Controllers
Expansion Cards and Controllers
32 expansion cards, dominated by Broadcom — meaning professional RAID and HBA controllers rather than simple cards. With 27 of them carrying a 36-month warranty.
- Broadcom 21 · Asus 5 and others
- RAID and HBA controllers for multiple drives
- Port expansion cards for boards that run out
- 27 cards with a 36-month warranty
What a drive controller does
A motherboard has a limited number of SATA ports and limited PCIe lanes. When you need many drives at once — in a server, network storage or a recording system — a controller adds ports and takes over managing them.
HBA cards simply expose the drives to the operating system, which manages them as it sees fit. RAID cards build the array themselves, with their own processor. The choice depends on what software will run above.
What to check before buying
PCIe lanes. These cards want a slot with enough width. Fitted in a slot with fewer lanes they will work, but restricted — and in a system with many drives that shows.
Cooling. Professional controllers were designed for server chassis with strong airflow. In a quiet office case they can run hot — make sure air passes over them.
Cables. They are not always included, and they are not ordinary SATA cables. Check what type the card requires.
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Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a RAID controller for two drives?
- No. For two drives the motherboard ports and the operating system are enough. A controller makes sense from four drives upwards.
- What is the difference between HBA and RAID?
- HBA hands the drives to the operating system to manage. A RAID card builds the array itself, with its own processor.
- Will it work in any PCIe slot?
- It will work, but at that slot’s width. In a narrow slot, performance is limited when many drives work at once.
- Are cables included?
- Not always, and they are often of a specific type. Check the card requirements before ordering.
This is a category for specific needs — multi-drive storage and port expansion. If you are not sure what you need, tell us what you want to build and we will point you the right way.
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