Generation Overview
| Series | PCIe | Max SAS | NVMe | Cache |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9361 | PCIe 3.0 x8 | 12Gb/s SAS-3 | No | 1-4GB DDR3 |
| 9500 | PCIe 4.0 x8 | 12Gb/s SAS-3 | Yes (Tri-Mode) | 8GB DDR4 |
| 9600 | PCIe 4.0 x8 | 24Gb/s SAS-4 | Yes (Tri-Mode) | 8GB DDR4 |
MegaRAID 9361: The Workhorse
The 9361 is the most widely deployed enterprise RAID controller. A used 9361-8i with 2GB cache costs only $200-400. Best for cost-sensitive SATA/SAS SSD arrays and VMware ESXi deployments.
MegaRAID 9500: Tri-Mode Generation 1
The 9500 introduces Tri-Mode SAS/SATA/NVMe support with PCIe 4.0. 8GB DDR4 cache. Best for mixed SAS + NVMe deployments and database servers.
MegaRAID 9600: Tri-Mode Generation 2
The 9600 adds 24Gb/s SAS-4 with 2x IOPS and bandwidth for NVMe workloads. Best for all-NVMe arrays and future-proof deployments.
Quick Recommendations
- Budget VMware lab: 9361-8i 2GB
- Production ESXi: 9361-8i 4GB
- Database with NVMe: 9500-16i
- All-NVMe array: 9600-16i
- Boot + storage: 9540-2M2