# SATA Cables



## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

Do you need a SATA2 cable to run a SATA2 drive at SATA2 speed on a SATA2 motherboard, or will any SATA cable work?  I see some branded as SATA2, and some only as SATA.  Are there really any differences?  Will using a SATA1 cable with a SATA2 drive have *any negative effects *like limiting file transfer speed?


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## newtekie1 (Mar 25, 2008)

There is no difference, just like there is no difference between SATA and SATA2.


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## panchoman (Mar 25, 2008)

WTF 

sata [150]= 1.5 mbps transfer speed
sata2(also called sata 3.0) = 3.0 mbps transfer speed 

i see a difference newtekie.

as for the cables, tis a good question.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

Actually, you're both wrong 







From Wikipedia.

I should probably rephrase the question, though.

Will using a SATA1 cable with a SATA2 drive have *any negative effects*?  Like limiting file transfer speed.  Doesn't seem like it would from the numbers, since my drive is sustained at about half of SATA1's capability.


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## panchoman (Mar 25, 2008)

my bad, i need 1.5 gbps & 3.0 gbps and not mbps lol. 

i think there might be a difference, just because a sata150 cable might not be built to withstand sata2 speeds.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

Yeah, but I don't think there are any drives out there that have over 150mb/s burst speeds.  I mean shit, the Raptor's are still running off of Sata-150.


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## Nitro-Max (Mar 25, 2008)

well i had a sata 2 mobo with sata 2 cable and sata 2 drive and most i got with hd tune benchmark was 75mb transfer peak so god knows were the rest went??


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## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

Hard Drives aren't up to par with even SATA150 yet.  It's just like 64-bit processing when it was released.  It was future-proof but not needed or utilized yet.


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## Nitro-Max (Mar 25, 2008)

So its a bit like pci-express 2.0 wont get the use it deserves till future cards can use up pci-e 1.1 bandwidth.

i see thanks man.


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## newtekie1 (Mar 25, 2008)

panchoman said:


> WTF
> 
> sata [150]= 1.5 mbps transfer speed
> sata2(also called sata 3.0) = 3.0 mbps transfer speed
> ...



It is only a technical difference, not an actual difference.  There is no actual speed difference between SATA 1.5Gb/s and SATA 3.0GB/s.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

It will be an actual difference once drives catch up to that speed.

Who voted that I need a SATA2 cable?  EXPLAIN YOURSELF!


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## imperialreign (Mar 25, 2008)

DanishDevil said:


> It will be an actual difference once drives catch up to that speed.
> 
> Who voted that I need a SATA2 cable?  EXPLAIN YOURSELF!



someone just trying to mess with you . . . although, I do find it rather funny 

I agree though, there's no difference in SATA cables to the best of my knowledge.

Nor are there any real world differences in speed, except for how it looks on paper.  I have a SATA300 drive, and HD Tach, as well as SandraSoft and other's all show similar speeds to other 150 HDDs.

SATA-6 connections, though, I believe is supposed to truly be faster than 1.5 and 3.0 . . . if you're running a solid state disk.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

Yeah an SSD would sustain higher speeds, but not a typical hard drive.

*COME FORWARD YEE NAY-SAYER!*


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## MKmods (Mar 25, 2008)

I have cut the cables apart to mod and they are the same (sata1 and 2) 

The only difference I saw was most of the sata 2 cables had the metal lock tab.

PS: good thread DD.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

Yeah, I was looking for cheap UV SATA cables and wondered now that I have a SATA2 drive if the extra $4 a cable was worth it.  Doesn't look like it.


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## imperialreign (Mar 25, 2008)

DanishDevil said:


> Yeah, I was looking for cheap UV SATA cables and wondered now that I have a SATA2 drive if the extra $4 a cable was worth it.  Doesn't look like it.



That $4 = $1.50 for the extra ink to print the *2*; $.50 to the manufacturer for extra profit; $.50 to the advertisers to cover the additional power needed to display a *2* on screen


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## MKmods (Mar 25, 2008)

lol, a marketeer is born...


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## imperialreign (Mar 25, 2008)

MKmods said:


> lol, a marketeer is born...





y'know - when you see how sales and management in the automotive repair industry charge for stuff on a customers invoice . . . you realize that with a little ingenuity, any cost can be justified


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## newtekie1 (Mar 25, 2008)

DanishDevil said:


> It will be an actual difference once drives catch up to that speed.
> 
> Who voted that I need a SATA2 cable?  EXPLAIN YOURSELF!



That was me, I'm sorry.  I clicked on the wrong one.  Ignore one vote for SATA2.


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## rampage (Mar 25, 2008)

i am most likely wrong here but i was under the impression that sata2 cables were the same as sata1 except there were just better quality cables (metal tabs as mentioned earlier and more flexiable, ect)

END RANT


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## Tau (Mar 25, 2008)

DanishDevil said:


> Actually, you're both wrong
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Cables are cables.  Period, have used both in multiple setups and have seen NO speed increase/decrease (even with just changing the cable)

I would also take that chart with a grain of salt as the REAL speed for Sata drives is more in around the 70-90MB/s mark, the 150/s is the maximum burst speed the controller is capable of.  same goes for the Sata2 drives.


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## ex_reven (Mar 25, 2008)

You need a sata 2 cable.
Otherwise your not leet and all your sata 2 toting friends will mock your technological demise. The cables should also be SLI and Vista certified.


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## Pinchy (Mar 25, 2008)

I voted "It's more complicated than yes or no..."

Only because I could.


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## MKmods (Mar 25, 2008)

rampage said:


> i am most likely wrong here but i was under the impression that sata2 cables were the same as sata1 except there were just better quality cables (metal tabs as mentioned earlier and more flexiable, ect)
> 
> END RANT


As to "Better", I say no (cheaper, yes). The tabs are cool, but the WD Secure Connect seems like a great idea to me.
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/wdsc50rcw.asp

I notice the newer cables are more stiff, and the ends are constantly breaking.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

The AC Ryan UV SATA cables are nice and flexible, but don't have the tabs.  I've gotten SATA cables that weren't advertised as "SATA 2" cables that had the tabs in a motherboard box, so the tabs aren't particular to SATA 1 or 2, nor is flexibility.

I think it's pretty safe to say that any SATA cable's gonna work...

...that is unless all your friends' are SLI and Vista cert


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 25, 2008)

The difference between the SATA1 and SATA2 cables is only the metal locking tab. I remember reading the tech documents when SATA2 was done being standardized.

The difference between the drives speeds are theoreticals. You never actually reach the theoretical limit of hardware hince the name. The SATA2 design does yield an increase in data transfer. Not as much as the theoretical would make you think, but still very noticeable with large files. It also effects burst rate which is very important to help make your response time faster when accessing files.

The metal locking tab is convenient if you like to pull cables tight when doing cable management. Thats the only real benefit.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

So are you saying that if a cable has a metal locking tab, it's a SATA 2 cable?

Speaking of cables, is mine on its way?


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 25, 2008)

Yes, it is SATA2 standard if it is a SATA cable with a locking tab. It doesn't actually have to be a metal tab but thats the tab that everybody uses since it is of the reference design.

Cable will be shipped out within the hour. 

I gotta run, but I will be back in about 4 hours. Much work to be done.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 25, 2008)

Thanks for the useful info!


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 25, 2008)

www.monoprice.com is great for deals on all kinds of cables. Home theater and computer cables. I buy from them in bulk. 

They pull directly from a massive cable factory in china that most motherboard manufacturers outsource to.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 26, 2008)

Your cable is on its way ofcourse. I had a ton to do today so thats why I had taken long to update. Shipping was $4.60 !!!!!!! Oh well. lol

It should reach you thursday! Or friday if its running late.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 26, 2008)

Geez!  lmao.  Thursday or Friday is perfect.  I've got the MX518 on hold for you


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 26, 2008)

I chose one the the faster options and bubble wrapped it. I go crazy on packaging. I just don't trust them to not run it over with a truck lol. 

I will most likely buy that mouse from you tomorrow. Thank you for holding it.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 26, 2008)

No problem man!  BTW - don't know if I have the retail box.  You need anything other than the mouse itself?  Drivers are online.


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## DaedalusHelios (Mar 26, 2008)

Nah, just the mouse. But make sure to atleast bubble wrap that puppy.  Thats all I would want.


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## DanishDevil (Mar 26, 2008)

Will do.  /offtopic in here.  If you want to talk about stuff I'm selling you, I'd rather bump my FS thread than this


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