SATA Cable Question

[rickkipp]

I'm preparing my list for a new 'puter to build in a couple of months. I've researched a lot about straight SATA cable and staight to angled, both left and right angles, plus the angled to angled. And does the angled work best for the HDD connection, or for the mobo. For a Gigabyte P35 or X38 mobo, which do think are best for 2 HDD's and 2 optical drives. I'll be using a full tower case, either NZXT, Antec, Thermaltake. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[engiNURD]

I typically get straight/angle; use the straight end for the mobo, and the angled end for the drive. I also get one's with locking latches. The higher end boards should come with latch-locking cables, or you could get them at svc.com for pretty cheap.

 

[Tullphan]

Originally posted by: engiNURD
I typically get straight/angle; use the straight end for the mobo, and the angled end for the drive. I also get one's with locking latches. The higher end boards should come with latch-locking cables, or you could get them at svc.com for pretty cheap.

I just bought 4 of these from SVC. Two are already broken...one of the right-angle connectors is coming apart on one & the locking latch came off the other. I sent SVC an e-mail & was told to fill out an RMA. It'll probably cost almost to ship as it cost for the cables, since free shipping was offered at the time. They only pay shipping one way for defective items.
I agree w/engiNURD that straight/angle w/locking latches are the way to go, but I don't know if all of these things are made in the same factory or if some brands are made better than others.

 

[jdkick]

IMO, there's no universal answer. I use a combination of straight->straight and straight->right-angled cables. It depends a bit on how the SATA ports are laid out your motherboard and the orientation of your drives, which is generally determined by the drive cage in the case you choose.

Once you settle on the motherboard/case, take a moment to visualize everything assembled... then plan for your cabling based on length/ease of routing through the chassis and select the connectors on the cables based on what would put the least stress on the connectors on the devices. If you're going a full-tower chassis, you may need longer cables.

 

[lxskllr]

I use whatever cables come with the mb. I prefer straight/angle, but anything works well enough, and the one's that come with the mb are already paid for ;^).

 

[Ika]

I wish I had gotten right angle/right angle cables for my mobo. Unlike Abit's mobos, the SATA ports are perpendicular to my motherboard, so I have to wrestle with the SATA cables to get them to look good. Plus my case has barely any cable management features, so I don't have much in the way of hiding them.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: engiNURD
I typically get straight/angle; use the straight end for the mobo, and the angled end for the drive. I also get one's with locking latches. The higher end boards should come with latch-locking cables, or you could get them at svc.com for pretty cheap.

i have issues with the locking ones as they are fatter and make it really hard to get the power cable into the HDD

 

[engiNURD]

Really? I've had no issues with mine. I've been using them for a couple years now, and none of the dozen or so I own have broken on me, nor do I find them obtrusive to the power plug. To each, his own. The new gigabyte boards come with sata cables with locking latches... now if they only came in black!

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: engiNURD
I typically get straight/angle; use the straight end for the mobo, and the angled end for the drive. I also get one's with locking latches. The higher end boards should come with latch-locking cables, or you could get them at svc.com for pretty cheap.

i have issues with the locking ones as they are fatter and make it really hard to get the power cable into the HDD

I bought a ton of locking ones, and they don't seem to fit on my RAID controller. 🙁 I've been using the red ones that I get with mobos & other hardware.

 

[Tullphan]

Has anyone checked data transfer rate between cables labled as SATAII vs. cables supplied w/motherboards?

 

[Zepper]

Well, Tull and I did some basic testing on SATA cables from the generic old SATA cables to the new Silverstone branded ones and found little difference in function. After that, it's just the features you need. The ones with the tightest right angle ends that I've seen (only 5/8" from nose to air) are the OK Gear ones ($3.00 at jab and the Egg), but I think their right angle ends go only one way, so may block other SATA ports if used on the mobo side. A fellow here needed tight right angles to fit in under a long card - apparently the SATA ports on his mobo were placed without much consideration of mechanical conflicts with add-on cards, etc. He could use one of the OK gear, but not another as it would block one of the other SATA ports. It would be difficult to make a cable with the right angle end going the other way and still put a metal latch on it, but I don't see many mobo connectors that could make use of a latch anyway. Check some of the specialty cable companies that turn up in a web search for the opposite bend.
. I buy cables to match the system - generally 10 or 18" as I don't like to deal with excess cable either. I keep a stock here and buy when something else is needed to avoid excess shipping costs.
. I see that http://www.satacables.com has cables with "left" angle ends for the fellow mentioned above - not pretty like the OK gear stuff, just red cable with black ends.

.bh.