Intel 4 Port Serial ATA/SAS RAID Controller

Overview

The Intel SRCSASLS4I is a RAID controller designed to connect to a PCI Express x8 Gen2 slot, providing four internal ports for Serial ATA or SAS drives. It supports up to sixteen drives using fan-out cables, making it a scalable solution for servers, workstations, or storage chassis. With a 128 MB cache and support for multiple RAID levels, it balances performance and data protection for demanding workloads like database queries, media streaming, and virtualization.

Key features

• Supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60, allowing customization for speed, mirroring, or double-parity protection
• Connects up to sixteen SAS or SATA drives through four internal MiniSAS ports using fan-out cables
• 128 MB onboard cache enhances read and write responsiveness during burst workloads
• Includes both full-height and low-profile MD2 brackets for compatibility with slim rack servers and standard towers
• Ships with a MiniSAS cable and a clear user guide for straightforward installation
• Compatible with current versions of Windows, Linux, Solaris, and VMware, supporting diverse IT environments

Key specs

• Host interface: PCI Express x8 Gen2
• Number of internal ports: 4
• Supported drives: Serial ATA and SAS
• Maximum drives supported: 16 (via fan-out cables)
• Data transfer rate per port: 3 Gb/s
• Onboard cache: 128 MB
• Form factor: MD2 size with full-height and low-profile brackets included

Connectivity and compatibility

This RAID controller connects through a PCI Express x8 Gen2 slot, ensuring high-speed communication with the host system. The four internal MiniSAS ports support both SAS and SATA drives, and with fan-out cables, you can expand to sixteen drives without additional controllers. Its broad OS compatibility covers Windows, Linux, Solaris, and VMware, making it suitable for various server and workstation setups.

Installation and setup

Installation is designed to be simple and flexible. The controller comes with both full-height and low-profile brackets, fitting a wide range of chassis sizes including slim rack servers. The included MiniSAS cable and detailed user guide help streamline the setup process, allowing you to quickly integrate the controller into your existing infrastructure.

Ideal uses and environments

This RAID controller is well suited to small business file servers, virtualization labs, and storage arrays that require a balance of performance and data protection. Its support for multiple RAID levels and scalable drive connections make it a strong choice for IT professionals who need reliable, flexible storage solutions without adding extra hardware complexity.