Streamlining Installation: PCIe Expansion Drives for HP & Dell Systems

RocketAIC Drives are the perfect storage solutions for 1U Rackmount and Compact Desktop Dell/HP Server Platforms

RocketAIC drives are the perfect storage expansion and upgrade solution for 1U rackmount and tower server platforms, such as HP’s ProLiant DL300 and ML100 series servers. These small-footprint server platforms are equipped with powerful AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon processors and upwards of 6TB of memory. Cost effective, compact and versatile, such platforms and can be tailored to accommodate a broad range of applications and working environments.

Some of the more specialized platforms forgo internal drive bays in favor of additional PCIe expansion slots. This approach enables a compact 1U server chassis to support as many as four full-length GPUs via riser cards. In combination with dual CPU’s, such a platform would make for an enticing, cost-effective SMB solution for AI-driven applications, ML and industrial workflows, IOT devices, and AV solutions. Of course, such platforms are prime candidates for high-density NVMe based storage solutions. Our Ultra-Dense series of expansion drives, such as RocketAIC 7540HW, are especially space efficient, as the storage media is directly housed within the PCIe AIC itself, and no additional cabling, cooling or power-related hardware is required.

HighPoint’s manufactures a range of RocketAIC series of PCIe expansion storage drives ideally suited for these compact hardware environments.

Which RocketAIC drive is right for my system?

In most cases, our PCIe Gen4 RocketAIC 7505x, or PCIe Gen3 RocketAIC 7105HW and RocketAIC 6204AW drives are the best choice for compact desktop and 1U rackmount servers. They are available with up to 8TB of storage, are capable of hosting bootable configurations, and can be easily installed into any PCIe slot or riser capable of supporting a single Full-Height/Full-Length device.

*RocketAIC 7505HW Shown

Model	Form Factor	PCIe Interface	Max Capacity
RA6204AW	Full-Height/Full-Length/Single-Width	PCIe 3.0 x8	8TB
RA7505HW	Full-Height/Full-Length/Single-Width	PCIe 4.0 x16	8TB
RA7105HW	Full-Height/Full-Length/Single-Width	PCIe 3.0 x16	4TB

Ultra-Compact Solutions

Platforms that require a low-profile solution can opt for our PCIe Gen4 RocketAIC 7502HW or PCIe Gen3 RocketAIC 6202AW drives. Both models deliver up to 4TB of bootable storage in an ultra-compact Half-Height/Half-Length PCIe add-in-card.

*RocketAIC 6202AW Shown

Model	Form Factor	PCIe Interface	Max Capacity
RA6202AW	Half-Height/Half-Length/Single-Width	PCIe 3.0 x8	4TB
RA7502HW	Half-Height/Half-Length/Single-Width	PCIe 4.0 x16	4TB

High-Density Solutions

Advanced platforms, such as the HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen11 GPU CTO server are capable of supporting our full-sized RocketAIC 7540HW and RocketAIC 7140AW drives. Despite the platforms 1U form factor, it is able to support multiple Full-Height/Full-Length PCIe devices by providing additional riser slots in place of the internal 2.5” drive bays. In fact, this particular platform can support any current RocketAIC drive, outside of our Dual-Width RA7749Ex models.

*RocketAIC 7540HW Shown

Model	Form Factor	PCIe Interface	Max Capacity
RA7540HW	Full-Height/Full-Length/Single-Width	PCIe 4.0 x16	16TB
RA7140AW	Full-Height/Full-Length/Single-Width	PCIe 3.0 x16	16TB

Turnkey, ready to install Storage drives for wide range of factory-built Dell & HP platforms

We’ve published a series of installation and compatibility guides designed to streamline the PCIe drive integration process and get you up and running as quickly and painlessly as possible. The guides analyze the PCIe expansion capability of each compatible platform, and provide a list of supported RocketAIC drives and the recommended PCIe slot configurations. These guides are routinely updated, and will be continually expanded to include new computing platforms and RocketAIC drives.

Compatible Systems that require a Riser Card:

Dell: PowerEdge R650, PowerEdge R6525, PowerEdge 660, PowerEdge 730, PowerEdge 750, PowerEdge 760, PowerEdge 7515, PowerEdge 7525, PowerEdge 7615, PowerEdge R620, PowerEdge R630, PowerEdge R640, PowerEdge R720, PowerEdge R720XD, PowerEdge R730XD, PowerEdge R740, PowerEdge 740XD, PowerEdge R840, PowerEdge R940

HP: Proliant DL325 Gen10 Plus, Proliant DL325 Gen 10 Plus v2, Proliant DL325 Gen11, Proliant DL365 Gen 10 Plus server, Proliant DL365 Gen11, Proliant DL360 Gen 10 Plus, Proliant DL360 Gen 11, DL580/DL585/345/560 series

Learn More

RocketAIC for Dell & HP Platforms

Bootable RocketAIC for Dell & HP Platforms

Dell Compatibility List

HP Compatibility List