I’ve only just learned of the existence of HBA cards, having recently built my first TrueNAS with 12 X HDDs in 3 Pools using 2 SATA expansion cards and 4 SATA ports on the motherboard.
I’m reading online that HBA cards offer faster data speeds and more reliable drive connectivity than SATA expansion cards, so I’m considering upgrading. But I’m concerned that doing so might result in loss of data. Is this someting I should be concerned about?
My TrueNAS boot drive and a second containing Apps (Plex) - both are SSDs - are also connected to SATA ports on the motherboard. Should I leave them connected as they are or would they be better moving to a potential HBA too?
You should just be able to move them over without any issue.
Just a word of warning though - an HBA needs decent cooling. They are designed for data centers so put a fan on it / pointing at the chipset. Also make sure its an HBA, and not a MegaRAID card.
I see it has a large heat-sink attached. Do you think that would do the job and/or should I still see if I can add an additional fan? I’m not sure how I could attach a fan to the card/heatsink itself.
That card is not the best example. See if you can find a 9305-16i instead. The 9300-16i is a bit of a kludge (the effect is that it uses more power). It would work though
Yes you will definately need extra cooling. You can glue or screw a slim line fan to that card. Just make sure its gets lots of airflow
Hi Again,
Okay, 9305 HBA card installed and working with twin fans immediately underneath it. Many thanks for your help and advice thus far. My next question is how can I check the temperature of the HBA card to ensure that the fans I’ve fitted are adequate?
