SATA hard drives require a SATA power and data cable to communicate with a computer.
SATA (Serial ATA) and IDE (also called PATA, which is short for Parallel ATA) refer to technologies used to connect hard disk drives to computer motherboards. PCI, on the other hand, refers to a technology that allows expansion cards, such as graphics cards and sound cards, to be installed on a computer's motherboard.
Background
Western Digital designed the first IDE interface in 1986. Its IDE hard disk drive quickly became the standard for personal computers and underwent numerous revisions. SATA, which is superior in both features and speed, burst onto the market in 2003 and quickly replaced IDE as the new standard for hard disk drives.
Connection
IDE connects a hard drive to the computer through a 40-pin data cable and four-pin power cable. SATA connects a drive to the computer through a seven-pin data cable and 15-pin power cable. PCI cards insert into an expansion slot on the motherboard.
Significance
Older motherboards do not support the SATA interface. Some newer motherboards support SATA drives only and no longer support the older IDE standard. Most motherboards, both old and new, have at least one or two PCI slots that can be used to connect stand-alone cards. On older computers, it is possible to install a PCI card with one or more SATA ports built onto the card, allowing the user to connect a faster SATA drive that otherwise would not be supported on the computer.
Options
SATA PCI cards are fairly common, since many older motherboards are still in use, and users often want to upgrade to the newer and faster SATA drive technology. Some of these PCI cards support two SATA drives, and some also include an extra IDE port.
Tags: data cable, hard disk, support SATA, computer through, disk drives