SATA cables connect hard drives and optical drives to computers. These cables let the drives exchange data with the computer through the motherboard. SATA cables can transmit data faster than the older EIDE ribbon cables, and new hard drives, in particular, need the higher data transmission speed because they are larger and read and write data faster. While SATA drives perform at higher speed, the data they transfer is exactly the same as for the older cables. Structurally, eSATA cables are similar to SATA signal cables, but have shielding to prevent interference and use a different, more square plug. The cables connect the external drive to a port at the rear of the computer, located on a card installed in one of the computer’s expansion slots. The card transfers the signal to the motherboard. The external drives usually have their own power supply, and don’t use SATA power cables. Writer Bio
