Dell PERC RAID Controllers Explained: H330, H730, H740P, H750 + HBA/eHBA Modes
A plain-English guide to Dell PERC RAID controllers — the H330/H730 (PERC 9), H740P/H745 (PERC 10), and H750/H755 (PERC 11), which RAID levels each supports, why cache matters, and how RAID mode, HBA mode, and enhanced HBA (eHBA) differ for software-defined storage.
TL;DR — which PERC do I need?
- H330 — no cache, RAID 0/1/5/10/50. Entry RAID and boot; also does HBA/pass-through.
- H730 / H730P (PERC 9) — 1GB/2GB cache, adds RAID 6/60. The mainstream choice for databases and virtualization on 13th-gen PowerEdge.
- H740P (PERC 10) — 8GB cache, eHBA mode, for 14th-gen. The high-performance default.
- H750 / H755 (PERC 11) — newest, 8GB cache, PCIe Gen4, for 15th/16th-gen.
- HBA330 / HBA355 — pure host bus adapters (no RAID) for vSAN / Storage Spaces Direct / Ceph.
Dell lists the full family in its PERC controller types reference.
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What PERC is
PERC (PowerEdge RAID Controller) is Dell's family of internal RAID controllers. They run the RAID in hardware, manage the cache, and integrate with iDRAC/OpenManage for health and firmware. Two things separate models: cache (which unlocks RAID 6 performance) and personality mode (RAID vs HBA).
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Cache and RAID levels
| Controller | Gen | Cache | RAID levels | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H330 | PERC 9/10 | None | 0,1,5,10,50 | Boot, entry RAID, HBA |
| H730 / H730P | PERC 9 | 1GB / 2GB | +6, 60 | Databases, virtualization (13G) |
| H740P | PERC 10 | 8GB | +6, 60 | High performance (14G) |
| H750 / H755 | PERC 11 | 8GB | +6, 60 | Newest, PCIe Gen4 (15G/16G) |
If you plan to run RAID 5 or 6 on spinning disk under load, choose a cached PERC (H730/H740P/H750) — the cache is what hides the parity write penalty. The cache-less H330 is fine for RAID 0/1/10 and boot.
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RAID mode vs HBA mode vs eHBA
This is the Dell-specific decision:
- RAID mode — classic hardware RAID. The PERC owns the disks and presents virtual disks.
- HBA mode (PERC 9, e.g., H730) — the controller passes raw disks to the OS, no RAID. What you want for vSAN, Storage Spaces Direct, Ceph, ZFS.
- eHBA / enhanced HBA mode (PERC 10/11, e.g., H740P/H745) — a hybrid: create a few RAID 0/1/10 virtual disks and expose the rest as pass-through. Per Dell, eHBA "provides the ability to create virtual disks with RAID level 0, 1, or 10" alongside non-RAID disks (Dell PERC 10 User's Guide).
Building software-defined storage? Use HBA mode, eHBA, or a dedicated HBA330/HBA355 — don't put hardware RAID under vSAN.
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Switching modes (read before you flip it)
On PERC 9, switching between RAID and HBA mode is a controller "personality" change that clears configuration — back up first and follow the PERC 9 User's Guide. Never flip personality on a controller holding live arrays without a backup.
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Buying notes (the honest version)
- Cache battery (BBU/energy pack) ages. On refurbished cached PERCs, verify the battery is healthy — a dead pack drops the controller to write-through and tanks RAID 5/6 write speed.
- Match the controller to the server generation. An H730 (13G) and H740P (14G) are not interchangeable across chassis; mini-mono vs adapter (full-height) form factors differ too.
- Firmware. Update PERC firmware to a current baseline for your PowerEdge generation before production.
Pro Disk Network stocks PERC controllers as an independent reseller of genuine Dell hardware (not affiliated with Dell); refurbished units are tested before shipping. See Dell server storage.
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FAQ
H730 or H740P? Generation and cache. H730 for 13th-gen PowerEdge; H740P (8GB cache, eHBA) for 14th-gen and heavier workloads.
Can I run vSAN on an H730? Put it in HBA mode (or use an HBA330). vSAN wants raw disks, not hardware RAID.
Is RAID a backup? No — RAID survives drive failure, not deletion/corruption/ransomware. Keep real backups.
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Pair the right PERC with the right Dell enterprise drives, and map RAID levels with the RAID level guide. Overview: Dell PowerEdge Storage guide.
Sources: Dell PERC controller types; Dell PERC 10 User's Guide; Dell PERC 9 User's Guide.