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Green circuit board with two SFF-8087 ports and silver bracket

LSI

LSI 9211-8i HBA FW:P20 IT Mode 2× SFF-8087 SATA

SKU CH-D3HY-0YWK6

Eight-port 6 Gbps host bus adapter with dual SFF-8087 connectors and P20 IT firmware for ZFS or unRAID arrays

  • IT mode firmware enables direct drive control for ZFS
  • FW:P20 release provides tested compatibility with FreeNAS
  • Two SFF-8087 ports connect up to eight SATA drives
  • LSI 9211-8i controller delivers 6 Gbps SATA throughput
  • First listed by manufacturer on 17 April 2024

LSI 9211-8i HBA for storage arrays

This LSI 9211-8i host bus adapter runs FW:P20 in IT mode and presents two SFF-8087 ports for SATA connectivity. It is intended for builders assembling ZFS, FreeNAS or unRAID storage arrays who need direct drive access without RAID abstraction. The card suits enthusiasts and small-business servers that value controller transparency over hardware RAID features.

Verify slot and cabling before ordering

Confirm your motherboard has a free PCI Express slot compatible with the card’s edge connector. You will need SFF-8087 to SATA breakout cables or a backplane that matches the two internal ports. Ensure the chassis provides enough space for the bracket and cable routing, and that your power supply can deliver the necessary auxiliary current for the adapter.

Steady throughput under sustained load

In IT mode the firmware passes commands straight to the drives, so sustained throughput scales with the attached SATA devices rather than a RAID processor. The controller maintains consistent I/O processing during long rebuilds, scrubs or parity checks without thermal throttling from an on-board RAID engine. Expect stable latency curves when the array is driven continuously at queue depths typical of multi-user NAS workloads.

Highlights

  • IT mode firmware enables direct drive control for ZFS
  • FW:P20 release provides tested compatibility with FreeNAS
  • Two SFF-8087 ports connect up to eight SATA drives
  • LSI 9211-8i controller delivers 6 Gbps SATA throughput
  • First listed by manufacturer on 17 April 2024

Specifications

No published specifications for this item yet.

Questions about this item

Does the LSI 9211-8i include cables or must I buy SFF-8087 to SATA cables separately?

The card ships with two SFF-8087 ports; SFF-8087 to SATA breakout cables are not included and must be purchased separately.

What does the FW:P20 IT Mode label mean for this 9211-8i?

FW:P20 IT Mode indicates the firmware is flashed to initiator-target mode, presenting each attached SATA drive directly to the operating system without RAID abstraction.

How many SATA drives can the two SFF-8087 connectors on this 9211-8i support?

Each SFF-8087 connector carries four lanes, so the two ports together support up to eight SATA drives when used with appropriate breakout cables.

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