Where to Install a Intel® RAID Card to Get the Best Performance?

Unable to determine which port is better to install the Intel® RAID Adapter RSP3TD160F on the Intel® Server Board S2600STBR using 2 x Intel® Xeon® Silver 4215R Processor (11M Cache, 3.20 GHz)

For the Intel® Server Board S2600STBR some of the PCIe* slots is x8 (as a minimum) and the Intel® RAID Adapter RSP3TD160F is also x8, then, any PCIe* slot should match this technical specification and the card will run at its full data bandwidth established by the PCIe* revision 3.0.

Additionally, the slot that will give you the best performance is the one with the best airflow, which goes from the front to the back direction, through the system, and overcritical components to prevent them from overheating and allow the system to operate with the best performance.

In the section named E.4. System volumetric airflow from the Technical Product Specification for the Intel® Server Board S2600ST Family shows the following tables with the acoustic and performance measurement of the airflow by PCIe slot in Linear Feet per Minute (LFM)

Airflow by PCIe slot with BIOS system acoustic configuration (in LFM)

Airflow by PCIe slot with BIOS system performance configuration (in LFM)