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If an LSI SAS2308 HBA lets your computer boot with no drives connected but hangs during POST as soon as you attach one, try disabling the HBA’s boot option ROM in its card NVRAM. In the reported case, this let the system boot from its usual boot device while the HBA remained available for data drives. Keep the operating system or TrueNAS boot disk on motherboard SATA or a separate controller if the HBA still cannot complete motherboard BIOS startup with drives attached.
What is happening?
A ServeTheHome forum thread describes an LSI 9217-8i, based on the SAS2308, installed in an Intel DQ77MK system. The motherboard detected the card and booted when no drives were connected to it. With a drive attached, the system recognized the drive but stalled during POST, with no reported error message and no usable route into the motherboard BIOS while HBA boot was enabled. The thread’s reported symptoms and workaround are specific to that hardware combination; they do not establish that every SAS2308 hang has the same cause.
The useful distinction is between the HBA being detected as a PCIe device and its boot-time option ROM trying to initialize attached drives. A machine can detect the card yet fail during that startup path. Disabling HBA boot does not remove the card or prevent the operating system from using it for data storage; it stops relying on the HBA’s pre-boot path to start the computer.
Disable HBA boot and keep boot disks elsewhere
- Enter the card’s NVRAM configuration. Use the HBA’s own configuration utility or firmware setup route, if available, rather than assuming the motherboard BIOS setting controls the card’s option ROM. The forum’s concise fix was to “disable booting” in the card NVRAM.
- Disable the HBA’s boot function or option ROM. The exact menu wording and access method can vary by card firmware, so use the utility and documentation for the card in front of you. The source thread does not provide a universal menu path.
- Connect a data drive and retest POST. If the board now completes startup, leave the HBA responsible for data drives and boot from motherboard SATA or a separate controller.
- Install or start the operating system from the separate boot path. In the reported case, the author said “OS only boot works. Bios boot no go.” That is consistent with a usable OS boot arrangement that does not depend on entering motherboard setup with the HBA boot path active.
The thread author ultimately described moving boot drives to another controller and keeping the 2308 for the remaining setup. This is a practical workaround for a system that can use the HBA after the OS starts but cannot reliably POST with HBA boot enabled.
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- FW(Firmware） version: IT Mode P20 (20.00.07.00)
- Controller chipset: LSI SAS2308 SAS
- Transmission speed: 6Gpbs
- Compatible Port: PCIe 3.0 x8
- Number of Ports: 8
If disabling boot does not resolve the hang
Confirm the symptom is still a POST hang
Change one variable at a time. First verify the system behavior with no HBA drives, then with one known-good drive attached. A POST hang is different from an operating system that boots but cannot see a drive: the former points to startup initialization or platform interaction, while the latter calls for checking drive detection, cabling, power, and OS-level support.
Check IR/IT mode and firmware as configuration variables
The DQ77MK thread says the user tried both IR and IT modes and mentions MPTFW 20.00.07.00 and mptsas2.rom 7.39.02.00. Those are reported details from a 2022 discussion, not a current blanket recommendation or proof that either firmware set is right for another card. If you change firmware or mode, confirm the exact card model, existing firmware, intended role, and motherboard compatibility first; do not treat flashing as a substitute for the option-ROM workaround.
Rank #2
- LSI SAS9207-8i
- SAS2308 CHIP
- PCI E 3.0 6Gbps
- FW:P20 IT Mode ZFS FreeNAS(TRUENAS CORE) unRAID
- Packing List：Controller Card：1 Cable：2
Do not rely on pin masking as a universal fix
The thread author tried covering contacts B5 and B6 and reported no improvement on the DQ77MK. That result does not establish what will happen on other boards, but it means pin masking was not the fix for this reported setup.
Trace the mini-SAS cabling and backplane
If POST completes but some drives are absent, or if behavior changes with different ports, verify that the SFF-8087 cables connect the expected lanes and that the backplane is wired and powered for the installed drive types. A separate SAS2308 deployment report describes drive loss associated with mini-SAS lane wiring or a backplane set up for a different drive type. Review the reported cabling and backplane case, then check your own chassis documentation and connector mapping.
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- Compatible with: LSI 9207-8i; Controller: LSI SAS2308 (6Gb/s SAS).
- Firmware (FW): HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID); Data Transfer Rate: up to 6Gbps SAS and SATA 6Gbps per lane.
- Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8; Internal Connectors: 2× Mini-SAS SFF-8087. --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 (JBOD/passthrough).
- Packing List: HBA Card ×1; SFF-8087 to 4× SATA Cables ×2 (for 8 ports). --Cables in box are for SATA drives. They are not compatible with SAS drives. To connect SAS drives, use SFF-8087 to 4× 8482 SAS cables (sold separately) or our matched HBA + cable kit.
Check 3.3 V power-disable behavior only when drives are missing
A separate Unraid report says five HGST 10 TB SAS drives became visible after the first three power-connector pins were covered to defeat 3.3 V power disable. That report concerns drive visibility and power behavior, not a motherboard hanging at POST. Treat it as a separate branch of diagnosis, not a remedy for a pre-boot stall.
Plan for heat and idle-power trade-offs
A separate Unraid report found that its system reached C2 idle with a SAS2308 installed, compared with C8 without the card, even with drives spun down. This is one system’s reported observation, not a guarantee about other machines. An HBA can affect platform power behavior, and the card may need directed airflow in a home-lab case that lacks server-style cooling.
Rank #4
- SAS2308 HBA Controller
- 6Gb/S Data Transfer Rate
- LSI FW:P20 IT Mode ZFS FreeNAS unRAID IT mode
- PCIE 3.0 X8
- Packing List: HBA Card ×1,High and low bracket*1,2*SFF-8087-8482 SAS Cable
When to replace the HBA or cable
If the card remains unusable after the boot path is separated and the physical setup is checked, a compatible SAS2308-based replacement such as a 9217-8i or 9207-8i may be an option. Confirm the exact OEM card, firmware state, motherboard and PCIe compatibility, connector type, and chassis wiring before buying: model names alone do not guarantee the same configuration or fit. If the actual issue is that your chassis needs a different connection, verify whether an SFF-8087-to-SATA breakout cable matches the HBA ports and drive/backplane layout. A replacement card or cable cannot be assumed to fix a motherboard/option-ROM interaction without confirming the cause.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Chipset: LSI SAS2308.
- Firmware (FW) version: P20 (20.00.07.00) IT Mode.
- Interface: 2 * SFF-8087 internal, PCI-e 3.0 x8.
- Package: controller card, full-height bracket, low-profile bracket.
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