an issue. Thumbs up from me.
 
I run this specific card from this specific seller. https://www.ebay.com/itm/123916887273

I don't think it's specifically any better than any other but it has worked flawlessly, included both brackets and they shipped very quickly from US.
 
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Thanks for the info guys! I was planning on going the pre-flashed route, I'm sure I can figure it out but not worth saving $20 imho.

I'll see if I can find a pre-flashed h310.
 
I found a Dell Perc H200 from a decommissioned server a few years ago. Flashed to IT mode and used it in FreeNAS for a while. Then I upgraded to a Dell 330+. Its basically an HBA that's already preflashed to IT Mode. They did go up in price probably because of Chia, but since I got my last card free, I didn't mind spending the $99 shipped for a new Dell 330 (Dell P/N: J7TNV).

Beware of counterfeits - look for the Dell's first.

Edit: Included Dell P/N: J7TNV
 
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the h330 is the newer 12g SAS capable card. great card and good deal even at 99$. i run a pair of them myself.
the h310 is an HBA so even in IR mode it still does drive pass-through, and theres was only like a 2% performance difference. i posted some info about the h310, crossflashing, and differences in IT and IR on this board several years ago.
 
MooCow said:
I found a Dell Perc H200 from a decommissioned server a few years ago. Flashed to IT mode and used it in FreeNAS for a while. Then I upgraded to a Dell 330+. Its basically an HBA that's already preflashed to IT Mode. They did go up in price probably because of Chia, but since I got my last card free, I didn't mind spending the $99 shipped for the Dell 330.

Beware of counterfeits - look for the Dell's first.
Click to expand...
Didn't even think about Chia. This is definitely a likely culprit for the increased prices.
 
Flashing the H200 is a little confusing, I think there are two firmware's with the same name (P19) and you have to make sure to verify the checksum that you are flashing your H200 to the correct P19 to use it in IT mode. The flashing process was straightforward, the information out there was rather annoying.

Yup, as soon as I saw used enterprise hard drive prices jump up, I knew it was time to grab a new HBA as everyone is gonna realize you need these too. This seller claims it is a pull from a brand new server, but I don't know if it is a legit Dell H330 yet. It is:

Dell Part Number # J7TNV

Just try finding yourself a J7TNV with a full height bracket (or a kit that includes both the full height and low profile brackets). With the J7TNV, you supposedly won't need to deal with any flashing at all, unless there is a new firmware with improvements / bug fixes. I tried looking for any information on the existence of any counterfeit J7TNV's, but was unable to find much. Compared to the H200, the H330 includes a much bigger heatsink on it that some people are supposedly able to use it without active cooling.
 
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I took off the stock heatsink and wiped off the stock TIM, cleaned everything up with a microfiber and rubbing alcohol, then applied some Kyronaut grizzly thermal paste on the chip and some thermal pads on the backplate behind the chip. Hope it helps. I haven't plugged it in yet.

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