Intel 2U Hot-swap Drive Cage Upgrade Kit 8x3.5

Overview

The Intel A2U8X35S3HSDK is an upgrade kit designed to expand a standard 2U rack server by adding eight hot-swappable 3.5-inch drive bays. This kit provides a complete solution including the drive cage, backplane board, eight drive carriers, and an I2C jumper cable, enabling seamless installation without taking the server offline. Its compact design fits within typical 2U chassis dimensions, making it a practical choice for increasing storage capacity in data centers or small business environments.

Key features

• Supports hot-swap operation, allowing drives to be replaced or upgraded while the server remains powered on, minimizing downtime.
• Includes all necessary components for installation: drive cage, backplane board, eight carriers, and I2C jumper cable for accurate sensor reporting.
• Compatible with existing Intel 2U chassis mounting points, eliminating the need for custom modifications.
• Durable construction designed to withstand continuous operation in dense rack environments.
• Compact form factor preserves airflow and cable management within the server chassis.
• Ideal for expanding storage in applications such as growing databases, virtualization clusters, media archives, and backup solutions.

Key specs

• Drive bays: 8 x 3.5-inch hot-swappable
• Form factor: 2U rack-mount compatible
• Dimensions: approximately 6.4 inches (H) x 10.5 inches (W) x 20 inches (D)
• Weight: about 8.82 pounds fully populated
• Includes: drive cage, backplane board, eight drive carriers, I2C jumper cable

Installation and setup

Installation is straightforward, as the cage aligns with standard mounting points in most Intel 2U chassis. The backplane connects directly to the server’s power and data ports, allowing quick integration without server downtime. The included I2C jumper cable ensures proper sensor communication for drive health monitoring, making setup both efficient and reliable.

Ideal uses and environments

This upgrade kit suits IT administrators managing expanding storage needs in data centers or small businesses. It works well for environments requiring continuous operation, such as virtual machine pools, large media archives, or backup storage. The ability to hot-swap drives supports maintenance and scaling without interrupting critical workloads, making it a strong choice for growing infrastructure within a familiar 2U footprint.