Is IBM N2125 SAS/SATA HBA a decent HBA for FreeNAS?

[lightwave]

Hi guys!

First of all, thanks for the support and input on previous posts. I’ve finally placed the order for the main components of my first FreeNAS build. Looking forward to move out of the VMware test environment.

I just stumbled across an IBM N2125 SAS/SATA HBA card (https://lenovopress.com/tips0054-serveraid-quick-reference#n2125-sas-sata-hba) for only €90 new. Seems to be based on LSI SAS2308 and a lot cheaper than other LSI-based cards that I’ve been able to find.

Any idea whether it will work with FreeNAS?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Fredda]

SAS2308 based HBAs are one of preferred choices for FreeNAS.

But do you really need an external connectors? Otherwise you should go for the N2115,
which has internal connectors.

 

[jgreco]

Do note that you need to set up IT mode firmware on the 2308's as well.

 

[lightwave]

Thank you for your input!

Sounds like this card might be a good option at a decent price.

SAS2308 based HBAs are one of preferred choices for FreeNAS.

But do you really need an external connectors? Otherwise you should go for the N2115,
which has internal connectors.

The external connectors was the main reason I got interested in this card. My mainboard already has 12 SATA connectors so that should pretty much satisfy my needs for internal connectors for the time being.

It would, of course, be even better to get a card with internal connectors and one of those SFF-8087 to SFF-8088 converters (would provide for more flexibility in the future). Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a decent deal on the N2115 or any other LSI card for that matter. The N2115 has been discontinued, so it is hard to find at a decent price. Other LSI 2308 cards all seem to cost around €300+ here in Europe. The few used cards I've found cost nearly as much as new ones.

I see a lot of comments about cheap second hand LSI cards around $30 - $60 in the US. I haven't been able to find any such deals in the EU. Do you know where rightpondians usually get their second hand LSI cards?

Do note that you need to set up IT mode firmware on the 2308's as well.

Noted

 

[jgreco]

Get a 2008-based card. Dell H310 etc. We've done lots of those here in recent years. There's no particular reason to fixate on the 2308 unless you're doing something like all-SSD.

 

[lightwave]

Get a 2008-based card. Dell H310 etc. We've done lots of those here in recent years. There's no particular reason to fixate on the 2308 unless you're doing something like all-SSD.

I'm not set on getting a 2308 card. I do not need the additional performance, but I understand that they provide somewhat better energy efficiency which is a plus. Regardless, I have been trying to find a decent deal on other LSI cards (including PERC H310), but not found any deals below $300 for a new card except the N2125 mentioned above. The few used cards I've found start at €180 (and usually a lot more) which does not really motivate buying second hand. Hardware seems to be a lot more expensive here in the EU :-(

 

[Johnnie Black]

but I understand that they provide somewhat better energy efficiency which is a plus.

The 2308 uses a little more power than the 2008, because of the higher chip clock speed.

 

[lightwave]

The 2308 uses a little more power than the 2008, because of the higher chip clock speed.

I thought it was the other way around. I've seen several comments stating that PCIe 2.0 HBA cards tend to run hotter than PCIe 3.0 cards. For instance, Chris mentioned that the M1015 (based on SAS 2008) tends to run hotter than newer PCI 3.0 cards in the thread about whether IBM M1015 is still a good card (see link below). Based on that, I would have expected SAS 2008 to be less energy efficient than SAS 2308 which uses PCIe 3.0.

Link to post: https://www.ixsystems.com/community...bm-m1015-still-a-good-card.64341/#post-461008

 

[Johnnie Black]

I thought it was the other way around.

I have both and did some testing and got 6w for the SAS2008 and 9w for the 2308 at idle, this article also lines up with my findings.

 

[lightwave]

I have both and did some testing and got 6w for the SAS2008 and 9w for the 2308 at idle, this article also lines up with my findings.

Interesting and pretty conclusive. Thank you for sharing your findings and the article. The difference in wattage isn't that big though. The additional electricity would amount for less than 5€ per year at current rates. Would you consider a 2-3 w difference worth the extra €200+ and lower performance if you were to buy a new card?

 

[Johnnie Black]

Would you consider a 2-3 w difference worth the extra €200+ and lower performance if you were to buy a new card?

No, but usually the 2008 can be found cheaper.