HighPoint Rocket 7602L: Bootable RAID Expansion Card with Two M.2 PCIe Gen 5 Slots Unveiled

Unlike standard onboard M.2 connectors, which typically only support booting from a single drive, the Rocket 7602L features a dedicated, UEFI-compatible boot ROM. This independent firmware layer allows the host motherboard to recognize the AIC as a single, unified bootable device during the pre-boot phase. Since the storage array’s architecture is managed independently of the motherboard BIOS, the card supports bootable RAID volumes on both Intel and AMD platforms without requiring proprietary chipset features or software workarounds.

To maintain a performance level comparable to native Gen 5 NVMe media, the Rocket 7602L utilizes a full PCIe x16 host interface in combination with an active PCIe Gen 5 retimer engine. This retimer resynchronizes and regenerates high-speed data streams from the host CPU to each M.2 port. By actively processing these signals, the card minimizes latency and ensures throughput rates comparable to those of native onboard M.2 slots.

The card features a “Smart Firmware Intelligence Layer” that serves as a telemetry bridge for optimizing servers and workstations. This layer provides real-time metrics for each individual device, including temperature readings, active lane speed monitoring, and power consumption. For physical maintenance, the card features an audible alarm as well as color-coded LED early-warning indicators on the PCIe bracket to alert technicians to critical temperature thresholds or fan malfunctions.

The Rocket 7602L is designed in a low-profile form factor and thus fits into standard 1U and 2U server and workstation chassis. It offers out-of-the-box boot capabilities for common Linux distributions and Windows platforms. System management can be performed before boot via a native UEFI interface or after boot using a command-line interface (CLI) and a browser-based web GUI.

The Rocket 7602L is available through authorized distributors and resellers at a suggested retail price of $299. In Europe, the card will certainly be more expensive due to taxes, but the exchange rate is favorable for us. We expect the price to be €320.