Lenovo 4XH7A08770 SR550 3.5 Sata/sas 8-BAY BP

Lenovo 4XH7A08770 SR550 3.5" SAS/SATA 8-Bay Backplane

Overview

The Lenovo 4XH7A08770 is the factory-replacement 8-bay 3.5" drive backplane designed for the ThinkSystem SR550 server platform. If you are expanding storage capacity in an SR550 or replacing a failed backplane, this is the correct part — it supports both SAS and SATA drive interfaces over a PCIe 3.0 backplane bus, giving you the flexibility to mix enterprise SAS HDDs with cost-effective SATA drives in the same chassis without an adapter or riser. That dual-interface capability matters when you are managing a surveillance NVR or edge compute node built on SR550 iron and want to add high-capacity SATA surveillance-grade HDDs alongside faster SAS spindles for your operating system or database volumes.

For integrators deploying Lenovo ThinkSystem infrastructure as the backbone of on-premises network video recording systems, maintaining a spare 4XH7A08770 in the parts bin reduces unplanned downtime risk. Backplane failures are low-probability but high-impact events in 24/7 recording environments — a replacement unit on the shelf means a swap-and-continue repair rather than a multi-day RMA wait.

Key Features

• 8-Bay 3.5" Drive Capacity: Eight full-size 3.5" drive slots give you room to load the SR550 with surveillance-grade HDDs — at 8TB to 20TB per drive, that is 64TB to 160TB of raw spindle storage from a single backplane, which translates to weeks of continuous high-definition footage retention on a properly sized storage system.
• Dual SAS and SATA Interface Support: The backplane accepts both SAS and SATA drives simultaneously. In practice, this means you can install a pair of SAS drives for OS redundancy and fill the remaining six bays with high-capacity SATA surveillance HDDs — optimizing both reliability and cost per terabyte in a single chassis.
• PCIe 3.0 Backplane Bus: The backplane connects to the SR550's storage controller over PCIe 3.0, providing sufficient bandwidth headroom for sequential write workloads typical of multi-camera continuous recording — sustained writes from 16 or more HD camera streams will not saturate a PCIe 3.0 lane when paired with an appropriate RAID controller.
• SR550 Platform Fit: This is a platform-specific part engineered for the ThinkSystem SR550 chassis. Using the correct OEM backplane — rather than a generic substitute — ensures proper signal integrity on the SAS/SATA traces, correct power connector alignment, and compatibility with Lenovo's firmware-level drive health reporting through XClarity Administrator.
• Metallic Construction: The metallic backplane PCB carrier provides adequate rigidity during drive installation and removal, reducing flex-induced connector stress in high-density 2U form factor deployments where vibration from multiple spinning drives is a daily operating condition.
• Compact Shipping Profile at 4.40 lb: At 4.40 lb, the 4XH7A08770 ships without adding meaningful freight cost when ordered alongside drives or other SR550 components — relevant for integrators consolidating multiple server builds into a single purchase order.

Integration and Compatibility

The 4XH7A08770 is engineered specifically for the ThinkSystem SR550. Before ordering, confirm your SR550's chassis configuration — Lenovo offers multiple backplane options for the SR550 depending on whether the system was ordered with a 4-bay, 8-bay, or 12-bay front-end storage configuration. Installing this backplane in a chassis that shipped with a different bay-count backplane requires verifying the RAID controller cable harness lengths and the front-panel drive-bay faceplate configuration match the 8-bay layout.

Drive compatibility follows standard SAS/SATA protocol — any SAS or SATA 3.5" drive will connect at the physical level. For production NVR deployments, pair this backplane with surveillance-rated HDDs (designed for continuous write duty cycles) rather than desktop-class drives, which are rated for far lower annual workload hours. Integrators building out surveillance hard drives selections for SR550-based NVR systems should reference Lenovo's compatibility matrix for validated drive models to ensure warranty and XClarity firmware compatibility.

This backplane does not add USB connectivity — the SR550's USB ports remain routed through the system board independently. Confirmed: no USB interface on the 4XH7A08770 itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What server is the Lenovo 4XH7A08770 backplane designed for?

A: The 4XH7A08770 is designed for the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR550 server. It is a platform-specific part and should not be assumed to fit other ThinkSystem models without verification.

Q: What drive interfaces does the 4XH7A08770 support?

A: It supports both SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) and SATA (Serial ATA) 3.5" hard drives. PCIe 3.0 is the backplane bus interface to the server's storage controller.

Q: How many drives does the 4XH7A08770 support?

A: The backplane supports up to 8 drives in 3.5" form factor.

Q: Does the 4XH7A08770 support SSDs?

A: The backplane physically supports SATA drives, and SATA SSDs in 3.5" carriers or with appropriate trays could be used, but this should be confirmed against Lenovo's SR550 drive compatibility matrix for your firmware version. SAS SSDs would similarly require compatibility verification.

Q: What is the weight of the 4XH7A08770?

A: The 4XH7A08770 weighs 4.40 lb per the distribution specification data.

Q: Does the 4XH7A08770 include USB connectivity?

A: No. The 4XH7A08770 does not include USB connectivity. USB ports on the SR550 are routed through the system board separately.

James Everett

When I look at the 4XH7A08770, what stands out immediately is the dual SAS/SATA support on an 8-bay 3.5" layout — that combination is specifically useful in SR550-based NVR builds where you want SAS reliability for the OS volume and maximum-capacity SATA spindles for the recording pool, all managed through a single backplane without adding an HBA or adapter card.

Technical Highlights:

• 8-Bay SAS/SATA Dual Interface: Eight 3.5" bays supporting both SAS and SATA means drive selection flexibility — mix protocols based on workload without a protocol converter in the signal path.
• PCIe 3.0 Backplane Bus: PCIe 3.0 delivers more than enough sequential bandwidth for sustained multi-stream recording workloads — on a properly configured SR550 with a capable RAID controller, this backplane will not be the throughput bottleneck.
• 4.40 lb Unit Weight: At 4.40 lb bare, this is a realistic spare-parts-bin candidate — low enough freight cost that it makes sense to keep one on hand for SR550 deployments running 24/7 in remote or unmanned equipment rooms.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm your SR550 chassis bay-count configuration before ordering — the SR550 shipped in multiple storage configurations, and the cable harness and front-panel faceplate must match the 8-bay layout of the 4XH7A08770.
• Watch the drive workload rating: the backplane accepts any SATA or SAS 3.5" drive physically, but using desktop-class drives in a 24/7 NVR recording environment will shorten drive life significantly — use surveillance-rated or enterprise HDDs with appropriate annual workload hour ratings.

For integrators running ThinkSystem SR550 servers as dedicated on-premises NVR appliances in enterprise security deployments, the 4XH7A08770 is the correct field-replacement backplane when the original fails — and a prudent spare-parts order alongside any SR550-based system build where downtime cost exceeds storage parts cost.