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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteRAID-on-Chip (ROC) is a storage-controller integrated circuit that combines RAID processing with storage I/O controller functions. It is typically an OEM component in a server or storage-system design—not necessarily the name of the complete controller card, and not a feature present in every system that uses RAID.
What does a RAID-on-Chip do?
A ROC is the controller silicon inside a hardware RAID design. It handles RAID-related processing and storage-device connectivity. The surrounding server or storage system supplies the board integration, firmware and drivers, management tools, and any cache or power-loss protection components included in that design.
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Broadcom describes its ROC design as combining an I/O acceleration engine with a RAID implementation. The precise division of work and feature set depend on the controller product; the chip alone is not a complete storage system. Broadcom’s RAID-on-Chip product family is aimed at OEMs creating servers and storage systems.
How does ROC fit into a storage system?
In a conventional hardware RAID design, the ROC is one component in a larger controller implementation. Depending on the product, that design can connect SAS, SATA, or NVMe devices, process supported RAID configurations, and communicate with the host over PCIe. A system’s actual capabilities depend on the specific chip and its implementation—not simply on the ROC label.
#1 Best Overall
- Compatible with: LSI 9300-8i; Controller: LSI/Broadcom SAS3008 (12Gb/s SAS)
- Firmware (FW): HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID); Data Transfer Rate: up to 12Gbps SAS, SATA 6Gbps
- Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8; Internal Connectors: 2× Mini-SAS HD SFF-8643. --Direct attach up to 8 drives, and expand via external SAS Expander for large arrays
- PERFECT FOR: ZFS, FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox, ESXi home-lab & NAS storage
- Packing List: HBA Card ×1; 2× SFF-8643 to 4× SATA cables (8× SATA ends). --Cables in box are for SATA drives. They are not compatible with SAS drives. To connect SAS drives, use SFF-8643 to 8482 SAS cables (sold separately) or our matched HBA + cable kit.
RAID can provide redundancy or availability features, but it is not a substitute for a separate backup. A controller or array can fail, and RAID does not by itself protect against every form of data loss.
What are examples of RAID-on-Chip products?
Broadcom’s product pages illustrate how much specifications vary by model. The following figures and features are manufacturer claims for the named parts, not universal ROC specifications.
Rank #2
| Model | Published characteristics | Availability and status |
|---|---|---|
| SAS3908 | Broadcom identifies this as a seventh-generation, eight-port Tri-Mode SAS/SATA/NVMe ROC with PCIe Gen 4.0 x8. Its listed MegaRAID levels are 0, 1, 1E, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60. Broadcom claims up to 3 million IOPS in JBOD mode and up to 3.0 million IOPS for RAID random reads; these are workload-specific vendor figures, not standardized comparative benchmarks. | Broadcom lists the part as active and available only to OEMs through direct sales. |
| SAS3916 | A 16-port Tri-Mode ROC supporting SAS, SATA, or NVMe devices. Broadcom lists support for up to 2,000 SAS or SATA devices and 6,000 outstanding I/Os. The device-count figure is a product-page maximum, not a typical single-server drive count. | Broadcom lists the part as active and OEM-only. |
| SAS4124 | Broadcom’s 2022 product brief lists PCIe Gen 4.0 support and up to 240 SAS/SATA devices. | Availability and lifecycle status are not stated in the cited 2022 brief. |
For the SAS3908, Broadcom says the chip is based on its Fusion-MPT architecture. Its published IOPS figures specify workload modes, but should not be treated as directly comparable with results from other products unless workload, drive count, configuration, and test conditions also match. See Broadcom’s RAID-on-Chip product information.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Is RAID-on-Chip the same as Intel VROC?
No. ROC means RAID-on-Chip: a storage-controller integrated circuit. Intel VROC means Virtual RAID on CPU. Intel describes VROC as a RAID solution enabled by Intel VMD, a feature integrated into the CPU’s PCIe root complex. VROC supports SATA and NVMe arrays and can avoid a separate traditional hardware RAID HBA, but it is not a ROC chip. Certain feature sets require licensing on some Xeon processors, and system vendors determine enablement and purchasing details. Intel’s VROC overview explains the distinction.
Rank #3
- LSI 9211-8I SAS2008 CHIP
- (LSI 9211-8i) FW: P20 IT Mode
- 6Gbps PCI E X8 2.0
- ZFS FreeNAS unRAID
- Packing List: HBA Card ×1,High and low bracket*1,2*SFF-8087-SATA Cable
What should you check when choosing a controller or platform?
Compare the complete controller or platform implementation against the devices and server you plan to use. Check these points in the product documentation:
- Device protocols and link rates: Confirm SAS, SATA, or NVMe support, the supported generations or speeds, and any restrictions on mixing drive types.
- Host interface: Check PCIe generation and lane count against the server slot and required bandwidth.
- Scale: Verify port count, supported device limits, and queue or outstanding-I/O limits for the exact model.
- RAID levels: Confirm the required levels are supported rather than assuming all ROC products offer the same set.
- Data protection features: Review encryption, end-to-end data protection, cache protection, and power-loss protection requirements.
- Platform support: Confirm server compatibility, operating-system drivers, management software, lifecycle status, and the purchasing channel.
- Cooling: Check the specific controller’s airflow and temperature requirements for the chassis where it will operate.
Thermal limits are controller-specific. For most Intel RAID controllers covered by Intel’s 2025 guidance, Intel recommends a maximum internal chassis temperature of 55°C and minimum airflow of 200 linear feet per minute to keep the internal ROC below 105°C. Intel says those controllers throttle at 110°C; at 116°C they continue throttling, flush cache, complete pending I/O, and then stop other I/O after 10 seconds. These thresholds apply to the Intel controllers in that guidance, not to all ROC devices. Read Intel’s RAID-controller thermal guidance.
Rank #4
- Part Number: 5FMY4
- 8GB Nonvolatile Cache
- Supports 12Gb/s SAS and 6Gb/s SATA
- RAID levels: 0, 1, 5, 6
- RAID spans: 10, 50, 60
Can you buy a ROC chip for a PC build?
Broadcom says its SAS3908 and SAS3916 chips are sold to OEMs through direct sales. A server builder is more likely to choose a complete hardware RAID controller card than purchase a bare ROC chip. The cited product information does not establish a particular retail card or guarantee that a given card is compatible with a specific server. Check the card maker’s compatibility list, supported drives and RAID levels, firmware and management tools, cache policy, drivers, and cooling requirements.
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Best Value
- 6-PORT SATA EXPANSION CARD: Adds 6 SATA III (6Gbps) drives to your desktop at once, turning one PCIe x4 slot into a 6-bay storage pool for unRAID, TrueNAS, ZFS, Proxmox or Windows Storage Spaces software RAID. Hardware RAID is not supported.
- 277MB/S ON EVERY PORT: PCIe 3.0 X2 upstream runs at 16GT/s, and each of the 6 SATA ports delivers up to 277MB/s, so large multi-drive transfers, media libraries and backup jobs finish fast with no bottleneck.
- NO DRIVER, WIDE COMPATIBILITY: Plug and play on Windows (except XP), Mac OS, Linux and NAS systems. Set SATA mode to AHCI in BIOS or UEFI before first install. This is a data storage HBA and does not boot an operating system.
- 6 BUILT-IN LED INDICATORS: A steady red LED means the drive is powered, a flashing LED means it is reading or writing, so you can check every SATA drive at a glance without opening the case.
- FITS X4/X8/X16 SLOTS, FULL KIT INCLUDED: Ships with 6 x SATA III cables (350mm/13.5in), a 1:5 SATA power splitter cable, and both a 12cm regular and an 8cm low-profile bracket for any PC or NAS case.
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