As a beginner pc builder, many people are confused about SATA cables, and they ask a common question whether they need to buy the SATA cable separately or not. So, in this article, I will answer this question.
You Have To Buy SATA Cables Separately
Usually, the SATA data cables come with your Motherboard, and the SATA power cable comes with your Power Supply. Still, in some circumstances, you need to buy the SATA cables separately, for instance, if you want to add an extra SATA SSD or extra hard drive to your device. However, in some cases, if your SATA cables go bad, then you have to replace that cable by buying a separate one.
Below I have explained why you must buy the SATA cables separately, so keep reading this article till the end for detailed information.
Why Do You Have To Buy SATA Cables Separately?
Generally, most motherboards come with at least two SATA cables. Still, in specific scenarios, we need to buy a new SATA cable, and here I explained all the scenarios where you have to buy the SATA cable separately. So, let’s started the discussion-
1. Adding Hard Disk
Generally, the Motherboard comes with some SATA data cables, and the Power Supply comes with the SATA power cables. Still, if your system has extra SATA ports and you want to add an extra Hard Disk, then you need to buy SATA cables separately.
2. Integrating SSDs
Many users prefer adding extra SATA SSDs instead of any Hard Disk because Hard Disk can only give them 200MB/s speed while SATA SSDs can reach up to 550MB/s speed.
Adding extra SSDs will require extra SATA data and power cable, which you have to buy separately. Don’t get confused between the SATA M.2 SDDs and NVMe SSDs; these SSDs don’t require any SATA cables. Only the 2.5″ SSDs require SATA data and power cables.
3. Optical (CD, DVD) Drives
Besides SSDs and Hard Disks, some other drives also require the SATA cable, and some of those are CDs, Blue Ray Drive, DVD drives, etc. So, if you want to install these kinds of drives besides Hard disks and SSD, then you must buy the SATA cables separately.
4. SATA Cable Go Bad
Sometimes the SATA cables you are using inside your system can go bad due to some mechanical, thermal, or electrical damage, and if something like this happens inside your system, your drives will stop working. A bad SATA cable can do several damages; read this article to know how a SATA cable can damage hard drives.
In such a situation, you need to replace the SATA cables, and to do so, you need to buy the cables separately. If you are wondering how you would know whether your SATA cables are working or not, then the only possible way to know this is by replacing the old SATA cable with a new one.
So, if you think your storage drives are not working correctly, you have to check the SATA cables initially.
These are some scenarios where you must buy the SATA data and power cables separately.
What Kind Of SATA Cable Should You Buy?
There is a lot of confusion among people about what kind of SATA cable they need to buy. So, let’s explore this-
Generally, there are two types of SATA cables that you may require to connect the different devices, one is the SATA data cable, and another is the SATA power cable.
Usually, the SATA data cable is required to connect the device to the Motherboard; this type of cable often comes with the Motherboard. On the other hand, the SATA power cable is required to supply the necessary power to the device, and this type of cable often comes with the power supply.
Now, if you don’t have the SATA data cable, then you can buy the cable from anywhere, but when it comes to the SATA power cable, then you can’t buy these cables; instead, you can buy any SATA power converter cable which will allow you to connect multiple drives at once.
Another thing you need to check before buying a SATA cable is the cable’s length. Read this article to know Why SATA Cable Length matters & What length do you need?
Where To Buy SATA Cables Separately?
It entirely depends on your wish, you can buy the SATA cables from your local computer hardware shops, but if you wish, you can also buy these cables from online stores like Amazon.
If you are planning to buy online, then go for Cables Matter 3-pack 90 degrees right angle SATA cables on Amazon; this is one of the most sold SATA cables on Amazon, available in a black and red color format.
Do You Need To Buy SATA Cables For Harddisk?
Every HardDisk needs the SATA data cable and SATA power cable to work inside your system; now, the SATA data cables generally come with the Motherboard, while the SATA power cable comes with the Power Supply.
If you are buying an extra hard disk, then in this scenario, you have to buy an extra SATA data cable to connect your hard disk to the Motherboard. To supply the required power to your Hard Disk, you can buy SATA power splitter cables from the websites like Amazon.
Do You Need To Buy SATA Cables For SSDs?
No, there is no need to buy SATA cables separately unless you want to add extra SSD drives and you don’t have the existing SATA cables.
When you want to add extra SSD drives, that means you have used the SATA cables that come with your motherboard, and now if you want to add another SSD drive, then you have to buy SATA cables separately. Read this article about What SATA Cables do you Need For SSDs?
Another time I am telling you that only 2.5″ SSDs need a SATA cable for connection, but the SATA M.2 SSDs & NVMe SSDs don’t require the SATA cables; they are directly attached to the Motherboard M.2 slots.
Final Thoughts
At last, I want to summarize that the SATA data cable comes with your Motherboard, while the SATA power cables come with your Power Supply. Still, in certain circumstances, there is a need to buy the SATA cables separately, such as if your SATA cables go bad or if you want to integrate an extra storage device with your system.
If you want to buy the SATA cables, you can go to your nearest computer hardware store; otherwise, you can buy these cables from online platforms like Amazon.
