BROADCOM / LSI MegaRAID SAS 9361-8i (1GB) - storagecontroller, 03-25420-11

With 12Gb/s SAS throughput and 1GB of DDR3 cache, the Broadcom LSI MegaRAID SAS 9361-8i turns eight internal drive bays into a high-performance RAID powerhouse. This PCIe 3.0 x8 controller is built around the LSISAS3108 dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 ROC, delivering up to 1.7 million IOPS for demanding enterprise workloads.

Overview

The MegaRAID SAS 9361-8i is a low-profile, MD2 form factor RAID controller designed for internal storage connectivity. It features two SFF-8643 mini-SAS HD connectors, supporting up to 128 SAS or SATA devices through expanders. The controller supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60, as well as JBOD mode, providing flexibility for both performance and capacity-focused configurations.

What stands out

• Dual-core LSISAS3108 ROC with hardware RAID acceleration
• 1GB 1866MHz DDR3 cache for improved write performance
• Optional CacheVault flash module for cache protection
• Broad OS support: Windows, Linux, VMware, FreeBSD, Solaris
• Low-profile bracket included for 2U and smaller servers

Technical details

• Host interface: PCI Express 3.0 x8
• Data transfer rate: 12Gb/s SAS, 6Gb/s SATA
• Internal ports: 8 (via 2 x SFF-8643)
• RAID levels: 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, JBOD
• Max devices: 128 SAS/SATA
• Form factor: Low-profile MD2
• Power consumption: ~13W typical
• Management: MegaRAID Storage Manager, StorCLI
• Compliance: RoHS

Our verdict

The 9361-8i is a proven workhorse for servers needing reliable, high-speed RAID without external ports. Its 1GB cache and robust ROC make it ideal for database, virtualization, and file server workloads.