38T13 Dell HBA355E 16 Channel PCIe 4.0 x8 Storage Controller

High-Performance Low-Profile SAS Host Bus Adapter enabling direct-attached expansion with the 38T13

The 38T13 is a Dell HBA355E low-profile PCIe Gen4 SAS controller designed to extend rack server storage through direct-attached SAS connectivity while preserving full host control over attached drives. Built on the LSI LSISAS3816 16-channel HBA architecture, the 38T13 is optimized for JBOD connectivity where software, not the controller, owns the data path and resiliency logic.

With a PCIe 4.0 x8 host interface, the 38T13 provides the bandwidth headroom required for dense SAS disk shelves and external enclosures, keeping queue depth and I/O concurrency aligned with modern multi-core server platforms. The single external SFF-8644 port simplifies cabling to SAS JBODs and supports predictable device discovery and pathing. Because the 38T13 operates strictly in HBA mode with no RAID layer, it is well suited for software-defined storage stacks and pass-through requirements where end-to-end visibility, consistent latency behavior, and application-level data services are mandatory.

Why Choose the 38T13?

The 38T13 delivers a clean, low-profile expansion path for enterprises standardizing on direct-attached SAS while avoiding controller-based abstraction. By pairing PCIe Gen4 throughput with a 16-channel SAS HBA design, the 38T13 supports high drive counts per node, scales predictably across clustered deployments, and maintains operational reliability through a straightforward, firmware-driven I/O pipeline intended for continuous duty in data centre environments.

Dell engineering focuses on validated interoperability, lifecycle-managed firmware, and platform alignment with enterprise rack standards. The result is an adapter that integrates cleanly into Dell server fleets and supports consistent provisioning, serviceability, and long-term availability planning.

Key Applications:

• Direct-attached SAS JBOD expansion
• Software-defined storage HBA pass-through
• External SAS disk shelf connectivity
• High-density rack server storage nodes

At Happyware - Server Hardware you benefit from non-binding offers tailored to your rollout scope for the 38T13 and an extended warranty of up to 6 years to secure long-term operation in enterprise storage environments.