LSI 9305-16i PCI-Express 3.0 x8 Low Profile SAS Host Bus Adapter – 05-25703-00

LSI 9305-16i 16-Port SAS 12Gb/s / SATA 6Gb/s PCIe 3.0 x8 Low Profile HBA — 05-25703-00

The LSI 05-25703-00 is the low-profile variant of the 9305-16i, a 16-port SAS 12Gb/s / SATA 6Gb/s host bus adapter (HBA) with PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface. Based on the LSI SAS3224 controller, it provides high-density internal SAS/SATA connectivity in a low-profile form factor for 1U rack servers and compact chassis requiring maximum drive count in IT mode (JBOD pass-through).

Key Features

• 16x internal SAS 12Gb/s / SATA 6Gb/s ports
• PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface
• Low-profile bracket — compatible with 1U rack servers and compact chassis
• IT mode (initiator) — JBOD pass-through for ZFS and software RAID
• LSI SAS3224 controller — proven enterprise SAS HBA silicon
• Supports SAS expanders for large-scale storage expansion

Product Specifications

• Part Number: 05-25703-00
• Manufacturer: LSI (Broadcom)
• OEM Status: Retail
• Model: SAS 9305-16i
• Internal Ports: 16x SAS 12Gb/s / SATA 6Gb/s
• Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8
• Bracket: Low Profile (half-height)
• Controller: LSI SAS3224

Interface Specifications

• Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8
• Internal Connector: 4x SFF-8643 (Mini-SAS HD)
• Drive Speed: SAS 12Gb/s / SATA 6Gb/s
• Form Factor: Low Profile (half-height)

Port Specifications

• Internal Ports: 16x (via 4x SFF-8643)
• Max Drives: Up to 1,024 with SAS expander
• RAID: IT mode (JBOD/pass-through) — no hardware RAID

Use Cases

• High-density internal SAS/SATA connectivity for 1U rack server deployments
• ZFS and TrueNAS deployments in compact chassis requiring low-profile HBA
• Large-scale storage expansion via SAS expanders in space-constrained servers
• Software RAID deployments requiring direct drive access in 1U servers

Compatibility

• PCIe 3.0 x8 slots (backward compatible with PCIe 2.0)
• SAS 12Gb/s and SATA 6Gb/s drives via SFF-8643 internal connectors
• Windows Server, Linux, and FreeBSD/TrueNAS with LSI IT mode firmware
• SAS expanders for large-scale JBOD expansion

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 05-25703-00 and 9305-16I?

The 05-25703-00 is the low-profile (half-height) version, while 9305-16I is the high-profile (full-height) version of the same LSI SAS 9305-16i HBA. Select based on your server chassis bracket requirements.

Does this support IT mode?

Yes — the 9305-16i ships in IT mode (initiator/target), presenting each drive individually to the OS without hardware RAID. This is required for ZFS, TrueNAS, and software RAID deployments.

The LSI 05-25703-00 delivers 16-port SAS 12Gb/s / SATA 6Gb/s internal connectivity over PCIe 3.0 x8 in a low-profile form factor — a high-density IT mode HBA for ZFS, software RAID, and large-scale SAS/SATA storage deployments in 1U rack servers.