LSI Logic SAS9200-8E 2 x SFF-8088 Ports HBA - External 6Gb/s

In this review the LSI Logic SAS9200-8E is evaluated as a high-capacity external HBA for servers and storage enclosures. It is aimed at system builders and datacenter technicians who need reliable, cost-effective connectivity to external 6Gb/s SATA and SAS drives. The single biggest reason to buy is the card's support for two external SFF-8088 connectors and up to 512 physical devices, which makes it a sensible choice when expanding external RAID or JBOD storage without moving to a full controller-based RAID solution.

Key Features

• Dual SFF-8088 ports: Provides two external mini-SAS x4 connectors so multiple enclosures can be attached for large external storage pools.
• 6Gb/s transfer support: Handles both 6Gb/s and 3Gb/s SATA and SAS drives, allowing use with contemporary SSDs and hard drives at the interface's maximum throughput.
• High device scalability: Supports up to 512 physical SATA and SAS devices, enabling extensive expansion in rack and tower environments.
• PCIe 2.0 x8 host interface: Uses a PCI Express 2.0 x8 link to provide sufficient host bandwidth for aggregated external enclosures.
• Compatibility with tape and drives: Works with tape drives as well as HDDs and SSDs, making it versatile for backup and archival gateways.

Who It's For

The SAS9200-8E is best for IT professionals and system integrators who need to add external storage enclosures to servers without replacing existing host systems. It fits well where external RAID or non-RAID enclosures are used for capacity scaling, backup libraries, or cold storage systems.

Those who should look elsewhere include users who require an internal drive focus only, or who need a controller with on-board RAID features and battery-backed cache; this HBA is designed as a host bus adapter rather than a full-featured RAID controller with integrated caching.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Reliable external connectivity via two SFF-8088 mini-SAS x4 ports for multi-enclosure setups.
• Supports both 6Gb/s and 3Gb/s SATA and SAS devices, offering flexibility for mixed-drive environments.
• High scalability to up to 512 physical devices, useful for large storage arrays and tape libraries.

Cons

• Does not include an internal RAID engine; users wanting integrated RAID and cache should choose a different model.

Specifications

Our Verdict

The LSI Logic SAS9200-8E is a practical, no-frills HBA for adding robust external storage connectivity to servers. It delivers broad device support and strong scalability at a reasonable cost for datacenter and backup use cases. Choose it when you need reliable external mini-SAS links and device density; look to a controller with integrated RAID if you require on-card caching or advanced RAID features.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this card connect multiple external enclosures?
Yes, the two SFF-8088 ports allow connection of multiple external enclosures depending on enclosure topology and expanders.

Does it support both SATA and SAS drives?
Yes, it supports 6Gb/s and 3Gb/s SATA and SAS hard drives, SSDs, and compatible tape devices.

Is this a RAID controller with onboard cache?
No, this is an HBA designed for host connectivity; it does not provide on-board RAID processing or battery-backed cache.