Microchip Adaptec SmartRAID 3254-8i PCIe 3.0 x8 SAS/NVMe 8 Port 24 Gbps RAID Controller

The Microchip Adaptec SmartRAID 3254-8i is a high-performance RAID controller designed for enterprise storage environments. It provides eight internal SAS/NVMe ports via four SFF-8643 connectors, supporting up to 256 SAS or SATA devices. With 4 GB DDR4 cache and Adaptec Flash Module (AFM-700) cache protection, it ensures data integrity and accelerated performance. The controller uses the Microchip SmartROC 3100 processor and PCI Express 3.0 x8 host interface, delivering up to 12 Gb/s per port. It supports RAID levels 0, 1, 1E, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, and JBOD, making it suitable for a wide range of storage configurations.

Advantages

High-speed connectivity with 24 Gbps SAS/NVMe support, robust cache protection with AFM-700, and comprehensive RAID level support for flexible deployment. The low-profile MD2 form factor fits into most servers, and the included maxView Storage Manager simplifies management.

Suitable for

• Enterprise servers requiring high-performance RAID
• Data centers with SAS or SATA storage arrays
• Applications needing NVMe caching (maxCache 4.0)
• Virtualized environments (VMware, Hyper-V)

Key specifications

• Host Interface: PCI Express 3.0 x8
• Internal Ports: 8 (via 4 x SFF-8643)
• Data Transfer Rate: 12 Gb/s per port
• Supported Drives: SAS, SATA, SSD, HDD
• RAID Levels: 0, 1, 1E, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, JBOD
• Cache Memory: 4 GB DDR4 2100 MHz
• Cache Protection: Adaptec Flash Module (AFM-700)
• Controller Processor: Microchip SmartROC 3100
• Form Factor: MD2 Low Profile
• Max Devices: 256
• Power Consumption: 18.5 W typical
• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 55°C
• Compliance: RoHS, WEEE, FCC, CE, VCCI, RCM, KCC, BSMI, UL, cUL, TUV, CB
• Warranty: 3-year limited

Recommendations

Ideal for IT professionals building or upgrading server storage with high reliability and performance. The SmartRAID 3254-8i offers a balanced mix of speed, capacity, and data protection features.