Intel SASWT4I SAS/SATA Controller Question
- by Joe Hopfgartner
Hey there!
I want to assemble a cheap storage sytem based on the Norco RPC-4020 Case.
When searching for controllers I found this one:
Intel® RAID Controller SASWT4I
This is a quote form the Spec Sheet:
Scalability. Supports up to 122
physical devices in SAS mode which is
ideal for employing JBODs (Just a
Bunch Of Disks) or up to 14 devices in
RAID 0, 1, 1E/10E mode through direct
connect device attachment or through
expander backplane support.
Does that mean I can attatch 14 SATA drives directly to the controller using SFF-8087 - 4x SATA breakout cables?
That would be nice because then I can choose a mainboard that has 6 Onboard SATA and i can connect all 20 bays while only spending 155$ on the controller and like another 100$ on cables.
Would that work? And why is it 14 and not 16 when there are 4 Ports?
I am really confused about all the breakout/fanout/(edge-)expanding/multiplying/channel stuff...