Pros: Compatible with Avago LSI 9270 (LSISAS2208) host controller upstream Compatible feeding a Chenbro CK23601 expander downstream Can input from a single SAS channel Can input from dual SAS channels Almost no heat generated Mounts in a PCIe 4X slot for power (power-only no signals) Can be power from a Molex 4-pin as well (my use) Arrays survived re-routing from Chenbro expander to this Intel expander OS version and host controller drivers should play no role in how well controller and expanders work together. This technology is 100% hardware and no software comes into play.

Cons: None, all works as expected

Overall Review: I have been wanting to try this expander for a while as I have only used Chenbro in the past. I bought from the auction site, not from NE. I just got a RES2SV240 expander and am using it along side my Chenbro CK23601 expander, on my LSI 9270-8i controller - 9270 --> RES2SV240 --> CK23601. I am using both 8087 SAS output channels from my controller to the frist two of the 8087 input channels on the Intel RES2SV240. I then use 1 8087 output channel from the Intel RES2SV240 to my Chenbro CK23601 Expander (feeding 28 Seagate 4TB HDDs drives, 2 14-drive arrays at R6) and I use the remaining 3 8087 output channels on the RES2SV240 for my SSD arrays (Crucial MX100 and Samsung 850 Pro SSDs). Using the 2 channels from the controller to Intel Expander lets my SSD arrays attached to the Intel expander utilize the full 2-channel bandwidth with the LSI controller, when needed. The 28 drives on the Chenbro are of course flowing through one channel from the LSI --> Intel --> Chenbro, but spinning drive arrays use little bandwidth (~800MB/s 14@R6) relative to SSD arrays (~2GB/s 4@R0, ~1GB/s 2@R0). I am running 28 HDDs and 12 SSDs all attached at 6GB/s (SATA3) speed. No issues. All my arrays survived the re-routing from Chenbro to and through the Intel. My Chenbro expander gets very warm even with the attached fan but this Intel barely gets warm and is about 60% the size of the Chenbro. If new to SAS expanders, realize that at least one of the 6 SAS channels (SFF-8087) will be used as input from a host controller, this leaves at most 5x4=20 possible drive connections. If you use Dual/2 input channels from the host adapter you will have only 4x4=16 possible drive connections, but the possibility of using both input channels for throughput (only SSDs could utilize the throughput of both channels). I believe the logic is that once 1 channel is used up, traffic spills over to the 2nd channel. You can of course cascade/daisychain to other expanders, supporting drives up to the max limit supported by the controller. My usage shows that a Chenbro expander can be feed from this Intel expander. This is good to know as few mention this anywhere. Many don't like the fact that a 6-connector/24-port expander can only support 5 SAS output channels (so 5x4=20 directly attached drives). This is simply the way the total ports are counted. Ethernet switch ports are counted the same way, as something is usually (but not required) feeding the switch from upstream. A SAS expander is simply a SAS switch, routing commands from a host controller to target IDs. You can even buy SAS expanders mounted in a box, and fed by SFF-8088 cables (the external version of the SFF-8087 connector). The RES2SV240NC model comes with no 8087-8087 cables, in case you have your own. I hope you found this info helpful. Rarely have I see this info online.

Pros: Case seems OK over all but it will be my first and last case from this vendor.

Cons: This took a week to get to me - drop-shipped from the vendor. This is a bright silver face, not the more-dull platinum finish that the photo might lead you to believe.

Overall Review: I am getting tired of these rebate games that many manufacturers are attempting lately. It used to be 30 days from purchase. Now they are getting down to 14-days. In this case the vendor dragged their feet in shipping the item. So they had my money, the clock was ticking and my rebate window was about 7 days. This new Rebate tactic stinks (and it is appearing everywhere). I hope customers respond and sales drop because of it. I will buy no more items with rebates - my part to help evolve them out of existence.

Pros: I have 2 16 drive RAID6 arrays with these drives and over the past 2 years I have had no issues with these (On LSI 9270 with Chenbro and Intel SAS expanders). No they are not NAS or Enterprise drives but they have worked perfectly for me. Perhaps I will start seeing the issues that others have seen, I hope not. They seems quite to me (contrary to what others have been saying) but I am not using these in a quite desktop environment, so maybe I would feel differently if I used them with a desktop. I just don't use anything but SSD's and M/2 NVMe in desktops - and then mass storage via network shares. These drives rarely hit 80F but I do have lots fo air blowing across them.

Cons: I have no cons to list. I hope this remains the case.

Overall Review: Even with the RAID6 initializations and then lots of write load on the 52TB volumes, the temps are surprisingly low. I also have 7 of the 8TB Archive (SMR) drives, in RAID0 (2nd backup copy), and those temps are a bit warmer under lood. These 4TB drives seem (at least up to this point) to work as well as 8, near-10-yr-old Barracuda 7200rpm 1.5TB drives that I have, that simply won't die. I don't want to give them away as they have proven themselves, so I RAID5 2 groups for 4 drives and store them away with critical data. I am no fan boy of Seagate or WD. I got bit by the bad Seagate firmware there about 10 years ago (and was really ticked), but then again after moving more to WD, the EADS, EARS Green WD drives, and WZRX drives, gave me lots of headaches - BUT I was using them in LSI RAID arrays and dealing with the TLER/timeout issues - they are not "approved" for RAID - then again, neither are these Seagate 4TB Desktop drives - but not one issue that I recall with them so far, in R0, R5, R6 and R50. Never one DOA drive, but I buy fewer lately, and only when down to $100 on sale. I have not tried WD drives in the last few years, so I can NOT fairly comment on them. Since the Seagate firmware headaches a decade ago, my LIMITEd experience shows WD Green drives (5400rpm) failing on me much more often than the the SG Desktop (5900rpm) drives. I just gave away about 15 of the 2TB models. So my comments are not in sync with what many others are saying in these reviews. I am not arguing (and would be the first to gripe if I started having negative experiences), just sharing my experience - maybe it is just luck, and if so, I hope the luck keeps up. I do keep 3 copies of the data, so I am prepared for whatever happens here.

Pros: Very handy and exactly as described. I am not sure why anyone is calling this "cheap" unless they were to mean price. I'd call that "inexpensive". The PCI bracket portion seems to be painted black steel and the 2.5" channel/holder seems to be anodized aluminum, with some rubber liner on the inside of the sides so your drive doesn't make any metal-to-metal contact. I like this so much I am going to buy another and try the dual version - as soon as I am done typing this review. And of course, fast NewEgg delivery!

Cons: None, unless you wanted it to be gold or platinum plated or include an SSD.

Overall Review: I am always amazed at what people complain about these days. Well-painted and anodized, fits well, very handy, exactly as described. If you are complaining, then you are simply looking to complain about something. Did you expect it to be constructive of titanium? Because of my experience here, I will look at other items offered by this vendor.

Pros: Finally, no more carrying a bulky 2.5" SSD in your pocket. Read speeds over 100MB/s, writes are of course a bit slower. I have seen no compatibility issues yet, compared to the issues I have seen with the 32G/64G high-perf SD brand of flash drives.

Cons: None

Overall Review: There is a "red" version of this that I do not own, but I see no benefits unless you like "red"

Pros: I have the cheaper grey model. No more carrying a 2.5" SSD in your pocket. Write speeds well over 100MB/s, reads are a bit under that. I have seen no compatibility issues yet, compared to the issues I have seen with the 32G/64G super-fast SD brand of flash drives.

Cons: From what I can tell, there is no need to buy this specific "red" model. Buy the cheaper grey version for 40.

Overall Review: Ignore the silly 30X type of speed claims, it means nothing. Performance-wise, this is a mid-level USB flash drive and quite a value. 128G for 40 bucks for the cheaper model. This is becoming affordable and is the value-point. 256G prices to fall next!