Broadcom HBA 9700-16i Tri-Mode Host Bus Adapter
Brand: Broadcom | Category: Storage Systems
SKU: BROA-SAS970016I | Part #: SAS9700-16i | MPN: SAS9700-16i
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About the Broadcom HBA 9700-16i Tri-Mode Host Bus Adapter
The Broadcom HBA 9700-16i is a next-generation Tri-Mode Host Bus Adapter built on Broadcom's latest SAS-4 controller architecture, operating at 24Gb/s per port across 16 internal lanes organized as four SFF-8654 x4 SlimSAS connectors. The adapter simultaneously addresses SAS-4, SATA 6Gb/s, and NVMe over PCIe Gen 4 storage devices through a single card, eliminating the need for multiple discrete HBAs or protocol-specific infrastructure in heterogeneous storage environments. By leveraging PCIe Gen 4 x8 host connectivity, the 9700-16i delivers aggregate bandwidths appropriate for the most demanding all-flash and mixed-media storage arrays in modern enterprise servers.
The 9700-16i operates in pure initiator (IT) mode, passing all storage management and intelligence to the host operating system or hypervisor, making it ideal for software-defined storage stacks, direct-attached NVMe arrays, and environments utilizing host-based RAID or ZFS. The adapter is fully compatible with Broadcom's Fusion-MPT architecture and benefits from a mature, broadly supported driver ecosystem across Linux, VMware vSphere, Windows Server, and FreeBSD. Hardware-level power management and thermal controls ensure stable performance in high-density 1U and 2U server configurations.
Launched in 2025-Q3, the HBA 9700-16i targets enterprise data centers undergoing storage modernization, supporting the transition from legacy SAS-3 12Gb/s infrastructure to SAS-4 24Gb/s while simultaneously onboarding NVMe SSDs without requiring additional PCIe slots. Its tri-mode capability is particularly notable for hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) deployments, AI/ML training server builds, and large-scale virtualization hosts where storage media types evolve incrementally and co-exist within the same enclosure.
Ideal for
- Hyperconverged infrastructure nodes running mixed NVMe and SAS-4 storage tiers under a single HBA to maximize PCIe slot efficiency
- AI and machine learning training servers requiring high-throughput NVMe direct-attached storage for dataset ingestion alongside SAS-4 capacity drives
- Software-defined storage clusters using ZFS or Ceph where IT-mode passthrough is mandatory and heterogeneous drive populations must be managed by the host OS
- Enterprise virtualization hosts (VMware vSphere, Proxmox, Hyper-V) consolidating NVMe boot/cache devices and SAS-4 bulk data drives on a single adapter
- Data center storage refresh projects migrating incrementally from SAS-3 12Gb/s enclosures to SAS-4 24Gb/s while retaining backward compatibility with existing drive inventory
- High-density backup and archive servers combining high-capacity SATA HDDs with SAS-4 SSDs for tiered retention pools under unified host bus management
Technical specifications
| Manufacturer | Broadcom |
| Product Series | HBA 9700 |
| Model | HBA 9700-16i |
| Controller | Broadcom SAS-4 Tri-Mode Controller (Fusion-MPT architecture) |
| Host Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 (8 GT/s per lane) |
| Protocol Support | SAS-4 (24Gb/s), SAS-3 (12Gb/s), SAS-2 (6Gb/s), SATA III (6Gb/s), NVMe (PCIe Gen 4) |
| Port Count (Internal) | 16 ports (4 x SFF-8654 8i SlimSAS connectors, each x4) |
| Connector Type | 4 x SFF-8654 x4 SlimSAS (HD Mini-SAS HD compatible) |
| Max Per-Port Data Rate | 24 Gb/s (SAS-4 mode) |
| Aggregate Bandwidth | Up to 48 GB/s (PCIe Gen 4 x8 host interface) |
| Max Attached Devices | Up to 1024 SAS/SATA end devices (expander-connected); NVMe limited by PCIe topology |
| Operating Mode | IT Mode (Initiator Target passthrough; no hardware RAID) |
| Form Factor | Low-Profile MD2 (full-height bracket included) |
| PCIe Slot Requirement | x8 or x16 PCIe Gen 4 or Gen 5 slot (backward compatible Gen 3) |
| Power Consumption (Typical) | Approximately 12W (TDP under full load) |
| Power Connector | None required (slot-powered) |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 55°C (ambient, with adequate chassis airflow) |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C to 85°C |
| OS / Hypervisor Support | VMware vSphere 7.x/8.x, Windows Server 2019/2022, RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu LTS, SUSE Linux Enterprise, FreeBSD, Proxmox VE |
| Driver Framework | Broadcom Fusion-MPT (mpt3sas kernel driver on Linux; inbox drivers on Windows Server and vSphere) |
| Management Utility | Broadcom StorCLI, SAS3IRCU command-line utilities; IPMI/Redfish passthrough compatible |
| Compliance & Certifications | SAS-4 INCITS standard, PCIe 4.0 CEM specification, RoHS 3, CE, FCC Class A |
| Launch Generation | 2025-Q3 |
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Technical Specifications
| Brand | Broadcom |
| Category | Storage Systems |
| SKU | BROA-SAS970016I |
| Part Number | SAS9700-16i |
| Condition | New |
| Product Series | HBA 9700 |
| Model | HBA 9700-16i |
| Controller | Broadcom SAS-4 Tri-Mode Controller (Fusion-MPT architecture) |
| Host Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 (8 GT/s per lane) |
| Protocol Support | SAS-4 (24Gb/s), SAS-3 (12Gb/s), SAS-2 (6Gb/s), SATA III (6Gb/s), NVMe (PCIe Gen 4) |
| Port Count (Internal) | 16 ports (4 x SFF-8654 8i SlimSAS connectors, each x4) |
| Connector Type | 4 x SFF-8654 x4 SlimSAS (HD Mini-SAS HD compatible) |
| Max Per-Port Data Rate | 24 Gb/s (SAS-4 mode) |
| Aggregate Bandwidth | Up to 48 GB/s (PCIe Gen 4 x8 host interface) |
| Max Attached Devices | Up to 1024 SAS/SATA end devices (expander-connected); NVMe limited by PCIe topology |
| Operating Mode | IT Mode (Initiator Target passthrough; no hardware RAID) |
| Form Factor | Low-Profile MD2 (full-height bracket included) |
| PCIe Slot Requirement | x8 or x16 PCIe Gen 4 or Gen 5 slot (backward compatible Gen 3) |
| Power Consumption (Typical) | Approximately 12W (TDP under full load) |
| Power Connector | None required (slot-powered) |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 55°C (ambient, with adequate chassis airflow) |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C to 85°C |
| OS / Hypervisor Support | VMware vSphere 7.x/8.x, Windows Server 2019/2022, RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu LTS, SUSE Linux Enterprise, FreeBSD, Proxmox VE |
| Driver Framework | Broadcom Fusion-MPT (mpt3sas kernel driver on Linux; inbox drivers on Windows Server and vSphere) |
| Management Utility | Broadcom StorCLI, SAS3IRCU command-line utilities; IPMI/Redfish passthrough compatible |
| Compliance & Certifications | SAS-4 INCITS standard, PCIe 4.0 CEM specification, RoHS 3, CE, FCC Class A |
| Launch Generation | 2025-Q3 |
Frequently Asked Questions about Broadcom HBA 9700-16i Tri-Mode Host Bus Adapter
What does the Broadcom HBA 9700-16i Tri-Mode Host Bus Adapter do?
the Broadcom HBA 9700-16i Tri-Mode Host Bus Adapter suits enterprise data-center storage tiers — all-flash arrays, hyperconverged storage pools (vSAN, Ceph), database backends, and high-throughput backup repositories. It is supported by major server platforms.
What are the headline specs of the Broadcom HBA 9700-16i Tri-Mode Host Bus Adapter?
Key specifications for the Broadcom HBA 9700-16i Tri-Mode Host Bus Adapter: new condition; manufacturer Broadcom; product series HBA 9700; model HBA 9700-16i; controller Broadcom SAS-4 Tri-Mode Controller (Fusion-MPT architecture); host interface PCIe 4.0 x8 (8 GT/s per lane); protocol support SAS-4 (24Gb/s), SAS-3 (12Gb/s), SAS-2 (6Gb/s), SATA III (6Gb/s), NVMe (PCIe Gen 4). Manufacturer part number SAS9700-16i. For the full datasheet with electrical, environmental, and compliance details, contact our pre-sales engineering team.