Server PCIe Riser Cards — Expansion Riser Boards

Riser cards and boards for Dell, HP, Lenovo, and IBM rack servers

About Server Riser Cards

A PCIe riser card turns the limited vertical space of a rack server into usable expansion slots. Because a 1U or 2U chassis is too short to seat add-in cards upright, the riser plugs into the motherboard's riser connector and presents the PCIe lanes horizontally — letting you install RAID controllers, network adapters, GPUs, HBAs, and NVMe cards parallel to the board. We stock riser cards for Dell PowerEdge, HP ProLiant, Lenovo ThinkSystem/ThinkServer, and IBM System x.

Risers are position- and configuration-specific. A server typically has multiple riser slots — commonly labelled Riser 1, Riser 2, and Riser 3 — and each accepts a different riser board depending on how many slots you need, their electrical width (x8 vs x16), and connector type. The riser you order must match your server model, generation, and the riser position you are populating.

Common Riser Card Fitments

HP ProLiant DL380 Gen9 / Gen10 — primary, secondary, and tertiary PCIe risers (the most-stocked riser family)
HP ProLiant DL360 Gen9 / Gen10 — low-profile 1U risers
Dell PowerEdge R620 / R630 / R730 / R740 — Riser 1/2/3 boards in x8 and x16 configurations
IBM / Lenovo System x3650 / x3550 — PCIe riser assemblies for M4/M5 chassis
Lenovo ThinkServer — riser cards for RD/TD-series rack servers

Not sure which riser position you need? Send us your server model and service tag and we will match the exact riser board and slot configuration.

Featured Server Riser Cards Products

Browse all 2,208 Server Riser Cards SKUs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a server riser card do?

A riser card extends the motherboard's PCIe lanes so add-in cards can be mounted horizontally in a low-profile rack chassis. Without a riser, there is not enough vertical clearance in a 1U or 2U server to seat a full-height expansion card. The riser also determines how many slots are available and their electrical width (x8 or x16).

Are riser cards interchangeable between servers?

No. Riser cards are specific to the server model, generation, and riser position. A Dell R730 Riser 2 will not fit an R740, and an HP DL380 Gen9 riser will not work in a Gen10. Always match the exact server model and the riser slot (Riser 1/2/3) you are populating. Ordering by your server's service tag or spare part number is the most reliable method.

How do I know which riser position I need?

Server documentation labels each riser slot on the system board (Riser 1, 2, 3). The riser you need depends on which slot is empty and what card you are installing — a GPU or double-width card usually requires the x16 riser in a specific position, while a NIC or RAID controller may use an x8 riser. Check your server's owner manual slot diagram, or contact us with your model for the correct part.