Best HBA Cards for NAS and Home Server
Quick Recommendation
Buy a used LSI SAS 9207-8i (IT mode) from eBay for $25-40. It gives you 8 SAS/SATA ports via two SFF-8087 connectors, works with every NAS OS, and is the most battle-tested HBA in the homelab community. Flash it to IT mode firmware (or buy one pre-flashed) so it passes drives directly to the OS — exactly what TrueNAS, Unraid, and ZFS want.
If you need more than 8 ports, the LSI 9305-16i ($60-90 used) gives you 16 ports. If your board only has a PCIe x4 slot, the LSI 9207-4i4e or a Dell H310 Mini works.
What Is an HBA?
A Host Bus Adapter (HBA) connects additional SATA or SAS drives to your server beyond what your motherboard provides. Most motherboards have 4-6 SATA ports. If you’re building a NAS with 8-12 drives, you need an HBA.
HBA vs RAID card: A RAID card manages drives in hardware RAID arrays. An HBA in IT (Initiator Target) mode passes drives directly to the operating system with no hardware RAID. For ZFS, TrueNAS, Unraid, and mdadm — you want IT mode. These software RAID systems need direct drive access. A hardware RAID card actually gets in the way.
What to Look For
IT Mode Firmware
The #1 requirement. IT mode (sometimes called “JBOD passthrough”) presents each drive individually to the OS. IR mode (Integrated RAID) presents drives as RAID arrays managed by the card. You want IT mode for:
- TrueNAS (ZFS needs direct drive access)
- Unraid (manages drives itself)
- Proxmox with ZFS
- Any software RAID (mdadm, Btrfs RAID)
- SnapRAID + mergerfs
Most LSI cards can be cross-flashed between IT and IR mode. Buy pre-flashed to IT mode to save yourself the headache.
Port Count
| Ports | Drives Supported | Connector | Typical Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 SATA/SAS | 1x SFF-8087 | LSI 9207-4i4e |
| 8 | 8 SATA/SAS | 2x SFF-8087 | LSI 9207-8i |
| 16 | 16 SATA/SAS | 4x SFF-8087 | LSI 9305-16i |
Each SFF-8087 (mini-SAS) connector splits into 4 SATA ports via a breakout cable. You’ll need SFF-8087 to SATA breakout cables (~$8-12 each).
PCIe Interface
| PCIe Version | Slot Size | Bandwidth | Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCIe 2.0 x8 | x8 slot | 4 GB/s | LSI 9207-8i, Dell H310 |
| PCIe 3.0 x8 | x8 slot | 8 GB/s | LSI 9305-16i, 9300-8i |
| PCIe 3.0 x4 | x4 slot | 4 GB/s | LSI 9300-4i4e |
Most ITX NAS boards have only one x16 slot. An x8 card works fine in an x16 slot. If your board has only x4 or x1 slots, you need a card that fits — the Dell H310 Mini Mono is a popular choice for limited-slot boards.
SAS vs SATA
SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) ports are backwards compatible with SATA drives. A SAS HBA can connect both SAS enterprise drives and regular SATA drives. SATA HBAs can only connect SATA drives. Buy a SAS HBA — it handles both, and the price is the same on the used market.
Top Picks
1. LSI SAS 9207-8i — Best Overall
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ports | 8 (2x SFF-8087 internal) |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 |
| Chipset | LSI SAS 2308 |
| Max drives | 8 SATA/SAS (256 with expander) |
| Firmware | IT mode (P20 recommended) |
| Price (used) | $25-40 |
The community standard. Virtually every TrueNAS and Unraid build guide recommends this card. Buy one pre-flashed to IT mode with P20 firmware from eBay.
You also need: 2x SFF-8087 to 4x SATA breakout cables (~$8 each). Total: $40-55.
Pros: Cheap, universally supported, rock-solid, huge community.
Cons: PCIe 3.0 x8 — needs a board with an x8 or x16 slot. Runs warm under load (add a small heatsink fan if your case has poor airflow).
2. Dell PERC H310 (IT Mode) — Best Budget
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ports | 8 (2x SFF-8087 internal) |
| Interface | PCIe 2.0 x8 |
| Chipset | LSI SAS 2008 |
| Firmware | Cross-flash to LSI 9211-8i IT mode |
| Price (used) | $15-25 |
The Dell H310 uses the same LSI SAS 2008 chipset as the venerable 9211-8i. Cross-flash it to LSI 9211-8i IT mode firmware and it’s functionally identical. Available in full-height, low-profile, and Mini Mono form factors.
The Mini Mono variant is popular for ITX NAS builds — it fits in tight spaces and can work in x4 PCIe slots with a riser.
Pros: Cheapest option, multiple form factors, well-documented flash procedure.
Cons: Older PCIe 2.0 (still fast enough for spinning drives), requires cross-flashing (30-minute process with guides available).
3. LSI SAS 9305-16i — Best High Port Count
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ports | 16 (4x SFF-8643 internal) |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 |
| Chipset | LSI SAS 3008 |
| Max drives | 16 SATA/SAS |
| Price (used) | $60-90 |
For builds with 12+ drives. Uses SFF-8643 (mini-SAS HD) connectors instead of SFF-8087 — you need SFF-8643 to SATA breakout cables.
Pros: 16 ports from one card, PCIe 3.0 bandwidth.
Cons: Higher power draw (~12W), SFF-8643 cables are slightly more expensive, overkill for most home builds.
4. LSI SAS 9300-8i — Best for Future-Proofing
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ports | 8 (2x SFF-8643 internal) |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 |
| Chipset | LSI SAS 3008 |
| Firmware | IT mode native |
| Price (used) | $35-50 |
The PCIe 3.0 successor to the 9207-8i. Native IT mode firmware (no cross-flashing needed). Uses newer SFF-8643 connectors. A good choice if you want a drop-in card with no firmware work.
Pros: PCIe 3.0, native IT mode, newer chipset.
Cons: Slightly more expensive than the 9207-8i, SFF-8643 cables needed.
Cables You’ll Need
| Cable | Use | Price |
|---|---|---|
| SFF-8087 to 4x SATA | For 9207-8i, H310 | ~$8-12 |
| SFF-8643 to 4x SATA | For 9300-8i, 9305-16i | ~$10-15 |
| SFF-8087 to SFF-8087 | Connecting to SAS expander | ~$10 |
Buy quality cables. Cheap breakout cables can cause drive dropouts and CRC errors. MonoPrice and Cable Matters make reliable options.
How to Flash IT Mode Firmware
If you buy a card in IR (RAID) mode, you’ll need to cross-flash it to IT mode. The process varies by card, but the general steps are:
- Boot from a UEFI shell USB drive
- Clear the existing firmware with
sas2flash -o -e 7 - Flash the IT mode firmware:
sas2flash -o -f 2118it.bin -b mptsas2.rom - Reboot and verify in the HBA BIOS
Detailed guides exist for every card. Search “[your card model] IT mode flash guide” — the r/homelab and TrueNAS forums have step-by-step instructions for every variant.
Or buy pre-flashed. Many eBay sellers sell cards pre-flashed to IT mode for $5-10 more. Worth it if you don’t want to deal with firmware flashing.
Power and Thermals
| Card | Idle | Load | Heatsink |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSI 9207-8i | 4W | 8W | Passive |
| Dell H310 | 3W | 7W | Passive |
| LSI 9305-16i | 6W | 12W | Passive |
These cards run warm. In a well-ventilated NAS case like the Jonsbo N3, passive cooling is fine. In a compact or poorly-ventilated enclosure, stick a 40mm fan on the heatsink with zip ties.
FAQ
Do I need an HBA if my motherboard has 6 SATA ports?
Only if you need more than 6 drives. If your NAS build has 4 drives, your motherboard’s SATA ports are sufficient. HBAs are for expanding beyond what your board provides.
Can I use an HBA with SSDs?
Yes, but you won’t get full SSD speed. SATA SSDs work fine. NVMe SSDs require a different type of expansion card (NVMe adapter, not an HBA). For SSD caching on TrueNAS, use an M.2 NVMe slot on your motherboard instead.
LSI 9207-8i vs 9211-8i?
Same SAS 2008 chipset. The 9207-8i has a newer firmware version with slightly better performance. Both work identically for home NAS use. Buy whichever is cheaper.
Why not use a hardware RAID card?
Software RAID (ZFS, Unraid, mdadm) is better for home servers because:
- You can move drives to a different machine and the array still works
- ZFS checksums catch silent data corruption — hardware RAID doesn’t
- No single point of failure (the RAID card itself)
- No vendor lock-in to a specific RAID card firmware
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