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25 Aug 2026Form Number
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Abstract
The ThinkSystem RAID 960W-32i NVMe PCIe Gen5 Adapter is a high-performance advanced RAID-on-chip (ROC) adapter for connectivity to drives internal to the server. This adapter is NVMe optimized and is based on a new architecture with an optimized data path which results in higher IOPS and bandwidth and lower latency and provides for faster rebuild times.
This product guide provides essential presales information to understand the RAID 960W-32i adapter and its key features, specifications, and compatibility. This guide is intended for technical specialists, sales specialists, sales engineers, IT architects, and other IT professionals who want to learn more about the RAID 960W-32i adapter and consider its use in IT solutions.
Introduction
The ThinkSystem RAID 960W-32i NVMe PCIe Gen5 Adapter is a high-performance advanced RAID-on-chip (ROC) adapter for connectivity to drives internal to the server. This adapter is NVMe optimized and is based on a new architecture with an optimized data path which results in higher IOPS and bandwidth and lower latency and provides for faster rebuild times.
The RAID 960W-32i adapter support RAID levels 0, 1, 10, 5, 50, 6 and 60, and include an extensive list of security and management features. The adapter supports NVMe drives (no SAS or SATA support) with each drive having a PCIe 5.0 x2 host connection.
The ThinkSystem RAID 960W-32i NVMe PCIe Gen5 Adapter is shown in the following figure.
Did you know?
Unlike previous Broadcom MegaRAID generations that required an external DDR cache device and a separate CacheVault module, the RAID 960W-32i adapter integrates RAID cache directly into the controller chip and incorporates onboard energy backup protection. This innovative design reduces component count, improves reliability, frees valuable server space, and enables a compact low-profile form factor without sacrificing performance.
Technical specifications
The ThinkSystem RAID 960W-32i NVMe PCIe Gen5 Adapter has the following specifications:
- PCIe 5.0 x16 host interface
- 32 PCIe lanes with connectivity to up to 16 NVMe drives each with a x2 connection
- Based on the Broadcom 9760W-32i adapter with a SAS5132W controller chip
- Supports NVMe U.2 drives (PCIe 5.0 or PCIe 4.0)
- No support for NVMe U.3 drives
- No support for SAS or SATA drives
- Integrated flash-backed cache with onboard CacheVault cache protection (pluggable module)
- Two 2x SFF-TA-1016 x16 connectors
- Support for RAID 0, 1, 10, 5, 50, 6 and 60 standard
- RAID-1 is 2 drives only
- RAID-6 requires at least 4 drives
- No RAID Level Migration (RLM) support
- Support for JBOD (non-RAID) drive state
- Support for up to 16 virtual drives per controller, 8 virtual drives per drive group
- Support for logical drive sizes greater than 2 TB
- 64KB stripe size (fixed)
- Advanced security:
- Hardware Secure Boot
- Cache Offload (COL) encryption
- SPDM 1.2 attestation support
- CNSA 2.0 compliant security architecture
- Firmware integrity verification and authentication
- Secure firmware update support
- Support for SED secure erase with PSID (Physical Security Identifier)
- No support for Legacy boot
- S.M.A.R.T. support
- SMART polling
- SMART information show
- SMART self test
- Configuration with Lenovo and Broadcom tools:
- XClarity Controller
- XClarity Provisioning Manager (planned support)
- XClarity Administrator (planned support)
- XClarity OneCLI (planned support)
- StorCLI command-line interface (storcli2)
- LSI Storage Authority (LSA) GUI interface
- UEFI Human Interface Infrastructure (HII)
The following table summarizes the specifications of the RAID 960W-32i adapter.
To compare the RAID 960W-32i adapter to other RAID adapters, see the Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID Adapter and HBA Reference
https://lenovopress.com/lp1288-lenovo-thinksystem-raid-adapter-and-hba-reference
Features
The ThinkSystem RAID 960W-32i NVMe PCIe Gen5 Adapter has the following standard features:
- PCIe Gen5 NVMe RAID controller
Provides high-performance hardware RAID for PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSDs, helping maximize storage performance while reducing CPU overhead. Hardware-based RAID processing enables consistent performance and enterprise-class data protection for demanding workloads such as virtualization, databases, analytics, and AI applications.
- PCIe 5.0 x16 host connectivity
Utilizes a PCIe Gen5 x16 host interface to provide the bandwidth required by modern NVMe flash storage. The high-speed host connection helps eliminate storage bottlenecks and supports the full performance potential of next-generation SSDs.
- Support for up to 16 NVMe U.2 drives
Enables a single adapter to manage up to 16 NVMe U.2 SSDs, each with a 2-lane (x2) connection, simplifying storage deployment while providing a scalable foundation for high-capacity, high-performance server storage configurations.
- Comprehensive RAID protection
Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60, allowing organizations to balance performance, capacity, and fault tolerance according to application requirements. Hardware RAID protection helps improve data availability and business continuity.
- Integrated RAID Cache technology
Incorporates RAID cache directly within the Broadcom SAS5132W RAID-on-Chip processor, eliminating the need for the external DDR cache architecture used by previous generations. The integrated design improves efficiency while reducing board complexity.
- Embedded cache protection
Features onboard energy backup technology that protects cached data during unexpected power interruptions. The integrated design eliminates the need for a separate external CacheVault module, simplifying installation and serviceability.
- Advanced security features
Supports Hardware Secure Boot, SPDM 1.2 attestation, CNSA 2.0-compliant security capabilities. These technologies help verify firmware authenticity, protect against unauthorized modification, and strengthen platform security. Cache Offload (COL) encryption protects the controller's cache data when unexpected system power outage occurs.
- High-performance RAID architecture
Powered by Broadcom's ninth-generation RAID-on-Chip technology, which delivers performance increases (2x increase in random reads and 5x increase in random write RAID performance) over previous generations while maintaining low and predictable latency for transactional and data-intensive workloads.
- PCIe Embedded Analyzer (PEA) support
Includes integrated PCIe diagnostic capabilities that can simplify troubleshooting and assist with system validation in enterprise environments.
- Comprehensive management utilities
Supports Lenovo XClarity management tools and Broadcom management tools enabling configuration, monitoring, and maintenance throughout the storage lifecycle.
Server support
The following tables list the ThinkSystem servers that are compatible.
| Part Number | Description | AI Servers | Edge | Super computing | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4Y37B11710 | ThinkSystem RAID 960W-32i NVMe PCIe Gen5 Adapter | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
| Part Number | Description | 2S Intel V1 | Dense V1 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4Y37B11710 | ThinkSystem RAID 960W-32i NVMe PCIe Gen5 Adapter | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N | N |
Operating system support
The following table lists the supported operating systems.
Tip: These tables are automatically generated based on data from Lenovo ServerProven.
Warranty
The adapters carry a 1-year limited warranty. When installed in a supported ThinkSystem server, the adapter assumes the server’s base warranty and any warranty upgrades.
Operating environment
The adapters are supported in the following environment:
- Operating:
- Temperature: 10°C to 55°C (50°F to 131°F)
- Relative humidity: 20% to 80% (non-condensing)
- Storage
- Temperature with package: -40°C to 105°C (-40°F to 221°F)
- Relative humidity: 5% to 95% (non-condensing)
Agency approvals
The RAID 960W-32i adapter has the following agency approvals:
- USA FCC (47 CFR Part 15, Subpart B, Class A)
- USA / Canada Safety (UL 62368-1, CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 62368-1)
- Canada EMC (ICES-003 Class A)
- Australia / New Zealand RCM (AS/NZS CISPR 32 Class A)
- European Union CE (EN 55032, EN 55035)
- Korea RRL (KN32/KN35)
- Taiwan BSMI (CNS15663, CNS15936)
- CB Scheme Safety (IEC/EN 62368-1)
- Japan VCCI (VCCI-CISPR 32)
- Morocco CMIM
Related publications and links
For more information, see the following documents:
- Broadcom MegaRAID 9760W-32i product web page
https://www.broadcom.com/products/storage/raid-controllers/megaraid-9760w-32i - Broadcom 9700 Series MegaRAID Adapters Product Brief:
https://docs.broadcom.com/doc/9700-Series-PB - Broadcom 9700 Series User Guide:
https://docs.broadcom.com/docs/97xx-pcie-5-0-24g-sas-megaraid-and-hba-storage-adapters-user-guide - Lenovo ThinkSystem RAID Adapter and HBA Reference
https://lenovopress.com/lp1288-lenovo-thinksystem-raid-adapter-and-hba-reference - Lenovo ThinkSystem product publications:
https://pubs.lenovo.com/ - ServerProven hardware compatibility:
https://serverproven.lenovo.com/
Trademarks
Lenovo and the Lenovo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both. A current list of Lenovo trademarks is available on the Web at https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/legal/copytrade/.
The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both:
Lenovo®
ServerProven®
ThinkSystem®
XClarity®
The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Intel®, the Intel logo is a trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Linux® is the trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Microsoft®, Windows Server®, and Windows® are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
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