Intel RS3UC080 RS3UC080J 12G SAS Host Bus Adapter / RAID Controller

What Is the Intel RS3UC080?

The Intel RAID Controller RS3UC080 is a 12 Gb/s SAS/SATA RAID controller add-in card based on an LSI SAS3008 I/O controller with:

• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface

• 8 internal SAS/SATA ports

• RAID support for 0, 1, 1E, 10, and JBOD

• Low-profile (MD2) half-height form factor This card is typically used in servers/workstations to provide hardware RAID instead of relying on motherboard integrated storage controllers.

Difference Between RS3UC080 vs RS3UC080J

These two models are very similar hardware, but differ mainly in the firmware behavior:

In simple terms:

• RS3UC080: has RAID firmware - you can configure RAID arrays.
• RS3UC080J: firmware is set to just expose drives directly (JBOD/IT mode), useful in software RAID or passthrough setups.

Despite the suffix difference, the physical cards themselves are essentially the same hardware, just with different firmware loaded at the factory.Why This Matters

• If you need hardware RAID, choose/flash RS3UC080 firmware.
• If you want direct drive access for ZFS, software RAID, virtualization, or passthrough, the RS3UC080J card is ideal.
• Many enthusiasts even re-flash the firmware to switch modes depending on need.

Summary

• RS3UC080 and RS3UC080J are Intel SAS/SATA RAID controller cards based on LSI SAS3008.
• These cards are used in many Intel server systems and server boards (e.g., R1000, R2000 series).
• The main difference is firmware mode: the RS3UC080 supports hardware RAID, while the RS3UC080J is JBOD only.

What Servers or Workstations Use the RS3UC080?

Intel lists validated compatible systems that the RS3UC080 is designed to work with - mainly Intel branded servers (often discontinued models). Examples include:

Intel® Server Systems

• Intel Server System M20MYP1UR

• Intel Server System R1000 and R2000 family servers such as R1208WFTYSR, R1304WFTYSR, R2208WFQZSR, R2312WFTZSR and others

• Intel Server System R1000WT / R2000WT families These are rack or blade/multi-bay servers where the RS3UC080 provides RAID/SAS capability.

Intel® Server Boards

It is also supported in validated Intel server boards (e.g., S2600, S1200 series boards listed as compatible on Intel's specification pages).

🔁 But technically, like most PCIe RAID cards, it can work in any server or workstation with a PCIe 3.0 x8 slot - even non-Intel systems - though official Intel support/compatibility is only guaranteed on validated Intel server hardware.

Here are some **specific Dell, HP, and third-party servers where people commonly install/try using the Intel RS3UC080 or its IT/JBOD variant Intel RS3UC080J, plus notes on offline/community usage. Keep in mind that this card is a generic PCIe RAID/HBA card - Intel doesn't maintain an official "validated systems" list for Dell/HP models, so most of these come from community experience and compatibility by virtue of having PCIe 3.0 slots and SAS backplanes.

Dell Servers (PowerEdge)

People in homelab and enterprise environments often install this controller in these Dell models (because they have spare PCIe 3.0 slots and SAS/SATA backplanes):

Commonly Used Dell Models

•  

• Dell PowerEdge R730 / R730xd / R730XD - slightly newer than R720 with PCIe 3.0 support; popular for homelabs that add external SAS JBODs.

• Dell PowerEdge T330 / T340 Tower Servers - lower-end rack/tower with usable PCIe slots.

• Dell PowerEdge R630 / R640 - Gen13/14 servers with PCIe 3.0 slots (can fit the RS3UC080).

• Dell VRTX - enclosure that lets you add PCIe cards to blade modules (often used with generic HBA/RAID cards).

Note: Dell servers use PERC RAID cards by default and don't officially support Intel RAID cards, but physically the RS3UC080 can work if the backplane/BIOS doesn't block or expect a Dell-branded controller.

Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE / HP ProLiant)

HP/ HPE ProLiant servers generally allow third-party PCIe cards if they have available expansion slots:

Frequently Used Models

• HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen9 / Gen10 - a classic rack server with multiple PCIe slots and SAS backplane.

• HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen9 / Gen10 - similar to DL380 but shorter chassis; still plenty of PCIe expansion.

• HPE ProLiant ML350 Tower Servers - tower option with expansion for add-in cards.

• HPE BladeSystem c7000 + ProLiant BL460c - some blade chassis let you install mezzanine RAID/HBA cards.

⚠ HP servers often use "smart carriers" and prefer HP-branded RAID cards at the backplane level, so you may need to use IT/JBOD firmware (RS3UC080J) to avoid firmware/backplane mismatches.

⚙Third-Party / Whitebox / OEM Systems

Because the RS3UC080 is a , it will work in basically any server or workstation with a compatible slot and a SAS backplane or direct drive connections:

• Supermicro 1U/2U Servers (e.g., X10/X11/X12 series) - very popular in labs; common to see RS3UC080 installed for SAS connectivity.

• Lenovo System x Servers - similar design to older IBM/Think servers with PCIe expandability.

• Cisco UCS C Series Rack Servers - users report third-party controllers working if the chassis and BIOS allow it.

• Custom Whitebox Builds - self-built servers using standard server boards with SAS expanders/backplanes.

Compatibility Tips (Practical)

✔ PCIe Slot Requirements You need a PCIe 3.0 x8 (or x16) slot. The controller will operate at x8 even in an x16 slot.

✔ Backplane Interface To use backplane drives (hot-swap bays), ensure you have mini-SAS HD (SFF-8643) cabling from the card to the backplane.

✔ Firmware Matters

• Use normal RS3UC080 if you want hardware RAID levels (0,1,10,1E).

• Use RS3UC080J

✔ Drivers & OS Support Linux and modern hypervisors typically support the SAS3008 chipset natively; Windows drivers might need Intel driver packages.

Summary - Practical Usage

Here's a practical, hardware-level cabling and backplane guide for using the Intel RS3UC080 / RS3UC080J (SAS3008) in Dell, HPE, Supermicro, and whitebox servers. This is the part that usually causes confusion or failed installs.

1. RS3UC080 / RS3UC080J - Port & Cable Basicscs

Controller Ports

• 2 × Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8643) internal ports

• Each port = 4 lanes

• Total = 8 drives max (without expanders)

Cable Types You'll See

⚠Direction matters Use forward breakout cables only (controller → drives).

2. Dell PowerEdge Cabling (Most Common)

Dell R720 / R720xd (SAS2 Backplane)

• Backplane connector: SFF-8087

• Controller connector: SFF-8643

• ✅ Correct cable: SFF-8643 → SFF-8087 (forward)

Typical setup:

• Port 0 → Drives 0-3

• Port 1 → Drives 4-7

Works best when RS3UC080J (JBOD/IT mode) is used for ZFS/Proxmox/TrueNAS

Dell R730 / R730xd / R630 / R640 (SAS3 Backplane)

• Backplane connector: SFF-8643

• ✅ Correct cable: SFF-8643 → SFF-8643

Notes

• Dell backplanes don't require Dell RAID cards, but Dell firmware may show warnings

• Disable onboard PERC if not used

Dell Tower (T330 / T340)

• Often SATA backplanes or direct SATA

• ✅ Correct cable: SFF-8643 → 4× SATA

3. HPE ProLiant Cabling (DL360 / DL380)

DL360 / DL380 Gen9 & Gen10

• Backplane connector: SFF-8643

• ✅ Correct cable: SFF-8643 → SFF-8643

⚠Important HPE Notes

• HP Smart Array firmware prefers HP-branded cards

• Use RS3UC080J (IT/JBOD) to avoid:

  • "Drive not authenticated"

  • Random RAID metadata issues

• Disable HP Smart Array in BIOS if possible

ML350 Tower Servers

• SATA or SAS depending on configuration

• Use:

  • SFF-8643 → SFF-8643 (SAS backplane)

  • SFF-8643 → SATA (direct SATA)

4. Supermicro Servers (Most Flexible)

X10 / X11 / X12 Series

• Backplane connectors vary:

  • SAS2: SFF-8087

  • SAS3: SFF-8643

Cable choice

• SAS2 → 8643 → 8087

• SAS3 → 8643 → 8643

Supermicro backplanes are the least picky - RS3UC080 works almost universally.

5. Whitebox / Custom Builds

No Backplane (Direct Drives)

Use:

RS3UC080 └── SFF-8643 → 4× SATA

Each controller supports:

• 8 SATA drives total (2 cables)

• No hot-swap unless using hot-swap bays

6. SAS Expanders (When You Need >8 Drives)

If your server has:

• SAS expander backplane (e.g., 12-bay, 24-bay)

Then:

• One SFF-8643 cable can handle all bays

• Performance shared across lanes

Common expander chips:

• LSI SAS2X / SAS3X

• Intel RES2SV240 / RES3TV360

✅ RS3UC080 works perfectly with expanders

7. Firmware + Cabling Best Practices

⚠Never mix RAID firmware with ZFS - it causes silent data corruption.

8. Quick Cable Reference Table

9. Common Mistakes to Avoid ❌

• ❌ Using reverse breakout cables

• ❌ Leaving Dell PERC enabled

• ❌ Using RAID firmware with ZFS

• ❌ Mixing SATA power splitters on high-draw HDDs

• ❌ Forgetting airflow (SAS3008 runs hot)