Supermicro AOC‑SLG3‑2E4 Dual‑Port Gen‑3 NVMe Internal Host Bus Adapter

The AOC‑SLG3‑2E4 is an internal Host Bus Adapter (HBA) designed by Supermicro for high‑performance server storage systems. It features two internal NVMe ports via SFF‑8643 (Mini‑SAS HD) connectors and is built on PCI Express Gen 3 switch technology, targeting enterprise caching solutions, high‑throughput storage pools and NVMe deployments. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Key Features

• Dual NVMe ports: Two internal SFF‑8643 connectors, each supporting one NVMe device. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
• P leined PCI‑Express Gen 3 switch: Built on a PLX PE8718 switch IC, offering 4 internal PCIe lanes per port for optimum bandwidth (~3.2 GB/s per port, ~6.4 GB/s total) for NVMe devices. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
• Interface: PCI Express 3.0 x8 host slot (low‑profile form factor) for flexibility in server systems. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
• Low power & compact size: Typical power draw ~6 W; card dimension approx. 2.7" × 4.7" (H × L). Operating ambient temp 10 °C – 55 °C. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
• Validated only on Supermicro platforms: According to the manufacturer, this card works only on validated Supermicro servers/boards—not guaranteed on third‑party systems. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Specifications (Selected)

• Host Bus: PCI‑Express 3.0 x8 (Gen 3) :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
• Internal Ports: 2 × SFF‑8643 Mini‑SAS HD internal connectors (one NVMe per port) :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
• Bandwidth per Port: Up to ~3.2 GB/s (4 lanes Gen 3) — ~6.4 GB/s aggregate. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
• Power Consumption: ~6 W typical :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
• Dimensions: Approx. 2.7″ × 4.7″ (H × L) for the card. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
• Operating Temperature: Ambient 10 °C to 55 °C :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
• OS Support: Windows Server (2012) and various Linux distributions (Red Hat 7.0, CentOS 7, Ubuntu 14.04, SUSE 12) :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}

Use Cases

• Adding NVMe storage ports in a system where native NVMe slots are limited or to enable high‑throughput cache SSDs in a server.
• Enterprise / data‑center near‑line cache applications, where NVMe devices serve as a high‑speed buffer to backend storage. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}
• When a motherboard lacks bifurcation support or direct NVMe lanes, this switch‑based card offers a way to connect NVMe drives without needing full CPU‑lane bifurcation. (Many users report success when using this card in such setups) :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}

Compatibility & Considerations

• Because this card uses an internal dual‑port NVMe HBA design, ensure your system has the required internal connectors (SFF‑8643 or compatible adaptor) and space/cooling for NVMe drives.
• The manufacturer states this card is **only validated** for certain Supermicro platforms—third‑party motherboard compatibility may be uncertain. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
• Even though it uses a PCIe switch, motherboard BIOS and slot arrangement may affect visibility of the drives; some users in DIY/home‑lab settings report needing to verify slot speed or mount in particular slots. :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
• Thermal management for NVMe SSDs is recommended, as the card supports high throughput and NVMe drives can run hot. Ensure good chassis airflow.

Keywords

Supermicro AOC‑SLG3‑2E4, NVMe HBA, dual‑port NVMe, internal Mini‑SAS HD, PCIe Gen3 x8, server NVMe adapter, Supermicro storage add‑on card