RAID controllers

If you need your server infrastructure to operate stably, quickly, and without the risk of data loss – a RAID controller is one of the most crucial pieces of the puzzle. It manages data distribution across drives, ensures consistency, redundancy, and handles write caching. Depending on the chosen model, you can achieve different levels of protection (RAID 1, 5, 6, 10, 60), as well as a significant performance boost – especially with large files and multi-threaded workloads. At Hardware Direct, you'll find both enterprise-class controllers (e.g., Dell H730P, HPE P440ar) and more budget-friendly options for smaller environments – each with specific purposes, parameters, and advantages.

If data is the heart of your business, then the RAID controller is the circulatory system of your entire infrastructure. It determines how data is written to and read from drives, how quickly it can be recovered after a failure, and how much you can trust your system when things get critical. The RAID controllers available at Hardware Direct aren't just add-on cards – they are specialized hardware solutions that increase stability, improve performance, and protect data even if a physical drive fails. Our offer includes basic models that can manage simple RAID 1/10 for micro-businesses, as well as powerful units with 2 GB cache, RAID 60 support, hot spare capability, and on-the-fly data encryption – ideal for large virtualization environments, data centers, or companies processing sensitive data in real-time.

Choosing a RAID controller should always align with the server's specific application. If you're setting up an environment for a small business, a Dell H310 might suffice – it supports RAID 1/10, has a passive design, and handles two or three drives well. For more complex environments – such as database servers, NAS units, or virtualization hosts – it's worth considering models with their own processor and cache memory: H710, H730P, HPE P420, or P440ar. With up to 2 GB of buffer, caching algorithms, and support for RAID 5/6/60, these types of controllers provide much greater fault tolerance and a significant performance increase for large datasets.

Form factor is also important – some models are available as full-height PCIe adapters, others as mini mono cards for blade servers, and still others integrated onto the server motherboard. Pay attention to the PCIe version (e.g., 3.0 x8), supported interfaces (SAS 6Gb/s vs SAS 12Gb/s), number of ports, JBOD mode, and special features – like data encryption at rest (AES-256) or passthrough mode capability for VMware and Proxmox. A well-chosen RAID controller not only offers protection but also saves time during backup deployment, data migration, or system recovery.

At Hardware Direct, you'll find controllers from all major vendors – Dell, HPE, LSI, Broadcom, and NetApp – allowing you to match the solution not only to your budget but also to your environment and specific server platform.

• The Dell PERC H730P is one of the most frequently chosen models – featuring 2 GB of cache, RAID 60 support, SFF-8088 ports, and full JBOD mode.
• The HPE Smart Array P440ar offers similar specifications but differs in approach – its cache is battery-backed (BBWC), and JBOD mode support is not available by default.
• For more specialized environments, we also offer Fibre Channel controllers (QLogic) and dedicated HBA cards that can support up to 256 SAS drives in configurations with expanders.

Not sure which controller fits your server or drives? We can advise you. Hardware Direct is not just a store, but a team of engineers who understand infrastructure inside out – we help select solutions for VMware, Hyper-V, Veeam backup, NAS/SAN environments, and many others. Every controller available from us is tested, ready to use, and covered by warranty, and many models are shipped the same day. Because we know that a RAID controller is not just a detail – it's the foundation upon which everything else rests.