RAID cards

Main -> System expanding -> SAS/SATA 6G HBA and RAID cards

SAS/SATA 6G silicon

Up to date (22.2.2010) there are only two lines of HBA/RAID chips supporting thrue SAS/SATA 6G
Several other "SATA 6G" that use PCIe x1 connection are just a bluff - it is in principle impossible to squeeze a full 6G bandwidth even in v.2.0 single PCIe link.

The chips in question are:
PMC-Sierra:
PM8001 Tachyon SPC 8x6G - SAS/SATA protocol controller (PCIe v.2.0 x8/x4) - provides up to 8 SAS/SATA 6G ports, with SAS expanders supports up to 256 devices
PM8011 maxSAS SRC 8x6G SAS/SATA RAID-on-Chip controller (PCIe v.2.0 x8) - provides up to 8 SAS/SATA 6G ports, with SAS expanders supports up to 256 devices, supports hardware RAID 0/1/10/5/50/6/60

LSI:
LSI LSISAS2008 - Single PowerPC 533MHz-based SAS/SATA controller (PCIe v.2.0 x8/x4) - provides up to 8 SAS/SATA 6G ports, with SAS expanders supports up to 512 devices or up to 256 devices with limited hardware RAID support (up to 12 devices in RAID 0, 1, 1E, 10 arrays with max. 10 devices in array)
LSI LSISAS2116 - Single PowerPC 800MHz-based SAS/SATA controller (PCIe v.2.0 x8)) - provides up to 16 SAS/SATA 6G ports, with SAS expanders supports up to 1024 devices, no offical data yet, but seem also to be able to support limited RAID 0, 1, 1E, 10 functionality.
LSI LSISAS2104 Single PowerPC 800MHz-based SAS/SATA RAID-on-Chip controller (PCIe v.2.0 x8/x4) - provides up to 4 SAS/SATA 6G ports, with SAS expanders supports up to 240 devices, supports hardware RAID 0/1/10/5/50/6/60 and on-the-fly drives enscription
LSI LSISAS2108 Single PowerPC 800MHz-based SAS/SATA RAID-on-Chip controller (PCIe v.2.0 x8) - provides up to 8 SAS/SATA 6G ports, with SAS expanders supports up to 240 devices, supports hardware RAID 0/1/10/5/50/6/60 and on-the-fly drives enscription
LSI LSISAS2216 Dual PowerPC 800MHz-based SAS/SATA RAID-on-Chip controller (PCIe x8) - provides up to 16 SAS/SATA 6G ports, with SAS expanders supports up to 480 devices, supports hardware RAID 0/1/10/5/50/6/60 and on-the-fly drives enscription (disappeared from LSI news lately)

SAS 6G Host Bus Adapters

Based on PMC-Sierra PM8001:
ATTO ExpressSAS H6F0 - PCIe x8, two PMC-Sierra PM8001 on-board (using PCIe x8 to 2 x PCIe x8 switch), 16 external ports, up to 512 devices (due to the use of PCIe switch not recommended for use with software RAID and soon-to-come Intel Jasper Forest processors).
ATTO ExpressSAS H60F - PCIe x8, two PMC-Sierra PM8001 on-board (using PCIe x8 to 2 x PCIe x8 switch), 16 internal ports, up to 512 devices (due to the use of PCIe switch not recommended for use with software RAID and soon-to-come Intel Jasper Forest processors).
ATTO ExpressSAS H680 - PCIe x8, 8 external ports, up to 256 devices
ATTO ExpressSAS H608 - PCIe x8, 8 internal ports, up to 256 devices
ATTO ExpressSAS H644 - PCIe x8, 4 external, 4 internal ports, up to 256 devices
Based on LSI LSISAS2008:
LSI SAS 9200-16e - PCIe x8, 16 external SAS ports, up to 1024 devices
LSI SAS 9200-8e - PCIe x8, 8 external SAS ports, up to 512 devices
LSI SAS 9212-4i4e - PCIe x8, 4 external SAS ports, 4 internal SATA ports, up to 256 devices, up to 14 devices in two RAID 0, 1, 1E, 10 arrays with max. 10 devices in array
LSI SAS 9211-8i - PCIe x8, 8 internal ports, up to 256 devices, up to 14 devices in two RAID 0, 1, 1E, 10 arrays with max. 10 devices in array
LSI SAS 9211-4i - PCIe x8, 4 internal ports, up to 256 devices, up to 14 devices in two RAID 0, 1, 1E, 10 arrays with max. 10 devices in array
Supermicro AOC-USAS2-L8i - Supermicro UIO (PCIe x8 with the help of PCIe x8 v.2.0 flexible riser), 8 internal ports, up to 63 devices, up to 12 devices in RAID 0, 1, 1E, 10 arrays with max. 10 devices in array
Supermicro AOC-USAS2-L8i - Supermicro UIO (PCIe x8 with the help of PCIe x8 v.2.0 flexible riser), 8 internal ports, up to 122 devices

SAS 6G RAID adapters

Based on PMC-Sierra PM8011 maxSAS SRC 8x6G:
HighPoint RocketRAID 2720 - 8 internal ports, hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50;
(in 2004/2005 HighPoint lready had presented Intel IOP 80881 XOR based RocketRAID 2720 controller - do not know if it was in supply, but just in case, be careful)
HP Smart Array P411/256MB and P411/512MB (with battery) - 8 external ports, supports up 100 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, software RAID 6, 60;
HP Smart Array P410/256MB and P410/512MB (with battery) - 8 internal ports, supports up 24 drives (with SAS expander), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, software RAID 6, 60; a version w/o cache may be pre-installed in some servers (supports only up to 10 drives and only hardware RAID 0, 1,10)
Promise SuperTrak TEX8768 - 8 external ports, hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6,60;
Promise SuperTrak EX8760T - 8 internal ports, hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6,60;
Based on LSI LSISAS2108/LSISAS2008:
3ware SAS 9750-8i - 8 internal SAS ports, supports up 96 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware-supported RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6;
3ware SAS 9750-4i - 4 internal SAS ports, supports up 96 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware-supported RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6;
Intel RS2PI008DE / RS2PI008 - 8 external SAS ports, supports up 240 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60, SafeStore Encryption (RS2PI008DE only);
Intel RS2MB044 - 4 internal, 4 external SAS ports, supports up 240 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60;
Intel RS2BL080DE / RS2BL080 - 8 internal SAS ports, supports up 240 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60, SafeStore Encryption (RS2BL080DE only);
Intel RS2BL040DE / RS2BL040 - 4 internal SAS ports, supports up 240 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60, SafeStore Encryption (RS2BL080DE only);
Intel RS2WC080 - 8 internal SAS ports, supports up 64 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50;
Intel RS2WC040 - 4 internal SAS ports, supports up 64 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50;
LSI MegaRAID SAS 9280DE-8e / SAS 9280-8e - 8 external SAS ports, supports up 240 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60, SafeStore Encryption (9280DE-8e only);
LSI MegaRAID SAS 9260DE-8i / SAS 9260-8i - 8 internal SAS ports, supports up 32 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60, SafeStore Encryption (9260DE-8e only);
LSI MegaRAID SAS 9261-8i - 8 internal SAS ports, supports up 32 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60;
SAS 9212-4i4e - 4 external SAS ports, 4 internal SATA ports, supports up 64 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60;
LSI MegaRAID LSI MegaRAID SAS SAS 9260-4i - 4 internal SAS ports, supports up 32 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60;
Supermicro AOC-USAS2LP-H8iR - 8 external SAS ports, supports up 240 drives (with SAS expanders), hardware RAID 0, 1,10, 5, 50, 6, 60, - may be installed into any system with the help of PCIe x8 v.2.0 flexible riser.

According to current tests LSI LSISAS2108-based controllers are the best for the use with SSD drives.