Dell PowerEdge T150 Build - Boot Drive Strategy (No BOSS) & Cabling Questions

TrueNAS General
1

Hi everyone,

I am building a new TrueNAS Scale home server using a used Dell PowerEdge T150. My goal is a “simple, boring, and reliable” storage appliance. I plan to use a “Split Architecture” where this T150 handles pure storage (ZFS), and apps run on a separate compute node later.

Current Hardware:
* Server: Dell PowerEdge T150 (Tower)
* CPU: Intel Xeon E-2314
* RAM: 96GB ECC
* HBA: PERC H355 (Confirmed in HBA/Non-RAID mode via iDRAC)
* Data Drives: 4x 12TB HDDs (connected to the H355)
* Network: Intel X520 10GbE (SFP+) + Onboard 1GbE
* Boot Drive: None yet (Current dilemma)

The Problem:
This server does not have the Dell BOSS-S1 card. I want to install TrueNAS Scale (likely 25.04 or current stable) on a dedicated SSD, avoiding the 3.5" data bays. I think that I am comfortable with a single boot drive (and automated config backups) if mirroring is too difficult to cable, though mirroring would be nice.

I have opened the case and inspected my options. I see three paths and need advice on which is the most reliable/feasible:

Option 1: PCIe NVMe Adapter (Slot 1)
* Slot 1 is a PCIe Gen4 x4 slot. It is electrically perfect for a generic NVMe adapter.
* Concern: This slot is located immediately below the PERC H355 (Slot 2). The clearance is very tight. I am worried about “sandwiching” the hot HBA card with an NVMe adapter.
* Question: Has anyone populated Slot 1 in a T150 while Slot 2 is occupied? Is airflow sufficient?

Option 2: SATA SSD (Optical Drive Bay)
* There is a `SATA_ODD` port on the motherboard for data.
* Power Issue: There are no standard SATA power connectors coming from the PSU. There is a blue shrouded header on the motherboard near the ODD port. I suspect I need the specific Dell ODD Power Cable.
* Mystery Cable: The breakout cable coming from the H355 HBA has strands going to the 4 HDDs, but there is one loose connector left over. It is a small two-wire connector.
Is this for an LED/Sideband (SGPIO), or could this possibly be usable? (I assume SGPIO and not for a drive).

Option 3: Internal USB 3.0
* I found a vertical USB Type-A port directly on the motherboard.
* Plan: Use a high-quality 2.5" SATA SSD with a USB-to-SATA adapter plugged into this internal port, velcroed inside the case.
* Question: Is this internal port USB 3.0? Is booting Scale via a USB-to-SATA adapter considered stable enough for a “boring/reliable” build these days?

Summary of Questions:

  1. Which boot method is preferred given the tight PCIe spacing and lack of standard SATA power?
  2. Can anyone identify the “two-wire” connector on the H355 cable bundle?
  3. Is the internal USB port on the T150 confirmed as USB 3.0?

I have photos but do not understand how I can attach them or point to a url here.

Thanks for the help!

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Looking at the main board diagram on the Dell support site: https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-uk/poweredge-t150/pet150_ism_pub/system-board-connectors?guid=guid-f1535fb9-217b-498a-86eb-cb07394c704e&lang=en-us

Screenshot 2026-02-09 at 14.51.12
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Option 1: PCIe NVMe Adapter (Slot 1)

You could use slot 3 or 4 for the NVMe. They are both Gen 3 and slot 3 is X1, but that shouldn’t make a difference for a boot drive.

Option 2: SATA SSD (Optical Drive Bay)

Regarding your option to use the Optical Drive, please bear in mind that on old models that SATA port was SATA-2, not sure about now. The power connector for that drive is the item 19 on the diagram.

Alternative option:

Another option is to use slot 4 just for power and use an adapter like this: 3-Port M.2 SSD (NGFF) Adapter Card - 1 x PCIe (NVMe) M.2, 2 x SATA III M.2 - PCIe 3.0 - TAA

You’ll then connect the 2 SATA ports from the adaptor to the mini-SAS connector on the main board (item 12 on the diagram) using a breakout cable SAS to 4-SATA like this: Amazon.com: OIKWAN Mini SAS to 4 SATA Cable, 36 Pin SFF 8087 Host/Controller to 7 Pin SATA Target/Backplane, Compatible with PERC H310, RAID Controller (SFF-8087 to 4SATA Forward Breakout) 1.6 Feet : Electronics

The issue with this alternative is that currently M.2 SATA drives are usually more expensive than NVMe drives.

You could do this solution with a 2.5” SATA to PCIe adapter, but I couldn’t find one without a SATA controller.

The key aspect of this solution is that you are using the onboard Dell SATA controller and not adding a 3rd party controller that usually won’t work well with TrueNAS.