HighPoint SSD7120 NVMe RAID Controller

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larryexchange

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Dec 27, 2016
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In order to insert 4 intel Optane 900P into my DELL Precision T7600 workstation, I ordered a HighPoint SSD7120 RAID Controller (http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series-ssd7120-overview.htm ).
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This NVMe RAID adapter has built-in PLX chip. So as long as you have a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, you can use it to connect to 4 U.2 NVMe drives (including intel Optane 900P).
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I also managed to upgrade my T7600 with a 2.5 disk enclosure.
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Here is how it look like after I plug in 900P.
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Power on the machine, Windows can recognize those 900P drives successfully.
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Pros:
1. HighPoint SSD7120 has built-in PLX and it support any motherboard w/ PCIe 3.0 x16 slot.
2. HHHL size can fit in small chassis.

Cons:
1. Bracket is not standard and not compatible with most of the PCIe card (say, NIC or Intel AIC NVMe SSD).
2. Obviously the adapter use low-cost (I should say cost-effective) materials (including brackets and connectors).
3. RAID software sucks. Windows Server built-in Storage Space can provider much better performance than Highpoint's RAID software.
 
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anoother

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Dec 2, 2016
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Did you consider the Supermicro SLG3-4E4T also? Super Micro Computer, Inc. - Products | Accessories | Add-on Cards | AOC-SLG3-2E4

I've bought one just to try; I only have one PCIe SSD right now, but planning to add an Optane 900p also.

Interesting how the Highpoint card has a much bigger heatsink... I assume they are using different switch ASICs. SM calls theirs a 'retimer', don't know if that's actually something different to a PLX switch.

EDIT: Does the T7600 chassis have a hot-swap backplane for the NVMe drives? Or are they connected via cables?
 
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larryexchange

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Dec 27, 2016
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anoother said:
Did you consider the Supermicro SLG3-4E4T also? Super Micro Computer, Inc. - Products | Accessories | Add-on Cards | AOC-SLG3-2E4

I've bought one just to try; I only have one PCIe SSD right now, but planning to add an Optane 900p also.

Interesting how the Highpoint card has a much bigger heatsink... I assume they are using different switch ASICs. SM calls theirs a 'retimer', don't know if that's actually something different to a PLX switch.

EDIT: Does the T7600 chassis have a hot-swap backplane for the NVMe drives? Or are they connected via cables?
Click to expand...
Yes, but seems the cable is expensive and normally it's used to connect to a NVMe backplane instead of individual drives.
 
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anoother

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larryexchange said:
Yes, but seems the cable is expensive and normally it's used to connect to a NVMe backplane instead of individual drives.
Click to expand...
Yeah, oculink cables are ridiculously expensive, often more expensive than the HBA.

Though SM now sell single-drive cables for $15 in their eStore if you're in the US: Supermicro CBL-SAST-0956 55cm OCuLink SFF-8611 to U.2 PCIE x4 SFF-8639 with Power Cable

Need to see if any friendly local SM distributors can source them for me, hopefully at a similar price.
 
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larryexchange

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Dec 27, 2016
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anoother said:
Yeah, oculink cables are ridiculously expensive, often more expensive than the HBA.

Though SM now sell single-drive cables for $15 in their eStore if you're in the US: Supermicro CBL-SAST-0956 55cm OCuLink SFF-8611 to U.2 PCIE x4 SFF-8639 with Power Cable

Need to see if any friendly local SM distributors can source them for me, hopefully at a similar price.
Click to expand...
Nice finding!

Btw, I don't think AOC-SLG3-4E4T has PLX. I guess Retimer is something new version of Redriver technology used in AOC-SLG3-4E4R. I tried AOC-SLG3-4E4R before, which can only support limited number of SuperMicro motherboard. AOC-SLG3-4E2P has built-in PLX. But I don't understand why SupeMicro designed it w/ x8 interface instead of x16.

T7600 doesn't have NVMe backplane, I connect the cable to the individual drive directly.
 
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anoother

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Dec 2, 2016
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larryexchange said:
Btw, I don't think AOC-SLG3-4E4T has PLX. I guess Retimer is something new version of Redriver technology used in AOC-SLG3-4E4R. I tried AOC-SLG3-4E4R before, which can only support limited number of SuperMicro motherboard. AOC-SLG3-4E2P has built-in PLX. But I don't understand why SupeMicro designed it w/ x8 interface instead of x16.
Click to expand...
Ah, thanks for the info. I will let you know once I've tried it. Interestingly, the product page for the 4T says it's validated for the motherboards 4R is supported on, but supported by all SM X11 mobos. Don't have an X11 to test on, so we shall see.

I'll stop hijacking your thread now :)
 
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mixtecinc

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Feb 18, 2013
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Larry,
Which version of Xeon processors do you have? 2 or 3? Which model of T7600 do you have? also which slot number do yo have the Highpoint in?

Thanks
 
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TrumanHW

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Sep 16, 2018
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Hi, sorry to bring this back from the dead ... but I'm looking for people who've used either:

SM AOC-SLG3-4E4R (redriver version)
- or -
SM AOC-SLG3-4E4T (retimer version)

I was originally (in a thread on ixsystems) asking about the High Point SSD7120 ... when someone told me to use the SAME SuperMicro HBAs.

And here, it looks like you might be using it with a V2 Xeon ...? Which doubly helps as I also have a Dell T320 which is v2


I'm most interested in whether the SSD7120 will work with FreeNAS ...

Chose this motherboard bc: Gigabyte x299x Designare (has built-in 10G-baseT & TB3 ... not a PCIe card taking up a slot, either!)
• With an Intel i7-9800x -- it has 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes ... but can go up to 48 lanes.

I'm attaching High Points reply about FreeBSD with this card as an HBA... but, if it won't work properly in FreeNAS...

Will 3rd party (Gigabyte or Dell MB so long as it has bifurcation) work with:
- SuperMicro AOC-SLG3-4E4R (redriver)
- SuperMicro AOC-SLG3-4E4T (retimer)
And, are the SM HBAs compatible with MOST NVMe drives..? Someone said something that made me think only with Intel NVMe SSD??

Intended SSDs:
• 4x Samsung PM983 3.84TB NVMe


And, whichever HBAs will work with a Dell T320 ... would it be a bad idea to use a Xeon v2 with 4x x4 NVMe SSDs in FreeNAS..?
or would a T630 (13 gen) be required..?)


EVENTUALLY ... I'll get a Dell T630 or T640 with 18LFF drives when they come down in price...

THANKS you guys!!
 
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