2 Pack, Internal Mini SAS HD SFF-8643 to SFF-8643 Cable, 0.8-Meter(2.6ft), 12Gbps, with Sideband, Flexible

Fibers have some sizes that GTek does not, and their prices are sometimes more appealing, but I consider them both "the best" because they are ultimately the same cable. Let's begin with the fundamentals: br>br> 3M ribbon cabling and latching Amphenol connectors were used to construct it. It also comes with sideband cables for drive identification and other purposes (you'd be surprised how few do). I've had zero quality issues or failures after using about a dozen of these for quite some time. br>br>Now here's what makes it stand out from the crowd: Because of their ribbon construction and resistance to folding, these cables have a huge potential for cable management and thus improved airflow. By replacing 8 or so standard-fare Dell and IBM standard cables with round conductors in a braided sleeve with these ribbon cables, fan airflow and internal server chassis temperatures were dramatically improved. (You may be hesitant to do so, but I've successfully folded these flat at 90 degree angles with no problems. )br>br>This translates to using less power to achieve lower temperatures, which results in lower mean failure rates on your equipment. What could possibly be wrong with that? br>br>So, in a scenario like a JBOD or 4U server chock full of hot swaps, a cable isn't just a cable when you consider server airflow and the massive difference in cable surface area. It's not a minor issue, especially if you're using a lot of aftermarket parts to build your own server for FreeNAS, Unraid, or whatever. If you're not careful, it can quickly turn into a rat's nest. In comparison to similar offerings: br>br> The HP Proliant ribbon cables, which are very similar to these, are what I used to purchase. However, there are a few disadvantages to using Proliant cables: The majority of them have one straight and one right angle SFF- 8087, which may or may not be suitable for your design 2. Replacement HP branded cables can cost as much as $80 for a set, according to what I've seen. There aren't enough sizes (I believe the majority are 1M). This is my only gripe: br>br> I wish there was a way to watch cable. (A 25cm and 50cm offering, or a 20cm, 30cm, and 50cm offering, would be fantastic. ) It'd also be a smart business decision, because many of the people buying these cables are likely DIY / homelab builders who are increasingly looking for smaller factors with good temps, lower rpm / quieter fans, and so on, so bundled and cable tied excess cabling is on the list of things to avoid. Because so many people use Intel expanders, the distance between the hot swaps and the expander, as well as the distance between the expander and the motherboard or external ports, is likely to be short. br>br>For instance, in my case, a. It's ridiculous to use an 8M cable to connect an Intel RES2CV360 to an external port at a distance of 4 inches, and it's even more ridiculous when I use two of those cables for dual link. A standard 25cm cable from Dell, for example, will actually reduce chassis clutter in this case. br>br>I didn't dock a star from my review because it's not a limitation in the item I bought, but rather a limitation in the product line. I do hope, however, that the sellers are paying attention.

Lara Potts

| Jan 31, 2021