Supermicro Riser Card RSC-H-6G5L

The Supermicro RSC-H-6G5L stands apart from generic riser cards by integrating a full LSI SAS2x28 expander chipset directly onto a horizontal PCIe 3.0 x8 card. This design delivers five internal 6Gb/s SAS/SATA ports through SFF-8087 connectors, enabling dense storage expansion in 1U and 2U chassis where space is at a premium. Unlike simple passive risers, this card actively manages SAS domains, allowing a single controller to address multiple drives with reliable signal integrity and hot-swap support.

Highlights

• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface for high bandwidth to the expander
• Five internal SFF-8087 Mini-SAS ports, each supporting 6Gb/s SAS or SATA devices
• LSI SAS2x28 expander chipset for robust SAS domain management
• Horizontal form factor optimized for Supermicro X10 and X11 server boards
• Bus-powered operation—no external power connector required
• Supports SAS and SATA HDDs/SSDs, enabling flexible storage configurations

In daily use

Deploying the RSC-H-6G5L transforms a standard server into a high-density storage node. Each of the five SFF-8087 ports can fan out to four drives via breakout cables, yielding up to twenty directly attached disks from a single PCIe slot. The card's low-profile horizontal design fits neatly into Supermicro's 1U and 2U chassis, maintaining proper airflow while keeping cable routing clean. Because it draws power solely from the PCIe bus, installation is straightforward—no additional power cables to manage. The expander chipset handles SAS protocol overhead, reducing CPU load and ensuring consistent performance even under heavy I/O. Whether you're building a backup server, a virtualization host with local storage, or a cost-effective NAS, this riser card provides the connectivity backbone without the complexity of an external JBOD.

Full specifications

• Riser card type: PCIe to SAS expander
• Host interface: PCIe 3.0 x8
• Number of internal SAS ports: 5
• SAS data transfer rate: 6Gb/s per port
• SAS connector type: SFF-8087 (Mini-SAS)
• Expander chipset: LSI SAS2x28
• Form factor: Horizontal riser card
• Compatibility: Supermicro X10/X11 series motherboards, specific 1U/2U chassis
• Supported devices: SAS/SATA HDDs and SSDs
• Power source: PCIe bus power
• Function: Storage expansion
• Operating temperature: 0°C to 55°C
• Storage temperature: -40°C to 70°C
• Humidity range: 5% to 95% non-condensing

Final note

For system builders and IT administrators needing reliable, high-density storage expansion in Supermicro platforms, the RSC-H-6G5L offers a proven, integrated solution that eliminates the need for separate expander backplanes or external enclosures.