Up for sale is a uniquely modified, production-ready HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen8. Renowned for its ultra-compact physical profile, whisper-quiet thermal performance, and low power envelope, this server has been heavily upgraded to serve as an enterprise-class Network Attached Storage (NAS) node. Featuring an efficient Intel Xeon v2 processor, a fully maximized 16GB ECC memory footprint, an internal OS boot SSD, and a cross-flashed LSI Host Bus Adapter in pure IT Mode, this unit delivers true data-center-level disk pass-through inside a stylish micro-tower chassis.
Processor: Intel Xeon E3-1220L v2 (2 Cores, 4 Threads, 2.30GHz Base, 17W low-power TDP)
Memory: 16GB DDR3 ECC Unbuffered RAM (Maximum supported capacity for this architecture)
Host Bus Adapter: LSI 9211-8i 6Gbps Host Bus Adapter cross-flashed to pure IT Mode (HBA)
Primary Storage Pool: 12TB Raw Capacity via 4x 3TB 3.5" Enterprise SAS Hard Drives
Boot Subsystem: 128GB SATA Solid State Drive (Dedicated OS boot drive)
Remote Management: Integrated Lights-Out 4 (iLO4) Advanced Management License
Chassis Layout: 4-Bay 3.5" LFF front drive bay enclosure
Unlike traditional rackmount infrastructure that demands dedicated cooling and soundproofing, the MicroServer Gen8 is explicitly built to live silently on a desk, shelf, or small office space. Its clean, industrial micro-tower chassis looks elegant while delivering genuine enterprise-grade hardware paths including dual teamable Gigabit NICs, a dedicated out-of-band management network port, and hot-swap drive bays protected by a front locking assembly door.
The integrated storage controller architecture has been completely upgraded using a dedicated LSI 9211-8i SAS/SATA Host Bus Adapter, which has been cross-flashed to IT Mode (Initiator Target). This bypasses proprietary hardware RAID layers, exposing all four underlying 3TB SAS mechanical drives directly to the operating system as raw block devices. This pass-through topology is a mandatory architecture requirement for software-defined file systems to perform direct drive verification, SMART health monitoring, and automated bit-rot correction.
This unit features an integrated LSI SAS 9211-8i Host Bus Adapter cross-flashed directly to IT Mode (Initiator Target).
P20 Compliant Firmware: Seamlessly synchronizes with modern software architectures to prevent command timeout errors.
Direct Drive Passthrough: Completely bypasses the abstraction layers of hardware RAID blocks, allowing individual sector control directly by the operating system.
Full ZFS and Drive Telemetry Access: Delivers full S.M.A.R.T data tracking directly to user arrays for complete parity monitoring.
The hardware balancing within this MicroServer has been carefully tailored to optimize data density against strict thermal envelopes. The low-wattage Xeon E3-1220L v2 delivers snappy compute performance while generating minimal internal heat. Paired with a dedicated boot SSD stowed safely inside the optical bay location, this configuration ensures you do not waste a single primary storage bay on your operating system, providing a clean, high-throughput 12TB raw data array.
TrueNAS Core / Scale Node: Fully ready for highly resilient ZFS storage pools.
Unraid Storage Array: Perfect mix of footprint efficiency and processing overhead for local parity nodes.
Plex Media Backend: Excellent architecture for serving media streams efficiently across your home or office local area network.
Small Business Private Cloud: Local Nextcloud, active file repository, or targeted centralized backup terminal.
Cleaned, working environment pull, minor cosmetic scrapes. This unit is a thoroughly cleared, sanitized, working environment equipment pull. The server has been opened, internal dust removed, and system paths validated. The motherboard has been completely dusted, power supply components inspected for health, and thermal paste refreshed. The exterior metal shell may display minor superficial rack scuffs or small cosmetic scratches on the casing sides, but the internal layout, front bezel assembly, and lock mechanics are in flawless physical and functional condition.
| Component | Specification |
| Brand / Model | HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen8 (Micro Tower) |
| Processor | Intel Xeon E3-1220L v2 (2.30GHz Base, 2 Cores / 4 Threads) |
| Memory | 16GB DDR3 ECC Unbuffered DIMM (Maxed Out) |
| Storage Host Controller | LSI SAS 9211-8i (Flashed to Native IT Mode, P20 Firmware) |
| Data Array Drive Bays | 4x 3.5" LFF SATA/SAS Front Loading Non-Hot-Plug Caddies |
| Hard Drives Installed | 4x 3TB Enterprise Class SAS Drives (12TB Raw Capacity) |
| OS Storage Installed | 1x 128GB SATA SSD (Configured for system boot) |
| Remote Infrastructure | HPE iLO4 Advanced Management (Dedicated RJ-45 Port) |
| Networking Interfaces | 2x 1GbE RJ-45 LAN Ports (NC332i Broadcom Controller) |
| Power Distribution | Internal HPE Factory Power Supply Unit |
1x HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen8 Server
4x 3.5" Drive Caddies (Populated with 4x 3TB SAS Drives)
1x Integrated 128GB SATA Boot SSD (installed)
1x Fully Installed LSI 9211-8i IT Mode PCIe Card with SAS Cabling (installed)
1x Premium iLO4 Advanced Software License Active Key (installed)
1x UK Standard Mains Plug Power Cord
We are established enterprise equipment suppliers working locally in the United Kingdom market. We back up our physical hardware configurations with professional, technical technical support.
Can this build run larger drives down the line? Yes. Because the LSI 9211-8i host controller handles the storage pathing, the old factory 2TB motherboard volume limits are entirely bypassed. You can scale to 12TB, 14TB, or 18TB drives later.
How does the system boot from the internal SSD? The internal SSD is mapped to the internal SATA controller infrastructure, allowing you to prioritize it as your main boot disk target while the LSI controller directly handles the four primary front drive bays.
Is the iLO4 Advanced license time-limited? No. The license key is permanently bound to the motherboard configuration register, offering lifetime access to remote KVM tools.
Q: Can I run TrueNAS or Unraid out of the box on this machine?
A: Yes, absolutely.
Q: Can I expand the memory past 16GB in the future?
A: No. The Intel C204 chipset inside the MicroServer Gen8 natively caps system memory density to 16GB using two 8GB DDR3 ECC Unbuffered (UDIMM) modules.
Q: Does this server support standard SATA desktop drives alongside SAS?
A: Yes. The LSI 9211-8i HBA is backward-compatible with standard consumer or enterprise SATA hard drives and SSDs alongside SAS disks.
Bring enterprise-grade software-defined data management directly into your office space or home server environment. This fully customized, upgraded Gen8 MicroServer is configured, checked, and packaged for Mainland UK Shipping. Click Buy It Now to lock in this turn-key storage solution.