LSI/Broadcom 9400-16i Tri-Mode Controller (SAS3416)
Sixteen internal 12Gb/s ports on the SAS3416 controller, PCIe 3.1 x8, and tri-mode drive support — the same card talks to SAS, SATA and NVMe drives. That last part is the whole reason to pay five times a 9300-8i: a 16-bay chassis built on a 9400-16i can move to NVMe later without replacing the controller. Tested and shipped from Hong Kong.
Fully Tested & Documented · Hong Kong Warehouse Stock · Worldwide Shipping 3–7 Days · 1-Year Warranty
Hardware Gallery
The LSI 9400-16i, Up Close
9400-16i — 16 Ports, Tri-Mode
Sixteen internal 12Gb/s lanes across four SFF-8643 connectors, driven by the SAS3416 controller on a PCIe 3.1 x8 host interface. Tri-mode means each port can serve a SAS drive, a SATA drive, or an NVMe drive — the controller negotiates per port, so mixed backplanes are supported.
SAS3416, Bracket and Backplane Fit
The SAS3416 chip and board model are read and recorded per unit, and bracket type is confirmed. On a 16-port card the chassis matters as much as the card: the four SFF-8643 connectors must match your backplane's port layout, so tell us the server model and we check the fitment before shipping rather than after.
16
internal 12Gb/s SAS/SATA ports
SAS3416
tri-mode controller, SAS/SATA/NVMe
PCIe 3.1
x8 host interface
$98
used entry price, Sep 2026
Key Specifications
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Adapter | LSI/Broadcom 9400-16i tri-mode storage controller |
| Controller | LSI/Broadcom SAS3416 |
| Ports | 16 internal 12Gb/s SAS/SATA ports |
| Drive Support | Tri-mode — SAS, SATA and NVMe drives on the same controller |
| Internal Connectors | 4 × SFF-8643 |
| Host Interface | PCIe 3.1 x8 |
| RAID | Hardware RAID capable, in addition to HBA/pass-through operation |
| Form Factor | PCIe adapter with low-profile and full-height bracket options |
| Condition | Pre-owned / refurbished tested pulls |
The 9400-16i is the card you buy when the storage plan has a future in it. Sixteen ports covers a full 2U chassis, the SAS3416 controller is tri-mode so the same backplane can carry SAS, SATA and NVMe drives, and it can do hardware RAID as well as pass-through — three things an older HBA simply cannot offer. It is the natural controller for our PowerEdge R740xd and R750 storage configurations and for dense Seagate Exos X18 arrays. Check two things before ordering: your chassis backplane must match the four SFF-8643 connectors, and this is a passively cooled 16-port card that needs real airflow across its length. If eight ports and software RAID are enough, the 9300-8i does that job for a fraction of the price.
Transparent Pricing
2026 Reference Pricing by Configuration
Tracked live in the September 2026 collection round — nine asking-price data points, all in a $22 band. For a tri-mode 16-port controller this is a remarkably tight market, which makes the buying decision about fitment and firmware rather than about hunting a price.
Pre-Owned 9400-16i (SAS3416)
$98–$120
Nine listings tracked: $97.88, $99.35, $107.00, $109.38, $109.50 ×2, $109.88 ×2, $120.00 — median ≈$109. A $22 spread across nine listings means there is no distressed end worth waiting for; buy on verified condition, correct bracket and a recorded firmware revision instead.
New / Sealed Retail
On Request
No new-stock range is published here because the September 2026 collection round returned pre-owned listings only for this card. Rather than estimate, we will quote new or sealed stock against live availability if you ask — on a controller that is going into a production array, new stock is sometimes the right call.
Asking prices, not transaction prices — volume deals typically close 5–15% below asking. Nine data points, pre-owned listings. Source channel: eBay, sorted by price+shipping, lowest first (first-screen listings). Collected Sep 20, 2026. This entry corresponds to section 41 (LSI/Broadcom 9400-16i, SAS3416, 12Gb/s HBA) of the HKCHL used-server price index.
Origin
Hong Kong Warehouse
Free port — full export documentation
Transit
3–7 Days Air Freight
Tracked, insured, worldwide
Warranty
1-Year Warranty
Diagnostic report in every box
Quality Process
What We Test Before a 9400-16i Ships
SAS3416 Controller Verification
Controller model, board revision and firmware version read and recorded per card. On a tri-mode controller the firmware generation governs which drive types behave correctly, so we log the exact revision rather than shipping a card with an unknown history.
All Sixteen Ports Enumerated
Every one of the sixteen 12Gb/s lanes brought up with a drive attached across all four SFF-8643 connectors. A 16-port card with one dead lane is the fault most likely to slip through a quick test and the most expensive to discover in production.
SAS, SATA and NVMe Drive Test
Tri-mode is verified, not assumed: SAS and SATA drives exercised on the controller, and NVMe drive support confirmed on the ports and firmware in use. Buyers pay a premium for tri-mode and should receive it working.
Hardware RAID Path Check
RAID volume creation and pass-through operation both exercised, so the card is confirmed working in whichever mode your design calls for rather than only the one it arrived in.
Sustained Load and Error Counters
Extended multi-drive transfer pass with error counters monitored across all four connectors for link resets, CRC errors and dropped drives. On a 16-drive array, a marginal lane degrades the whole pool.
Connector, Bracket and Thermal Check
All four SFF-8643 connectors inspected for bent pins and clip damage, bracket type confirmed, and heatsink behaviour logged under sustained load — this is a passively cooled 16-port controller that depends on chassis airflow.
Report in the Box
Every unit ships with its per-machine diagnostic report and warranty. Full process: inspection guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a used LSI 9400-16i cost in 2026?
Nine pre-owned listings tracked between $98 and $120 in September 2026, with a median of about $109. The spread is only $22 across all nine, so this is not a market where waiting for a bargain pays off. No new-stock listings came back in this collection round, so we do not publish a new price range — ask us and we will quote sealed stock against live availability. HKCHL quotes sit at or below the index median.
Is the 9400-16i worth five times the price of a 9300-8i?
Only if you need at least one of the three things it adds, and for most 16-bay builds you need at least two. Ports: 16 versus 8 — on a full 2U chassis the 9300-8i simply runs out, and buying two of them costs more than one 9400-16i and consumes two slots. Tri-mode: the 9400-16i takes NVMe drives alongside SAS and SATA, so a chassis built today can move to NVMe later without a new controller; the 9300-8i cannot do that at any price. Hardware RAID: the 9400-16i can build volumes itself, where the 9300-8i is pass-through only. If your build is eight SAS or SATA drives with ZFS or software RAID and you have no NVMe plan, keep the difference and buy the 9300-8i. If you are filling sixteen bays, or you want an NVMe path, or you need controller-side RAID, the 9300-8i is a false economy.
What does 'tri-mode' actually mean on this card?
It means each of the sixteen ports can negotiate with a SAS drive, a SATA drive, or an NVMe drive, and it decides per port rather than per card — so a mixed backplane with some SAS spinners and some NVMe SSDs is a supported configuration rather than a compromise. This is the generational split in LSI/Broadcom controllers: the older SAS3008 generation (9300-8i, 9300-16i) is SAS and SATA only and cannot address NVMe drives at all, while the SAS3416 in the 9400-16i can. If NVMe is anywhere in your roadmap for this chassis, this is the deciding feature.
Will the 9400-16i fit my server?
It is a PCIe 3.1 x8 card that needs both a free x8 slot and matching backplane cabling, and the cabling is where people get caught. The card presents its sixteen ports on four SFF-8643 connectors; your chassis backplane has to match that port layout. Send us the server model — R740xd, R750 and the equivalent DL380 generations are the common ones — and we will confirm slot and backplane fitment before shipping. It is also passively cooled and dissipates more heat than an 8-port card, so it needs a server chassis with directed airflow, not a desktop case.
Does it support hardware RAID, or do I still need software RAID?
Both paths are available, which is the advantage of buying this generation. The card can build and manage RAID volumes in hardware, or you can run it in pass-through mode and let ZFS, vSAN, Storage Spaces or your hypervisor own the storage layer. We test both modes before shipping. Which one you want is a design decision — hardware RAID is simpler for a single-node array and gives you a boot volume; software RAID and ZFS give you better monitoring, portability and no vendor lock-in on the controller. Tell us your intended layout and we will confirm the card arrives configured for it.
What firmware and drivers does the SAS3416 need?
It is driven by the standard Broadcom LSI storage stack — the vendor driver on Linux, Windows Server and VMware, with the firmware revision recorded on the card at shipping. Because tri-mode behaviour and NVMe support depend on the firmware and driver generation, we log the exact revision per unit so you can confirm it against your platform's support matrix rather than discovering a mismatch after installation. If your environment pins firmware versions, tell us the target revision and we will check the card against it before it ships.
Get a Current LSI 9400-16i Quote
Send us your server model, bay count and whether NVMe or hardware RAID is part of the plan. We will confirm SAS3416 availability against live stock, verify slot and backplane fitment, record the firmware revision for your support matrix, and quote the correct cables or breakout kit — plus the 9300-8i alternative if it genuinely covers what you need. Ships worldwide from Hong Kong.
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