Are Supermicro X11SRA motherboards compatible with SSD7000/SSD7500/SSD6540 Series NVMe RAID Controllers and Enclosures?

Compatibility Status: Compatible (Boot & Data RAID)

Link to Compatibility Report: Link

Note: The compatibility reports we provide are based on the target platform/motherboard research, using the manufacturer’s official specifications and product documentation.

Summary: The Supermicro X11SRA motherboard is capable of supporting HighPoint SSD7000 series NVMe RAID controllers. SSD7500 series controllers can also be used with this platform but will be unable to operate at full speed, as the systems only provide PCIe 3.0 connectivity. The SSD6540 series NVMe RAID enclosures utilize a PCIe Gen3 x16 NVMe HBA for external connectivity, which appears to be compatible with this platform. The motherboard utilizes the Intel C422 chipset, which is compatible with our NVMe products.  The motherboard’s BIOS provides UEFI support and provides option ROM settings for UEFI and legacy devices. 

Manufacturer Documentation: MNL-2005.pdf (supermicro.com) 

1. PCIe Host Interface: Supermicro X11SRA motherboards utilize a PCIe Gen3 (PCIe 3.0) host interface, and provides 2 PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 electrical) slots. 

2. Boot RAID Support (NVMe arrays used to boot a system): Supermicro X11SRA motherboards can support bootable NVMe arrays. The BIOS appears to provide a UEFI option ROM support.

3. Data RAID Support (NVMe arrays used for data storage): There are no apparent restrictions for data-only storage configurations.

4. Recommended Controllers:

• Bootable Configurations: SSD7103, SSD7505
• Maximum Performance: We would recommend the SSD7101A-1 or SSD7104. Cross-sync may be possible depending on the number of PCIe devices installed, as the motherboard provides two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots with x16 lanes.
• Maximum Storage Capacity: We would recommend the 8-port SSD7140 (M.2), though customers could also use the SSD7540 (backwards compatibility with PCIe 3.0).
• External Connectivity (NVMe Enclosures): SSD6540 (4x U.2), SSD6540M (4x M.2), or the SSD6540S paired with the SSD7184 RAID controller (4x U.2 or M.2, depending on which drive bays the customer is using).