LSI 9240-8i still a great choice for simple RAID 1 in Linux?

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Road Hazard

Member
Feb 5, 2018
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I want to use a hardware RAID card for my boot drive in Linux. I know, I know.... MDADM. Well, I already use MDADM for RAID 6 in my media server but I want to do hardware RAID 1 for the boot drive. (Running Linux Mint 19.2)

Reason I want to use hardware RAID for the boot drive is because while I'm no idiot when it comes to Linux, I still consider myself a bit of a newbie with it. I've read countless tutorials on how to create an MDADM RAID 1 array for your boot drive..... but I can never get it to work. I figure a simpler solution would be to just use a hardware RAID card and be done with it.

Looking around, seems the LSI 9240-8i is a solid choice. Problem is, I know that probably every 9240 on eBay is a Chinese knockoff so should I let that worry me or can somebody recommend something better? Budget is around $50-$100. I just need RAID 1 and will be using 2 or 3 SSDs to create a single drive I can present to the Linux installer and go from there.

Thanks
 

BeTeP

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2019
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seems the LSI 9240-8i is a solid choice
SAS2008 is ok as an HBA but it was never a great RAID controller. It was always just a low cost option.

I know that probably every 9240 on eBay is a Chinese knockoff
@BLinux told you that? I just opened a dozen ebay auctions (US based sellers, multiple pictures showing both sides of the card) - I did not see a single fake not counting OEM versions advertised as LSI retail. Having said that I would not recommend getting SAS2008 to be used with SSDs. You can get a proper SAS3108 based RAID controller for under $100 now.
 

Road Hazard

Member
Feb 5, 2018
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SAS2008 is ok as an HBA but it was never a great RAID controller. It was always just a low cost option.
Care to recommend a better RAID 1 controller? Don't need anything fancy or anything with a cache or BBU. Looking to stay around $100 or less and it has to have excellent Linux (Debian) support.

As for fake cards..... I thought LSI stopped making those a LONG time ago and weren't they bought out by somebody several years ago? Either way, I find it hard to believe that LSI is churning out new cards under their name. Sure, I guess somebody somewhere could be sitting on some server pulls or old inventory but all the sellers I see on eBay with those old LSI cards are advertising them as brand new and it just seems fishy.

LSI Mega 9240-8i may not be what it seems

Fake LSI HBA cards on ebay
 

BeTeP

Well-Known Member
Mar 23, 2019
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Who is forcing you to buy the fake "brand new" cards? By the way most of those "new" fakes are selling at $40+ level. So do not pay more than $25 shipped - and you are guaranteed to get a genuine card.