Hard Disk Controller PMS Windows Server 2019

Plex Media Server
1

Hello there
I’m looking for some help to upgrade the disk controllers on my server.

My server is based on an old Intel Server Board S1200BTL with a Xeon E3-1270v2 (3.5Ghz 4C 8T) and 16GB ECC RAM.

Current controllers are
-Intel rs2wc040 6Gb/s SAS/SATA PCIe x4 4-ports (2x 240GB SSD in Raid1 for the OS)
-IO Crest SI-PEX40057 4-port SATA III PCIe 2.0 x2 Controller (4x 2TB HDD)
-SATA ports built in the motherboard (2 SATA 6Gb/s and 4 SATA 3Gb/s) (2x 8TB + 3x 4TB HDD)

I’m not happy with the IO Crest card and would like to stop using the SATA II ports from the motherboard and install a SAS/SATA Controller with 8 ports at 6Gb/s in one of the remaining PCIe 4x slots

I was looking at some card on ebay (cheap cards) but im not sure which one would be the best for my server (these are a few i found)
-LSI SAS 9211-8i 8-port 6Gb/s Internal (IT-MODE)
-H310 Perc 6Gb/s SAS RAID Controller R1DNH =9240-8i
-Adaptec RAID 6805 2271200-R 6Gb/s SATA/SAS 8 internal ports w/ 512MB cache

I would like to spend $40-$50 tops on this card. It has to be a PCIe 4x card and have 8 6Gb/s Ports and be able to run drives without any kind of array.

Have anyone have experience with any of those cards or other models that would fit my server?

Thanks in advance

2

It’s really hard to go wrong with a 9211, and in IT mode the 9240 doesn’t have any advantages. Do you like where the connectors are on the cards and the directions they face? Do they have brackets? Worth a few bucks.

I have nothing good or bad to say about the Adaptec, only that it isn’t LSI, and I’d buy the LSI.

What probably matters more is what Unraid says. I anticipate the 9211 is very well supported by Unraid but I would verify.

3

Hello,

Have you used one of those LSI 9211-8i? i was planning to install a card on one of the x4 slots but look like these cards are all x8 and my x4 slots are not “open end”

I will buy a x4 to x16 riser for my video card (a Radeon R5 240 which is only 8x) and just install the 9211 controller on the x8 slot.

For the connectors, i dont have problems if they come from a side (9211-8i) or top (9210-8i)

Will that card work with Windows Server 2019? will i have to reformat the drives and copy all the data back on them? or i just plug them on the 921x-8i controller and Windows automatically see the volumes?

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